How to Get Rid of Belly Fat?
Simple ways to get rid of belly fat
One of the most dominant reasons for people to join a fitness regime is to get rid of their belly fat. Not only is it aesthetically unpleasant, but it also increases multiple health risks for the individual carrying it.
People are adopting a healthy diet, joining gyms, taking supplements, and going under the knife in plastic surgery, among others, to reduce midsection mass. But what is the most desired and feasible way to eliminate this? We find out that in this space.
But before that, we need to dig deep into it. To truly deal with a bodily issue, you need to get to its root to understand the basics of it. What is belly fat at its core? What causes it? How risky is it to your body? Fortunately, we have compiled the answers to all these questions and more under this one space for you. So, let us get started.
A closer look at belly fat
Belly fat, also known as abdominal or visceral fat, refers to the excess mass that accumulates around the midsection, specifically in the abdominal cavity. Unlike subcutaneous fat (fat found just beneath the skin), midsection mass surrounds vital organs such as the liver, pancreas, and intestines. It is metabolically active and produces various hormones and inflammatory substances, contributing to increased health risks.
It is often associated with an unhealthy lifestyle, including poor diet, sedentary behavior, and stress. It poses a higher risk for cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, and other health complications. Losing abdominal fat is crucial for overall health improvement and reducing the risk of chronic diseases.
Why is it necessary to lose belly fat?
These are essentially visceral fats that surround some of the most delicate human internal organs in the abdomen, such as the liver, stomach, and intestines. They are also known as active fats since they run the risk of serious health problems in the body. Some of the diseases that are contributed by central obesity are as follows:
- Type 2 diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Heart attacks
- Asthma
- Colon cancer
- Breast cancer
- Dementia
- Alzheimer's disease
What contributes to the build-up of belly fats?
Interestingly enough, visceral fat is not always visibly seen. This means that sometimes you may even have a lean body but still store visceral fat in your abdomen. As such, you would be blithely unaware of the existence of these fats in your body. This is why regular health check-ups are so crucial.
People also have a misconception that as long as they stay away from sugar-based food and red meat, they are fine and are distant from the risk of accumulating fat. Well, although these two are major fat contributors, there are others as well that may even harm you more than these two combined. Diet, although it is a major determinant of whether you have midsection mass or not, is not the only contributor. Here are some of the most pivotal causes:
Sugar-based foods and beverages
People intake more sugar than they realize every day. Whether it is high-sugar content foods such as candies or cakes, so-called healthier food choices such as yoghurt or muffins, or even beverages such as sweet tea, flavoured soda, and coffee, everything is rich in sugar.
You don't have to be a rocket scientist to connect the dots between sugar intake and the accumulation of belly fat. The presence of high fructose in sugar is the main contributor to fatty tissue.
Trans fats
There are various types of fats, but none are more harmful than trans fats. You would mostly find them in packaged foods because they help in extending their shelf lives. So, baking mixes, crackers, and muffins are rich in this type of fat.
Trans fat is created by mixing unsaturated fats and hydrogen, which, in turn, makes them a more stable and ideal choice for manufacturing companies to gain profit through their products. Not only it leads to obesity, but it also leads to insulin resistance and causes inflammation.
Alcohol consumption
Although moderate consumption of specific alcohol, such as red wine, is helpful since it lowers the risk of strokes and heart diseases, excess consumption of the same can lead to liver and heart diseases.
Since alcohol also subdues the fat-burning process, the abdominal mass generated from heavy alcohol consumption is also called beer belly.
Poor sleep
Improper sleep has a direct correlation to weight gain. Studies have shown that people who sleep 5 or less than 5 hours a day are 32% more likely to gain more weight than those who sleep at least 7 hours.
Apart from obesity, inadequate sleep will lead to sleep apnea, a medical condition where your breathing stops multiple times during the night.
Low-protein and low-fibre diets
Protein has a lot of benefits, including improving your metabolism rate, which, in turn, helps you to reduce belly fat. Fibre, on the other hand, helps reduce the calorie absorption from the food you intake while stabilizing the hormones in your body responsible for generating hunger.
As such, the presence of both protein and fibre in your body is essential to ensure the elimination of any chance of the build-up of extra mass. Adopt a protein and fibre-rich diet plan to reduce tummy with our classic meal delivery options.
Ways to lose belly fat?
It may seem demanding at first, but once you get into the swing of it, you will realize that losing excess mass involves nothing but a few lifestyle changes. Here are some of them:
Aerobic exercises
Regular aerobic exercises would help you to get rid of fat since it burns calories like nothing else. In fact, studies have even suggested that aerobic exercises (or cardio, to be more specific) can help reduce fat even without dieting.
Simple jogging, running, and brisk walking can be a great way to start. Gradually, you can move to moderate or high-intense cardio exercises.
Consuming soluble fibres and protein
Your gut bacteria ferment soluble fibres into fatty acids that help burn tummy mass. They also help suppress your appetite. So, include legumes, flaxseeds, grains, and sweet potatoes in your diet.
On the other hand, protein would help in boosting the metabolism of your body, which would result in the reduction of abdominal mass. Therefore, include eggs, dairy, meat, and whey protein in your daily diet.
Limiting the intake of carbs and sugar
Low-carb diets have been scientifically proven to reduce visceral fat than even low-fat diets. This is why there has been so much popularity for the ketogenic diet around the globe recently.
Artificial sugar is rich in fructose which, when consumed, gets transformed into fat by your liver. So, alongside carbs, you need to keep a watch on how much sugar you are consuming daily.
Avoid trans fat
Trans fat is abundantly present in potato chips, baked food, frozen pizza, microwave popcorn, etc. As you can see, they are present in foods whose shelf lives are increased by the manufacturers by artificially inducing hydrogen into unsaturated foods.
So, avoid them as much as you can and only consume them in moderation once a week if you can't get rid of them completely.
Meditation and regular sleep
You may be surprised to know that meditating every day for even 30 minutes can go a long way in eliminating midsection mass. This is because stress is a major contributor to belly fat, and meditation helps in reducing stress.
In the same spectrum, proper sleep of at least 7 hours a day would keep you calm and help your metabolism, which in turn would help you burn visceral fat.
Conclusion
Getting rid of belly fat requires a holistic approach. Focus on creating a calorie deficit through a balanced diet and regular physical activity. Incorporate cardiovascular exercises to burn overall body fat, along with strength training to build lean muscle mass. Increase your intake of fiber-rich foods, protein, and healthy fats, while reducing processed and sugary foods.
You must stay hydrated and limit alcohol consumption. Consistency, patience, and a healthy lifestyle are essential for achieving sustainable belly fat reduction.
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