Ask Sam Now

Please help me shrink my muffin top!

Dear AB-solutely,

For quick results, commit to these six SHRINK-my-muffin-top tips for one month: 

SLEEP–Sleep the belly fat away! Studies have proven that people who sleep seven hours or more lose twice as much fat and are less hungry those who snooze for less than seven hours. 

H20–Guzzle your water. Add fresh lemon, lime, or cucumbers. 

RIGHT food and drink–Muffin top in, muffin top out. Remove anything from your diet that resembles the crap in a muffin: high-sugar and high-trans fats foods must go. Stick to healthy and unprocessed food. Don’t drink soda and limit juice—remember that smoothies can be a load of unnecessary calories, too!

INTENSE interval training–HIIT workouts are a part of many workout classes. Your gym is probably loaded with these calorie-burning, core-toning workouts. 

NO boozin’–Abstain from alcohol—it’s just a month! You’ll notice a difference in mind…and muffin top. 

KICK this up a level for real results! Get serious. Commit to a personal trainer, health coach, or nutritionist for these four weeks (one to four times a week). When you have someone supporting you, you score and WIN!

My wife had a baby six months ago and has been cleared to have sex….but she doesn't have a desire. Is this normal? What can I do for her? 

Dear Romeo,

Yes, it’s perfectly normal. It’s not you. Let’s put her lack of desire in perspective: 

• A tiny human just came out of her body. 
• Her breasts have an entirely different purpose. 
• Baby weight may not yet be lost, and she may not be feeling like her sexy self.
• Sleep issues, low energy, and hormone imbalances are common postpartum. 

I’m proud of you for your intentions. Yes, you can help! Make the mother of your child, best friend, and lover feel like the sexiest, most beautiful woman in the world. Take small steps with patience and understanding:

• Give her a massage, serve her breakfast in bed, and run errands for her. 
• Plan a romantic date, and bring her flowers. Compliment her often to reassure her how attractive and sexy she is to you. 
• Take a walk together, while baby naps in the stroller. Hold hands, talk, and reconnect.
• Show your affection spontaneously. Send her a love note text or write it a post-it note and place on her mirror or in her car.
• Give her a day off to get pampered; then pick her up and take her to dinner.

Reaffirm your love. Be intimate. Share intimacy. May I remind you, sex is not the only expression to heighten all pleasures. Explore. Enjoy. Hang in there, it will come. 

I’m really not hungry in the morning—do I have to eat breakfast? Does bulletproof coffee count as breakfast?

Dear Hangry, 

This is a hot, controversial topic in the nutrition world! I’ll keep it quite simple. Every “body” is different. Some do and some do not need to eat breakfast. Not being hungry does not mean you do not need nutrients. Skipping breakfast can have a negative impact on people with certain health factors including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, and inflammation. While coffee blended with butter and coconut oil has the same amount of calories of a nutritious breakfast and the fats may keep you full, it does not have all the nutritional value you need day in and day out. 

What are your goals for health and happiness? Do a self-scan. Assess your mind, body, and soul. Do you need more clarity or less stress? Do you have pains, fatigue, or inability to achieve fitness goals? Are you moody or lacking passion? Just think on that—then feed what 
you need.