How to lose belly fat in 10 DAYS: Personal trainer reveals the four steps to shrinking your waist

As temperatures plummet around Australia, it’s easy to fall into the trap of eating convenience foods and ordering takeaway.

But one personal trainer said you can get rid of your belly fat in just 10 days, provided you know how.

Writing on her blog, Sydney-based PT Rachael Attard revealed the four steps that will help you lose your muffin top – and all within a fortnight.

Rachael said the first thing to do is figure out your body type, as it’s important to both eat and exercise for your frame (pictured: a transformation from her programme)

Rachael said that while ab workouts are great, they will not help you lose belly fat specifically.

So what are the four things you should be doing instead?  

Step 1: Figure out your body type

For the personal trainer, it’s impossible to get very far with getting rid of fat unless you know your specific body type. 

‘Your body type heavily influences the way you lose fat and weight. And that means your workout and diet efforts need to be tailored to your personal body type,’ Rachael explained. 

Generally speaking, there are three different body types.

Whether you’re an endomorph like Kim Kardashian (left) or an ectomorph like Elsa Hosk (right), how you eat and exercise will vary

Endomorph 

Endomorphs – such as Kim Kardashian, Scarlett Johannson, Kate Winslet and Jennifer Lopez – tend to have higher percentages of body fat, Rachael said. 

‘They store fat more easily, typically around the belly, thighs, and butt. And getting rid of fat is often harder for them,’ she added.

A good way to blast your belly fat if you’re an endomorph is to try a low carb diet and do more cardio than the other two body types.

Ectomorph

The ectomorph on the other hand tends to be naturally more lean, though Rachael warned they can in fact be ‘skinny fat’ and still have a muffin top.

Typical ectomorphs include Elsa Hosk, Karlie Kloss and Keira Knightley.

Because ectomorphs find it difficult to retain muscle, Rachael said ectomorphs should eat a high carb diet without too much cardio.

Instead, they should focus on their resistance training – even if it’s light weight work.

Mesomorph 

Last but not least, the mesomorph is often thought as the best of both worlds.

While they store body fat more easily than ectomorphs, it’s easier for them to lose it than it is for endomorphs.

Famous mesomorphs include Gigi Hadid, Jennifer Lawrence, Adriana Lima and Irina Shayk. 

‘They do best following a balanced diet and with doing moderate amounts of cardio for fat loss,’ Rachael said.  

Mesomorphs like Gigi Hadid (pictured) store body fat more easily than ectomorphs, but it’s easier for them to lose it than it is for endomorphs

Step 2: Focus on nutrition

Once you’ve identified your body type, Rachael said the next step is to hone in on nutrition.

‘Cut out all junk food, processed food, bad carbs, sugar, and alcohol for the full 10 days. No cheating,’ she said.

Instead, load up on nutrient-dense foods that are right for your body type, and try tracking the calories and macros you’re ingesting over the course of a few days.

Be strict with yourself, as the PT said this is often how you see results. And don’t have one cheat day as this can often spiral.

Step 3: Reduce stress

Easier said than done, reducing stress plays a huge part in ditching the belly fat. 

This is primarily because when you are stressed, the body releases the stress hormone, cortisol, which results in your body storing fat, and particularly around the stomach.

‘Try to avoid things that put you under stress, mentally, emotionally or physically – exercising too much, having a poor diet/gut health, not getting eight hours of sleep, medication, being in a bad relationship, travelling, chemical exposure etc,’ Rachael said. 

The bad news is you will ‘never’ sort out your belly fat until you deal with high stress levels.

Once you’ve figured out your body type, Rachael (pictured) recommends you ditch all processed foods and alcohol and start exercising right for your frame

Step 4: Exercise right

While the old saying that diet is more important than exercise is true, exercise does play a huge part in fat loss – when you’re doing it right.

The expert said a combination of steady state cardio (walking, jogging etc), HIIT (high intensity interval training), resistance training (to build muscle) and ab-focused workouts will get you that much-desired six pack.

‘You don’t need to do TONNES of workouts. You need to do the right type of workouts. Incorporate high intensity workouts to lose belly fat quickly (running and HIIT work best!),’ Rachael said.

To read more from Rachael Attard, you can visit her blog here.