Are you at RISK?

Let's face it, most of us carry a little extra weight around with us. It's really easy to do especially as we age to put on little tummy roll. But we can still fit into those size 34 waist pants if we REALLY suck it in or wear them below our little roll. Ladies, you just won't eat at the party or sit down. Or if you are like me put on good ole spanks underneath and hope you NEVER have to go to the bathroom because you wrangle those suckers on!

SOOO, who really cares about a little middle age spread anyway. It's not that big a deal. I already got the 2.5 kids, dog, mini-van, mortgage- and my spouse well they have some middle age spread as well so we are in this together.

Turns out belly fat IS a big deal. Actually a HUGE deal. You really don't want a muffin top, beer belly or anything of the sort. You are at increase risk of heart disease. Now here's the hard part. Honestly, there is no easy way to tell if you have danger levels of belly fat without a CT scan. We need to know the amount of fat in the abdominal cavity more than the fat right under the skin. BUMMER!

So here is my advice if you don't have a trusty CT scan at the home AND a technician to read the results for you:

1. Measure your waist to hip ratio: Measure your waist just above your belly button. DO NOT SUCK IN. Measure your hips at the widest part of your butt, just below where your thighs hinge. THEN, divide waist/hip=

A low risk score for women is .80 or lower

A low risk score for men is .95 or lower

2. Start working your core. There are loads of core exercises. You can start anytime but you have to get moving. If you need some inspiration go back and look at the old blog posts there are several there to get you started.