Maintaining a trim middle section does more than make you look great—it can help you live longer. Larger waistbands are linked to a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes and even cancer. Losing weight, particularly belly fat, also improves blood vessel functioning and also improves sleep quality.
It is impossible to target belly fat specifically when you diet. But losing weight overall will help shrink your waistband; more importantly, it will help reduce the dangerous layer of visceral fat, a type of belly fat within the abdominal cavity that you cannot see but that heightens health risks.
Here's how to erode down where it counts most.
1.Try curbing carbs instead of fats.
When Johns Hopkins researchers compared the effects on the heart of losing weight through a low-carb diet versus a low-fat diet for six months—each containing the same amount of calories—those on a low-carb diet lost an average of 10 pounds more than those on a low-fat diet—28.9 pounds versus 18.7 pounds.
An additional benefit of the low-carb diet is that it produced a higher quality of weight loss. With weight loss, fat is decreased, but there is also often a loss of lean tissue (muscle), which is not desirable. On both diets, there was a loss of about 2 to 3 pounds of good lean tissue along with the belly fat, which means that the belly fat loss percent was much higher on the low-carb diet.
2. Think eating plan, and not diet.
Ultimately, you need to pick a healthy eating plan you can stick to, says Stewart. The advantage of a low-carb approach is that it simply involves learning better food choices—no calorie-counting is necessary. In general, a low-carb way of eating shifts your intake away from problem foods—those high in carbs and sugar and without much fiber, like bread, bagels and sodas—and toward high-fibre or high-protein choices, like vegetables, beans and healthy meats.
3. Keep moving.
Physical activity helps burn belly fat. One of the biggest advantages of exercise is that you get a lot of bang for your buck on body composition. Exercise seems to work off belly fat in particular because it reduces circulating levels of insulin —which would otherwise signal the body to hang on to fat —and causes the liver to use up fatty acids, especially those nearby visceral fat deposits, he says.
The amount of exercise you need for weight loss depends on your objectives. For most people, this can mean 30 to 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise almost every day.
4. Lift weights.
Adding even moderate strength training to aerobic exercise helps build lean muscle mass, which causes you to burn more calories during the entire day, both at rest and during exercise.
5. Become a label reader.
Compare and compare brands. Some yogurts, for example, boast that they’re lower in fat, but they’re higher in carbs and added sugars than others. Foods like gravy, mayonnaise, sauces and salad dressings frequently contain high amounts of fat and lots of calories.
6. Move away from processed foods.
The ingredients in packaged goods and snack foods are often heavy on trans fats, added sugar and added salt or sodium — three things that make it difficult to lose belly fat and weight.
7. Focus on the way your clothes fit more than reading a scale.
As you add muscle mass and loose fat, the reading on your bathroom scale may not change much, but your pants will be looser. That’s a better mark of progress. Measured around, your waistband should be less than 35 inches if you’re a woman or less than 40 inches if you’re a man to reduce heart and diabetes risks.
8. Hang out with health-focused friends.
Research shows that you are more apt to eat better and exercise more if your friends and family are doing the same to lose belly fat and overall body weight.
Definitions:
Insulin (in-suh-lin):
A hormone made by the cells in your pancreatic. Insulin helps your body store the glucose (sugar) from your foods. If you have diabetes and your pancreas is incapable of making enough of this hormone, you may be prescribed medicines to help your liver make more or make your muscles more sensitive to the available insulin. If these medicines are not sufficient, you may be prescribed insulin shots.
Blood vessels (veh-suls):
The system of flexible tubes—arteries, capillaries and veins—that carry blood through the body. Oxygen and nutrients are delivered by arteries to tiny, thin-walled capillaries that feed them to cells and pickup up waste material, including carbon dioxide. Capillaries pass the waste to veins, which carry the blood back to the heart and lungs, where carbon dioxide is let out through your breath as you exhale.
Arteries (are-TE-rease):
The blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood away from your heart for delivery to every part of your body. Arteries look like thin tubes or hoses. The walls are made of a tough outer layer, a middle layer of muscle and a smooth inner wall that helps blood flow smoothly. The muscle layer expands and contracts to help move blood.
Research Say's
Losing Belly Fat Leads to Better Heart Health
A diet that’s low in fat and carbohydrates can improve arterial function, according to a 2012 study by Johns Hopkins researchers. After six months, those on the low-carb diet had lost more weight, and at a quicker pace. But in both groups, when weight was lost—and particularly when belly fat shrank—the arteries were able to expand better, allowing blood to travel more freely. The study shows that you don’t have to cut out all dietary fat to shrink tummy fat. For heart health, simply losing weight and exercise seems to be key.
Also Read: 18 Effective Tips to Lose Belly Fat (Evidence Based)
Frequently asked questions: on Lose Belly Fat
What Burns the Most Belly Fat?
Studies suggest that intermittent fasting may be one of the most effective methods to lose weight and belly fat.
What Are 5 Foods That Cause Belly Fat?
Five foods that may help burn belly fat:
- Foods with soluble fiber like fruits, vegetables, and vegetables
- Foods with proteins like meat, fish, eggs, and dairy
- Fatty fish like tuna and salmon
- Foods with probiotics like yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi
- Green tea
How can I reduce my tummy in 7 days?
It’s probably not realistic or healthy to try to lose weight in your stomach in 7 days. While there are healthy ways to lose weight, it will probably take longer than 7 days.
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