Your Waist Matters More Than Your Weight

Who is ready to ditch the scales? 

So many of us have a weird kind of relationship with our “weight”.  

I mean, it doesn’t define you, obviously. Nor is it a measure of your self worth. 

What you weigh can matter but only to a certain extent.

Let’s look at your waist circumference… well, you look at yours and I’ll look at mine! 

Waist Circumference – AKA “Belly Fat” or  Meno Middle

Do you remember the fruity body shape descriptions being like an “apple” or a “pear”?  The apple is kinda round around the middle (you know – belly fat-ish, kinda beer belly-ish) and the pear is rounder around the hips/thighs.

THAT is what we’re talking about here.

Do you know which shape is associated with a higher risk of sleep apnea, blood sugar issues (e.g. insulin resistance and diabetes), fatty liver and heart issues like high blood pressure, blood fat, and arterial diseases? 

Yup – that apple!

And it’s not because of the subcutaneous (under the skin) fat that we refer to as a “muffin top”.  The health risk is actually due to the fat inside the abdomen covering the liver, intestines and other organs there.

This internal fat is called “visceral fat” and that’s where a lot of the problem actually is.  It’s this “unpinchable” fat.  

The reason visceral fat can be a health issue is because it releases fatty acids, inflammatory compounds, and hormones that can negatively affect your blood fats, blood sugars, and blood pressure.

And the apple-shaped people tend to have a lot more of this hidden visceral fat than the pear-shaped people do.

So as you can see, where your fat is stored is more important than how much you weigh.

Am I an apple or a pear?

It’s pretty simple to find out if you’re in the higher risk category or not. The easiest way is to just measure your waist circumference with a measuring tape.  You can do it right now.

Ladies, if your waist is 88cm or more, ideally it should be under 80cm, you could be considered to have “abdominal obesity” and be in the higher risk category.  Pregnant ladies are exempt, of course.

For men the high risk category is over 102cm, with the ideal waist measurement being less than 94 cm. 

Ladies:
Optimal – under 80cm
High Risk – over 88cm

Men:
Optimal – under 94cm
High Risk – over 102cm

Of course there are lots of risk factors for chronic diseases and this isn’t a diagnostic tool.  

Waist circumference is just one of them – and a much better indicator than BMI. 

If you have concerns, definitely see your doctor.

Tips for Reducing Belly Fat: 

• Eat more fibre.  Fibre can help reduce belly fat in a few ways.  First of all it helps you feel full and also helps to reduce the amount of calories you absorb from your food.  Some examples of high fibre foods are really any fresh fruit or vege but don’t forget brussel sprouts, flax and chia seeds, avocado, and blackberries. Think of fibre as a broom that cleans everything out! 

• Add more protein to your day.  Protein reduces your appetite and makes you feel fuller longer.  Combined with healthy fats from avo, nuts and seeds, helps regulate your blood sugar levels. 

• Drop the added sugars and artificial sweeteners.  This means ditching processed sweetened foods especially those sweet drinks (even 100% pure juice).

• Move more.  Get some aerobic exercise so you are huffing and puffing. Lift some weights.  Walk and take the stairs.  It all adds up.

• Stress less.  Seriously!  Elevated levels in the stress hormone cortisol have been shown to increase appetite and also signals your body to store abdominal fat.

• Get more sleep.  Try making this a priority and seeing how much better you feel (and look).

Ready to take the next step…
Why not book in for a Hormone Help call… we’ll talk about what’s going on and the best way I might be able to help.

Book your call >>> HERE