Being overweight or fat doesn’t mean that you are unhealthy. Many people touching the obesity mark are more active than those who are declared fit because of their slim body structure. Proper distribution of fat on the body would not create many problems, but uneven fat distribution may result in several unwanted health problems. It has been observed that more fat percentage in the abdominal cavity, popularly known as belly fat can bring many health problems. This fat around the belly is unappealing, unhealthy, and most importantly it is stubborn! Weight loss aspirants might have observed that belly fat is last to leave during the weight loss program.
Before you start working rigorously to remove the belly fat, it is essential to know whether your belly fat is within safe limits or not! This cannot be done by measuring the belly fat directly but it is measured conveniently by measuring the circumference of the waist. All you need is a simple measuring tape to measure the circumference of waist. The condition is said to be abdominal obesity if the waist circumference for women exceeds 88 cm(35 inches) and that for men exceeds 102 cm (40 inches). Take this as alarm and start working on it.
Here are few simple ways to curb this unappealing belly fat effectively without opting for surgical treatments.
-
Increase the fiber intake – Pot belly can be due to many reasons and one of the main reasons is poor digestion of food. Fiber-rich diet aids digestion and also reduces appetite. Fibers are available in two forms – Soluble and Insoluble. The soluble fiber or viscous fiber is believed to be more beneficial as it supports healthy bowel movement and also controls appetite. Viscous fiber absorbs the water and forms a gel that settles in the stomach to occupy space. This helps in controlling appetite and also in curbing the belly fat.
- Say no to sugar –Refined sugar gives way to many health problems. It is made up of fructose and glucose. The digestion of fructose takes place in the liver. High sugar intake means the overload of fructose in the liver. Excess fructose would remain undigested and hence would be converted to fat that settles around the abdomen. Limiting the sugar content means limiting the fat formation and hence limiting the belly fat!
-
More fluids, better stomach health – Water and fluids work best to fight water retention in the belly. Bloated belly would make your abdomen swell to increase the belly circumference. It also affects general wellness of the person. Those suffering from bloated belly would also find it difficult to lose weight. Include more fluids in your diet in the form of water, juices, and soups to reduce bloating in the flatter tummy.
-
Proteins help! –Protein-rich diet is found to be quite effective in reducing belly fat. It is known to be reducing food cravings by almost 60% which would amount to almost 400 fewer calories per day. Proteins boost your metabolism by 80 to 100 calories, which also works towards cutting your calorie intake. Cut down carbs and add more protein to your diet for the flat belly.
-
Target belly fat with the right set of exercise – Above dietary changes may cut the flow of excess calories to the belly, while the right set of exercise targeted on belly may accelerate the process of getting the flat belly by burning the accumulated fat stores. Include both weight training and aerobics for faster results.
Say no to the unwanted belly fat by adopting the right approach towards the weight loss. Don’t just indulge in the crash diet to lose weight from all wrong places, but use the right approach to get desired results.
Author Bio:
Karishma has been writing for various health and fitness websites for almost a decade. This has turned out to be her hobby, profession, and passion. She also shares her knowledge about health, fitness, and weight management to spread awareness about weight loss and homeopathic HCG drops.
