belly fat— also known as visceral fat and belly fat — is extremely unhealthy “active” fat that is stored around vital organs like the liver and intestines. “Visceral fat is very bad for you” says Richard N. Bergman, Ph.D.. “It appears to have a more negative health outcome than fat in general.” Here are five habits that will melt belly fat. Read on and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure signs you’ve already had COVID.
Exercise can have a big impact on burning abdominal fat, but don’t expect to do sit-ups and nothing else. “Endless sit-ups won’t do much good if your abdominal muscles are buried under excess body fat.” Says Certified Personal Trainer Stephanie Mansour. “Cardio exercise is key to burning calories and losing weight. Bicycling and walking are two forms of low-impact cardio exercise that I often recommend to my clients. Walking is one of the most underrated forms of exercise when it comes to burning calories and lose weight…Riding a bike or using a cycling machine is another great exercise to burn calories.When you ride a bike, you use your core and lower body while getting your heart rate up.If you have access to a spin bike, try interval training by changing the incline and speed. If you want to take a bike ride outside, find a hilly road and play with your speed for some variation.”
Research shows that cutting out carbohydrate-rich foods can lead to deep abdominal fat loss, even without significant changes in weight. “For people willing to follow a weight-loss diet, a modest reduction in carbohydrate-containing foods may help them preferentially lose fat, rather than lean tissue.” says Barbara Gower, Ph.D, professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “The moderately reduced carbohydrate diet allows for a variety of foods to meet personal preferences.”
High sugar intake is linked to belly fat, and sugary sodas are especially dangerous. “When we drink down our calories, especially with soda or juice, we don’t feel as full or satisfied compared to chewing on those calories.” says psychologist and registered dietitian David Creel, Ph.D.. “For example, you can eat three oranges for the same number of calories as a large glass of orange juice and feel much fuller for a longer period of time.”
It’s no coincidence that you want to eat everything in sight the day after a bad night’s sleep.
“One thing we know is that when we don’t sleep well or are sleep deprived, it can actually affect our hunger hormones.” says Dr. Creel. “There is actually a biochemical response to sleep deprivation, which makes us want to eat more.”
Studies show that stress and belly fat are closely related, even more so for women, so don’t skip any more yoga classes or meditation sessions. “We found that women with more abdominal fat had more negative moods and higher levels of life stress,” says Elissa S. Epel, Ph.D.. “Greater exposure to life stress or psychological vulnerability to stress may explain their greater reactivity to cortisol. In turn, their cortisol exposure may have led them to accumulate a greater amount of abdominal fat.”
Ferozan Mast
Ferozan Mast is a science, health, and wellness writer who is passionate about making information backed by science and research accessible to a general audience. read more
