It’s impossible to target belly fat specifically when you diet. But losing weight overall will help shrink your waistline; more importantly, it will help reduce the dangerous layer of visceral fat, a type of fat within the abdominal cavity that you can’t see but that heightens health risks, says Kerry Stewart, Ed.D. , director of Clinical and Research Physiology at Johns Hopkins.
Here’s how to reduce your most important tasks:
Try reducing carbohydrates instead of fat.
When Johns Hopkins researchers compared the heart effects of a low-carb diet over six months with that of a low-carb diet (each containing the same amount of calories), weight loss on the low-carb diet was less significant. People lost an average of 10 pounds. more than those on low-fat diets – 28.9 pounds vs. 18.7 pounds. Stewart says another benefit of low-carb diets is that they lead to high-quality weight loss. Weight loss is undesirable because it reduces fat but often results in loss of lean tissue (muscle). Both diets resulted in loss of approximately 2 to 3 pounds of good lean tissue along with fat. This means that the rate of fat loss was much higher on low-carb diets.
Think of it as a meal plan, not a diet.
Ultimately, you need to choose a healthy eating plan that you can stick to, says Stewart. The beauty of a low-carb approach is that you don’t have to count calories, you just learn to make better food choices. Typically, a low-carb diet involves switching from eating problem foods (foods that are high in carbohydrates and sugar, and low in fiber, such as bread, bagels, and soda) to eating foods that are higher in carbohydrates, such as vegetables. Or a higher protein option. Beans and healthy meat.
Physical activity helps burn belly fat. “One of the biggest benefits of exercise is that it has a huge impact on your body composition,” says Stewart. Exercise appears to specifically reduce belly fat because it reduces circulating levels of insulin, which signals the body to hold on to fat, and forces the liver to utilize fatty acids. Especially near visceral fat stores, he says.
How much exercise you need to lose weight depends on your goals. For most people, this may mean doing 30 to 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise almost every day.
Weightlifting.
Adding moderate strength training to your aerobic workout will help you build lean muscle, allowing you to burn more calories both at rest and during exercise throughout the day.
Become a label leader.
Compare and contrast brands. For example, some yogurts claim to be low in fat but are higher in carbohydrates and sugar than others, Stewart says. Foods like gravy, mayonnaise, sauces, and salad dressings often contain a lot of fat and calories.
Stay away from processed foods.
Ingredients in packaged and snack foods are often rich in trans fats, added sugars, and added salt or sodium. These three things make it difficult to lose weight.
Pay more attention to how your clothes fit than reading the scale.
If you build muscle and lose fat, the numbers on the scale won’t change much, but your pants will become baggier. This is a better sign of progress. To reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes, your waist circumference should be less than 35 inches for women and less than 40 inches for men.
Hang out with friends who are interested in health.
Studies show that when friends and family exercise together, people are more inclined to eat better and exercise more.
some definitions
Insulin: A hormone produced by cells in the pancreas. Insulin helps your body store glucose (sugar) from food. If you have diabetes and the pancreas cannot produce enough of this hormone, medications may be given to help the liver produce more hormone or to make the muscles more sensitive to the available insulin. If these medications are not enough, you may be prescribed insulin injections.
Blood vessels: A system of flexible vessels (arteries, capillaries, and veins) that carry blood throughout the body. Oxygen and nutrients are transported through arteries into small, thin-walled capillaries, which deliver them to cells and collect waste products, including carbon dioxide. Capillaries carry waste products into the veins, which carry blood back to the heart and lungs, and when you exhale, carbon dioxide is released.
Arteries (are-te-rez): Blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood from the heart to all parts of the body. Arteries look like thin tubes or tubes. The wall is made up of a hard outer layer, a muscular middle layer, and a smooth inner wall that facilitates blood flow. The muscle layer expands and contracts to aid blood flow.
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