Belly fat is one of the most notorious types of body fat ever. Easy to accumulate, and hard to shed. Even people who are not fat are not spared the appearance of a pouch on their lower belly. For fat people, belly fat may be obvious because you see the bulging, excess flesh in your midsection. This does not mean that thin people do not have it too. The belly fat that we are referring to here is the “visceral fat”; the layer of fat that protects the internal organs.
This fat carries out an important function of protecting organs in our bodies, but when it becomes too much, the fat starts to store in the wrong places, like the lungs and heart that it is supposed to protect.
Belly fat has been linked to a number of diseases, including Type 2 Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some types of cancer. Normally, any waist measurement of over 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men is considered a sign of unhealthy belly fat.
The trick to losing your belly fat is not a trick per se. It simply requires a lifestyle change. People who want to lose this fat sometimes make the mistake of focusing on exercises for the stomach alone. The truth however is that belly fat cannot go except there is a general bodyweight loss. So, here are a few ways to shed that pesky belly fat.
Diet
Going on a diet can help you with your food choices and consumption, and this will have a direct impact on your weight loss. For example, including meals high in fibre in your diet, as against foods high in carbohydrate, is healthier for your body. There are no specific types of diets that shed belly fat, but any diets that help you lose weight will achieve the same results. Remember, when the overall body fat reduces, belly fat reduces.
Exercise
Exercise not only keeps you fit, but it also burns calories and helps reduce body fat. Simple exercises such as walking, running, skipping or jogging will achieve the results. Basically, any exercise where you work up a sweat is good for fat burning. Aim for at least 20 minutes daily for your exercise routine.
Rest
This is not the same as oversleeping or becoming a couch potato. Adequate rest helps the body relax, and a few studies have shown that getting enough rest helps slow down the rate at which the body accumulates fat.
Losing your belly fat does not have to be as difficult as you think it is. The myth that belly fat is difficult to lose exists because a lot of people do not make changes to their overall body health; changes that will have a positive effect on the fat they are trying to shed.
About the author: Amina Salau is a writer and editor running The Illuminated Pen. You can find her online at
www.theilluminatedpen.com and on Twitter (@_Aminah)
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This article was first published on 6th January 2015 and updated on April 9th, 2021 at 11:39 am
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