Almost every woman desires to stay fit and healthy, however, many will hesitate to get involved with a rigorous diet and exercise program for quite a few reasons--losing their curves being one of them. Some will even try for a while, only to notice that their boobs and butt have shrunk along with their waist. And while losing weight typically doesn’t affect only one region, it is still possible to lose fat mainly in the areas that bother us e.g tummy while keeping our curvier body parts toned and voluminous.
So how can we strike a balance between losing fat and keeping our womanly figure? The truth is, it takes dedication time and effort but if you consider celebs like Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, and Beyonce for some source of inspiration, you will realize that it is totally possible. Here are some diet and workout tips that will help:
Eat foods that rich in phytoestrogens but low in starch content. Phytoestrogens are natural substances found in some plants that mimic the natural effects of female hormones in the body e.g mood regulation, breast enlargement, and distribution of body fat. Although phytoestrogens shouldn't be consumed in excessive amounts, intense exercise and dieting can deplete natural estrogen in the body and thus, it is logical to help replace them naturally. If you have noticed after working out that you’re losing your curves, try eating more of these foods for at least a few weeks and see if it makes any difference. Some good phytoestrogen sources that are also low in fat and starch are: yams, oats, non-GMO soya milk, tempeh, lentils, and sesame seeds. You can also help regulate female estrogen metabolism by consuming herbs like licorice, Angelica sinensis and even radish seed, which is found in our tea formulations.
Perform anaerobic exercises. Cardio has been the No.1 workout category for people who wish to lose weight simply because it works better in stimulating fat loss compared to other types of workouts. However, the issue with cardio exercises like running on a treadmill is that they target general body fat instead of fat in specific areas. Thus, if you wish to lose weight on your tummy but not your breast or buttocks, anaerobic exercises should occupy 70-80% of your workout schedule. Some good anaerobic exercises for the buttocks and/are breasts are: weight lifts, lunges, squats, and split squats. In most cases, doing at least 3 sets of each/3X a week should be enough to start seeing results, but the exact frequency depends on your goals, your energy, and how fast you wish to see results.
Eat enough protein and healthy fats. During exercise, your body needs to get a proper amount of energy to fuel and replenish the muscles of your body--otherwise, it will start “eating” these muscles, in a quest for lost nutrients and you are going to end up looking skinny and just flat. This is why it’s necessary to eat enough protein and healthy fats to prevent this. Ideally, you want to consume up to 6 grams of fat/kg or 2 pounds of your body weight and one gram of protein/kg of lean body mass. Your lean body mass is calculated as follows: your total body weight minus your fat e.g 70Kg -30%of body fat would be 49Kg.