ASK THE TRAINER: More on losing muffin tops

>> Question: Hi Trainer Jody. I enjoy reading your articles in the paper, and I know you have talked about the muffin top.

I’m 57 years young, now weigh about 143 and am 5 feet 3 inches.  Three months ago I was topping 161, but I joined Weight Watchers and started doing Zumba at least 3 times a week and eating differently — more salads and cutting out sodas (I drink only tea now and, of course, water. I am now back into my size 8 clothes!  Yippee.  I want to work on loosing maybe 5 to 10 more pounds, but more than anything I want to lose the “muffin top!’  It is so hard. Do you have any suggestions to help the muffin top disappear?  Thanks so much!

>> Answer: Congratulations! I love to hear success stories! You are definitely on the right track. Most importantly I see you have changed your eating habits. You may have to reel your meal plan in a bit more. Salads are great but be cautious of the dressing and make sure you are adding lean protein such as chicken or tuna to them. Eating breakfast is also a big one. Begin incorporating five to six small meals a day that consist of lean protein and plenty of veggies, fruits and healthy fats. Keep the fruits before noon but veggies are legal all day long, the wider the variety and more often the better. I suggest olive oil and coconut oil for cooking to help your healthy fat intake.

Unfortunately there is no such thing as spot reduction. So endless crunches will not help, but adding weight training two to three days per week will. Begin and full body toning program that incorporates intervals to kick up your fat burning to the next level. Weight training will help build muscle; muscle burns more calories at rest therefore increasing your metabolism! We all want that! Keep up the good work! I hope these suggestions help you reach your goal!