The 2 Week Diet

Thursday, June 21, 2018

Simple Ways to Reduce Belly Fat





High levels of abdominal or belly fat is
associated with increased risk for diseases such as diabetes and heart disease,
and it can also undermine your self-confidence, so what is the best way to lose
that excess belly fat?
Why there is no miracle diet for reducing
belly fat
There are many diets that claim certain foods
are effective in burning belly fat and will help you lose your abdominal fat,
however, there is no evidence that this is actually the case.  No
particular foods have been found to have magical properties when it comes to
flattening your stomach, it seems as with any weight loss, the key is a healthy
balanced diet with an appropriate amount of calories and an exercise
regime.  A combination of diet and exercise is thought to be the most
effective way to reduce abdominal and other forms of excess fat.
You should also be aware that toning exercises
will not result in a 
flat six pack unless you lose the fat that is covering
the muscle on the stomach as well.  Crunches and other stomach exercises
do tone the muscles and can improve the appearance of the middle section, but
they will not do anything to reduce the fat.
It is important to remember that numerous
factors can contribute to fat storage in the body.  For example,
post-menopausal women are more likely to have higher levels of belly fat due to
hormonal changes, whilst pre-menopausal women are more likely to store fat in
the hip region.
There are also a number of medical conditions
that can cause increased abdominal fat, so if you are struggling to lose this
fat with diet and exercise, it may be worth investigating other possibilities.
Simple ways to reduce your abdominal fat
Reduce your calorie intake
There is no easy dietary fix for abdominal
obesity, however, a lower calorie diet resulting in energy deficit will
generally result in weight loss and the abdominal fat is often the first thing
to go.
Studies have shown that a reduction in energy
intake of 400 to 700 calories per day can result in a 15 to30% reduction in
abdominal fat over a three to six month period.  Very low calorie diets
that restrict energy intake even further are thought to be even more effective,
however, these are much more difficult to maintain in the long term and are
likely to result in weight regain.
Choose Low GI
A 2012 study suggested that a lower GI diet
may result in increased abdominal weight loss compared with a higher GI
alternative.  This may be due to improved blood sugar control and satiety
experienced when eating low GI foods, which often leads to decreased energy
intake and will therefore result in weight loss.
Increase your soluble fiber
A study published in the journal, Obesity,
last year suggested that an increased intake of soluble fiber could be
effective in reducing abdominal obesity.  The study found that with every
10g intake in daily soluble fiber, abdominal fat was decreased by 3.7% over a
period of five years.
Soluble fiber is found in foods such a
vegetables, fruit and beans and is also thought to be beneficial for reducing
bad cholesterol levels in the blood.  A 10g serve of soluble fiber is
easily obtained through consuming specific foods, such as two small apples with
their skin or a cup of green peas. (See also: 
How much fiber
should we eat in a day
?)
Exercise
There is no doubt that physical activity is
beneficial for losing abdominal fat, although how effective it is seems to be
dependent on the amount, frequency and intensity of the exercise.  In
general, the more or harder you work out, the greater the loss in abdominal
fat, although even moderate levels of exercise seems to be effective to some
degree.
The ideal combination to lose abdominal fat
and to lose weight in general is agreed to be a combination of exercise and
diet, resulting in a calorie deficit, but also maintain muscle mass due to
physical activity.
Sleep more
It has also been suggested that those who
sleep more hours per night may have less abdominal fat.  In general,
people who sleep less than five hours per night seem to have higher BMIs and
greater abdominal fat than those who sleep for longer periods.  (See
also: 
Does sleep help
you lose weight
?)
This may be due to a number of factors such as
poor eating habits due to stress and tiredness, hormone production and being
awake more hours and thus needing to eat more.
Reduce your stress levels
It is thought that people who have a lot of
stress in their lives or are more prone to stress tend to have greater
abdominal obesity than those who are more relaxed.  Stress releases the
hormone cortisol, which encourages the accumulation of fat around the abdomen,
so it may be that taking some time out to relax and unwind will help your to
shed that excess belly fat.

