Why belly fat is the worst kind

Let me just make a few things clear: everyone has belly fat, everyone needs some belly fat, and I’m not singling anyone out based on some objective measurement like weight or BMI.

Belly fat is not “just fat.”  It’s also a glandular organ: it makes hormones and receives hormone signals from other parts of the body.  So some belly fat is needed because it has this unique endocrine (hormonal) function, and it also insulates your guts.

Cortisol (the stress hormone) and serotonin (the happy neurotransmitter) are two of the most important belly fat signals. 

High cortisol (i.e. high stress) makes the belly fat prosper and proliferate.  A little is ok, a lot- not so much.  We really work through this topic in my ‘slim down & happy up’ program, but the gist about cortisol and belly fat is:

It’s like a snowball effect, if the snowball was made of stress and fat.

So, not good.

Serotonin and belly fat is a little more complex- it can go up (yay! happy!) or down (boo! sad!) with more belly fat.  The key here is healthy digestive integrity (the opposite being increased intestinal permeability or “leaky gut”- boo! again)- a discussion for another time.

It’s the belly-hormone issue that gets us in trouble.  As belly fat creeps up on us over the years, it just keeps getting more active. 

Endocrine glands just shouldn’t grow larger and more active over the years.  When this happens in the thyroid gland, ovary or brain, specialists are called and a plan of attack is made. 

Do we radiate it? Do we cut it out? 

No one says, “Oh well, that massive ovary is just a sign of aging. It happens to us all.” 

So why don’t we care about belly fat this way?

(Um, because we can just buy bigger pants?)

Yeah, that doesn’t cut it in my book.  I’m not strictly anti-fat, I’m anti-excess-belly-fat because it’s a sign of hormone imbalance and nearly always associated with high stress. 

My job is to help others improve their health, and a big part of that is hormone balancing and stress reduction.  So, no, I don’t give up and throw up my hands.  “You win, belly fat, it’s just middle age.”  

No, we make a plan to get those hormones and belly fat under control. 

Don’t know how? Don’t think it’s possible?

Join me in my next ‘slim down & happy up’ session and learn my stress reduction-based approach to weight loss (gotcha, belly fat!).  Registration is now open through June 26th, so plan to sign up soon!

Then find out for yourself what’s possible.  I’d love to help you feel you best, and maybe lose a pants size or two in the process.

If you haven’t already, get in on a private registration deal while it lasts!  Sign up over there above the picture of me and Dude (the black dog) and get a great discount code for this next program session.

Hoping to help you happy up soon,