No doubt you’ve heard the term “muffin top”, and for a few of you reading this, you have one and are trying to get rid of it.
Well, you’ve come to the right place!
Today, we’re going to tell you exactly what a muffin top is and how to get rid of it once and for all. Even better, getting rid of your muffin top won’t require any wackadoodle diets, ineffective detoxes, or extreme exercise regimens. Just a few simple tips, tricks, and tools you can start implementing todayto get rid of one of the most stubborn areas of fat (especially for females).
Let’s get started!
What is a “Muffin Top”?
Ask any breakfast enthusiast “what is a muffin top?” and they’ll tell you it’s the most delicious part of the muffin.
Unfortunately, that’s not what most people mean when they’re asking what’s a muffin top.
In today’s lexicon, “muffin top” describes the accumulation of fat around the midsection, just above the hips.
When you wear some snug-fitting pants, the extra fat spills over the waistband, giving the appearance of the top muffin bursting out of the baking pan.
What Causes a Muffin Top?
There are a couple reasons why women can develop a muffin top. Starting with the biggest contributor:
Diet
You’ve heard the expression “abs are made in the kitchen.” Well, so are muffin tops.
Muffin tops are the result of fat accumulation around the tummy, which causes the waistline to expand. Fat gain occurs as a result of eating too many calories above what is required to maintain your current body weight and/or build muscle.
Lack of Exercise
Energy balance is a matter of calories in versus calories out.
Being in a positive energy balance means you’re consuming more energy (calories) than you are burning. Remain in a positive energy balance long enough and you will gain fat if you aren’t performing resistance training.
Therefore, to help prevent the muffin top from baking, and keep your energy balance in check, it’s important to keep your diet on point as well as maintain high levels of physical activity.
It’s true that you can’t out-exercise a poor diet, but staying active throughout the day and performing regular bouts of cardio and resistance-training can help you keep your energy expenditure high all the while building lean muscle (which helps your body burn more calories, even at rest!).
If you need help getting motivated to exercise or just need that little something extra to really push the envelope in your training session, it can be helpful to use a pre workout supplement, such as 1UP Pre Women, which contains energy boosters, focus aids, and other ergogenics to help you maximize your time in the gym for maximum calorie burning.
Genetics
Everyone stores fat (and loses) it at different rates in different places on the body. Some people are genetically blessed with having higher resting metabolic rates and gain fat evenly across their body while others tend to notice it all gathering in one spot -- hips, thighs, buttocks, etc.
While you can’t do much to alter your genetics, maintaining a proper diet and exercise routine can help keep fat gain (and the muffin man) away.
Stress
Stress is a literal killer. It wreaks havoc on your hormones, mental health, and physique.
Chronic stress is known to increase feelings of hunger (particularly for high-calorie, salty, fatty foods) all the while reducing feelings of fullness. Being stressed all the time has also been found to promote fat gain, particularly around the midsection.
As such, it’s important to find ways to minimize the types and amount of stress you expose yourself to each day as well as improve stress management. We realize it’s not entirely possible to remove stress completely from your life. In those instances, utilizing stress management techniques like breathing drills, mindfulness, meditation, or simply getting up and walking away can do wonders to help mitigate and relieve stress.
Lack of Sleep
Sleep deprivation is a very powerful stressor to the body, one that’s been shown to disrupt hunger and satiety hormones as well as impair insulin sensitivity, nutrient partitioning, and fat burning.
Make it a goal to get 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night. You can set yourself up for success by:
- Going to bed at the same time every night
- Avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bed
- Limiting sources of stress before bed (social media, news, work emails, etc.)
- Limiting blue light exposure 2 hours before bed (TV, laptop, smartphone)
- Reading
- Taking a warm bath or shower
- Meditation or praying
- Journaling
- Having a cup of herbal tea
You can also use a natural nighttime relaxation and recovery aid, such as 1UP Beauty Dream or Recharge PM, to help promote feelings of calm relaxation, thereby allowing you to drift peacefully off to sleep and achieve the deep, restorative rest you need.
How Do I Get Rid of a Muffin Top?
Eat a Healthy Diet
No surprise here.
If you want to get rid of (or avoid gaining) a muffin top, you have to eat a healthy diet -- fruits, veggies, lean protein, healthy fats, whole grains.
If you’re not sure how many calories you need to eat to lose weight (or maintain weight), click here for our TDEE and BMR calculator.
It also helps to limit sources of empty calories (foods and drinks that deliver high amounts of calories with little in the way of actually making you feel full). Classic examples of “empty calories” are:
- Chips
- Crackers
- Candy
- Cookies
- Soft drinks
- Juices (yes, even the fancy, gourmet cold-pressed ones)
- Gourmet coffees (aka sugar and fat bombs that cost $5 each)
- Sugary sports drinks and energy drinks
- Alcoholic beverages
Dieting presents several unique challenges for individuals. You’re consuming less energy than your body needs, which can reduce the desire and motivation to exercise all the while increasing your desire to eat.
Using the right supplements can help with both of these challenges.
For starters, utilizing an appetite suppressant, such as 1UP Appetite Suppressant, can help keep cravings in check and avoid snacking, enabling you to stay on track with your diet.
For added energy and motivation to exercise, you can consider using our best-selling pre workout, 1UP Pre Women, or high-potency thermogenic 1UP Make Her Lean Max to ramp up energy expenditure and fat burning.
Prioritize Protein
Protein is the most important macronutrient when it comes to optimizing body composition and keeping hunger in check (especially when dieting for fat loss).
The reason for this is that protein is incredibly satiating, which means it helps keep you feeling full. Protein is also the most thermogenic macronutrient, meaning that your body has to expend more energy (calories) to break it down than either carbohydrates or fat.
Protein also helps your body build, repair, and maintain lean muscle which is imperative if you want to achieve the lean, toned figure you want after your transformation challenge.
A good rule of thumb to aim for is 0.8-1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.
Some of our favorite protein sources to include in the diet are:
- Beef
- Chicken
- Pork
- Eggs
- Fish
- Shellfish
- Protein powder (such as 1UP Whey Protein or Organic Vegan Protein)
Exercise
Limiting fat gain or burning off excess body fat requires you to maintain an appropriate balance between calories eaten and calories burned.
Now, you can achieve this balance purely through manipulating your diet, but the more efficient way is to use a combination of diet and exercise.
Exercise, in the form of cardio and resistance training, increases your energy output during the day, which will allow you to eat slightly more calories while still remaining in a calorie deficit.
Resistance training is also important for boosting metabolism and retaining lean muscle mass while dieting as any time the body is in a prolonged energy deficit there is a very real risk of muscle loss on account of its high caloric requirements.
Takeaway
A muffin top is one of those areas of stubborn fat that can be a real pain to try to eliminate. There are no tricks or exercises to spot-reduce a muffin top.
The good news is that the best way to lose a muffin top is to follow the steps you would to lose any other type of fat on your body -- a combination of diet, exercise, and sleep.
Use the tips outlined above to help loose the muffin top once and for all, and if you need added support sticking to your diet and training plan, make sure to check out our extensive line of weight loss support supplements.