High levels of abdominal or belly fat is
associated with increased risk for diseases such as diabetes and heart disease,
and it can also undermine your self-confidence, so what is the best way to lose
that excess belly fat?
Why there is no miracle diet for reducing
belly fat
There are many diets that claim certain foods
are effective in burning belly fat and will help you lose your abdominal fat,
however, there is no evidence that this is actually the case.  No
particular foods have been found to have magical properties when it comes to
flattening your stomach, it seems as with any weight loss, the key is a healthy
balanced diet with an appropriate amount of calories and an exercise
regime.  A combination of diet and exercise is thought to be the most
effective way to reduce abdominal and other forms of excess fat.
You should also be aware that toning exercises
will not result in a 
flat six pack unless you lose the fat that is covering
the muscle on the stomach as well.  Crunches and other stomach exercises
do tone the muscles and can improve the appearance of the middle section, but
they will not do anything to reduce the fat.
It is important to remember that numerous
factors can contribute to fat storage in the body.  For example,
post-menopausal women are more likely to have higher levels of belly fat due to
hormonal changes, whilst pre-menopausal women are more likely to store fat in
the hip region.
There are also a number of medical conditions
that can cause increased abdominal fat, so if you are struggling to lose this
fat with diet and exercise, it may be worth investigating other possibilities.
Simple ways to reduce your abdominal fat
Reduce your calorie intake
There is no easy dietary fix for abdominal
obesity, however, a lower calorie diet resulting in energy deficit will
generally result in weight loss and the abdominal fat is often the first thing
to go.
Studies have shown that a reduction in energy
intake of 400 to 700 calories per day can result in a 15 to30% reduction in
abdominal fat over a three to six month period.  Very low calorie diets
that restrict energy intake even further are thought to be even more effective,
however, these are much more difficult to maintain in the long term and are
likely to result in weight regain.
Choose Low GI
A 2012 study suggested that a lower GI diet
may result in increased abdominal weight loss compared with a higher GI
alternative.  This may be due to improved blood sugar control and satiety
experienced when eating low GI foods, which often leads to decreased energy
intake and will therefore result in weight loss.
Increase your soluble fiber
A study published in the journal, Obesity,
last year suggested that an increased intake of soluble fiber could be
effective in reducing abdominal obesity.  The study found that with every
10g intake in daily soluble fiber, abdominal fat was decreased by 3.7% over a
period of five years.
Soluble fiber is found in foods such a
vegetables, fruit and beans and is also thought to be beneficial for reducing
bad cholesterol levels in the blood.  A 10g serve of soluble fiber is
easily obtained through consuming specific foods, such as two small apples with
their skin or a cup of green peas. (See also: 
How much fiber
should we eat in a day
?)
Exercise
There is no doubt that physical activity is
beneficial for losing abdominal fat, although how effective it is seems to be
dependent on the amount, frequency and intensity of the exercise.  In
general, the more or harder you work out, the greater the loss in abdominal
fat, although even moderate levels of exercise seems to be effective to some
degree.
The ideal combination to lose abdominal fat
and to lose weight in general is agreed to be a combination of exercise and
diet, resulting in a calorie deficit, but also maintain muscle mass due to
physical activity.
Sleep more
It has also been suggested that those who
sleep more hours per night may have less abdominal fat.  In general,
people who sleep less than five hours per night seem to have higher BMIs and
greater abdominal fat than those who sleep for longer periods.  (See
also: 
Does sleep help
you lose weight
?)
This may be due to a number of factors such as
poor eating habits due to stress and tiredness, hormone production and being
awake more hours and thus needing to eat more.
Reduce your stress levels
It is thought that people who have a lot of
stress in their lives or are more prone to stress tend to have greater
abdominal obesity than those who are more relaxed.  Stress releases the
hormone cortisol, which encourages the accumulation of fat around the abdomen,
so it may be that taking some time out to relax and unwind will help your to
shed that excess belly fat.


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