A beer belly isn’t just a leftover from college days. Even if you’re not drinking Bud Lights (or calorific IPA) like you used to, chances are your beer belly has grown. Age, stress, dietary habits and lack of exercise are all to blame, of course. But even if you reverse the course of all this, getting a flat stomach again it can be almost impossible. However, it is worth getting rid of excess fat. Because INo matter what name you give stomach fat (beer belly, pot belly, spare tire), too much belly fat is unhealthy.
“The problem with beer belly, or abdominal obesity, is that it is linked to many health complications like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, erectile dysfunctionand fatty liver disease,” says Pouya Shafipour, MD, a specialist in family medicine at Paloma Health. “Abdominal fat is also associated with an increased risk of mortality. So it’s perhaps a physical feature that doesn’t excite you, but also one that can shorten your lifespan.” Here’s your game plan.
What causes a beer belly?
Abdominal obesity is a two-pronged problem, with some factors you can control and others you can’t. One of the causes is aging in the first place, which, unless you’re Benjamin Button, there’s not much you can do about it. “When we reach a certain age, the distribution of body fat changes in both men and women,” says Shafipour. “It’s also much easier to store extra energy as fat.” This fat change can happen sooner than you think, with increased accumulation of abdominal fat from the age of 30.
Lifestyle choices can also affect belly fat and those it has an influence on, says Abby Grimm, RD, a registered dietitian at FWDfuel Sports Nutrition. “This can include poor blood sugar control from eating too many refined carbohydrates found in cookies, chips, crackers, and white bread,” says Grimm. “If those carbohydrates are not used during exercise and movementThey are stored as fat. Stress It can also increase belly fat, as it kicks cortisol, a fat-storing hormone, into overdrive.
And of course, there is beer and other alcoholic beverages. “Alcohol not only leads to excessive calorie intake, it also makes the liver work harder to detoxify itself, so it spends less time burning other stored fats,” says Grimm. “This inadvertently leads to belly fat.”
How to get rid of a beer belly
There is no magic bullet that will automatically make your beer belly disappear. Similar to general health and wellness, all roads lead back to diet and exercise. Try these strategies to reduce your waistline.
cut down on sugar
“One of the biggest culprits for belly fat is sugar,” says Shafipour. “It’s easy to say, ‘cut the sugar,’ but putting that into practice is hard. Instead, start by not making sugar as available to you by not buying sugary foods and storing them in your kitchen. If you have to physically go get ice cream, it takes a lot more effort and can discourage you from doing so.”
In addition to watching your sugar intake (which includes alcohol and beer, by the way), Shafipour says a simple trick is to pay attention during meals. Sit back, don’t rush, and don’t multitask (i.e. don’t scroll through your phone at the same time) so your digestive system and brain can get in sync. This can prevent you from overeating and lose weight with minimal effort.
If you’re looking for meal inspiration, Grimm says to look for foods high in protein (eggs, nuts, lean beef and chicken), non-starchy vegetables (squash, asparagus, dark green leafy vegetables, tomatoes), and complex carbohydrates like quinoa and brown rice, to assemble your dish.
Swap whiskey for water
What you drink can be just as important as what you eat. In addition to limiting beer and alcohol, Grimm says staying hydrated is key to maintaining extra fat off. Try to drink half your body weight in ounces per day of water. as for coffeelimit yourself to no more than two cups a day as caffeine can raise cortisol levels.
move your butt
“Being sedentary is possibly one of the biggest health problems facing people today,” says Shafipour. Aim for 30 minutes of movement a day. This can be anything: jogging, walking, biking, or anything you enjoy that gets your heart rate up and keeps you active (see our extensive archive of the best exercises for men to start). An after-dinner walk can also be a helpful tactic to reduce belly fat and keep you out of the kitchen for a late-night snack, says Grimm. Once you’ve hit a rhythm, increase your activity level to 60 minutes a day, three times a week.
