Increased cortisol further adds to fat gain around the middle To help reduce belly fat, engage in pleasurable activities that relieve stress. Practicing yoga or meditation can be effective methods. Stress may promote fat gain around your waist. Sugar contains fructose, which has been linked to several chronic diseases when consumed in excess. These include heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and fatty liver disease 22 , 23 , Observational studies show a relationship between high sugar intake and increased abdominal fat 25 , Even healthier sugars, such as real honey , should be used sparingly.
Excessive sugar intake is a major cause of weight gain in many people. Limit your intake of candy and processed foods high in added sugar. Aerobic exercise cardio is an effective way to improve your health and burn calories. However, results are mixed as to whether moderate or high intensity exercise is more beneficial 27 , 28 , In any case, the frequency and duration of your exercise program are more important than its intensity.
One study found that postmenopausal women lost more fat from all areas when they did aerobic exercise for minutes per week, compared with those who exercised minutes per week Aerobic exercise is an effective weight loss method. Diets with under 50 grams of carbs per day cause belly fat loss in people who are overweight, those at risk for type 2 diabetes, and women with polycystic ovary syndrome PCOS 31 , 32 , Some research suggests that simply replacing refined carbs with unprocessed starchy carbs may improve metabolic health and reduce belly fat 34 , A high intake of refined carbs is associated with excessive belly fat.
Consider reducing your carb intake or replacing refined carbs in your diet with healthy carb sources, such as whole grains, legumes, or vegetables. Resistance training, also known as weight lifting or strength training, is important for preserving and gaining muscle mass.
Based on studies involving people with prediabetes , type 2 diabetes, and fatty liver disease, resistance training may also be beneficial for belly fat loss 37 , In fact, one study involving teenagers with overweight showed that a combination of strength training and aerobic exercise led to the greatest decrease in visceral fat Strength training can be an important weight loss strategy and may help reduce belly fat.
Sugar-sweetened beverages are loaded with liquid fructose, which can make you gain belly fat. Studies show that sugary drinks lead to increased fat in the liver. One week study found significant abdominal fat gain in people who consumed high fructose beverages 40 , 41 , Sleep is important for many aspects of your health, including weight.
A year study involving more than 68, women found that those who slept less than 5 hours per night were significantly more likely to gain weight than those who slept 7 hours or more per night The condition known as sleep apnea , where breathing stops intermittently during the night, has also been linked to excess visceral fat If you suspect you may have sleep apnea or another sleep disorder, speak to a doctor and get treated.
Sleep deprivation is linked to an increased risk of weight gain. Getting enough high quality sleep should be one of your main priorities if you plan to lose weight and improve your health.
Many things can help you lose weight and belly fat, but consuming fewer calories than your body needs for weight maintenance is key Keeping a food diary or using an online food tracker or app can help you monitor your calorie intake.
This strategy has been shown to be beneficial for weight loss 50 , In addition, food-tracking tools help you to see your intake of protein, carbs, fiber, and micronutrients.
Many also allow you to record your exercise and physical activity. It excels at pumping out various inflammatory substances, interfering with hormones that regulate appetite, weight, mood and brain function and sending your cortisol levels — responsible for stress — through the roof.
So far, so tragic. There is, however, some good news. We all know that eating too much and moving too little is the foundation upon which flab is built.
Certain stressors, for example, will see you scaling your belt notches with very little effort. If antioxidants are the good guys of gut health, trans fats are the super-villains. These sneaky fats actively contribute to your growing waist line — not just by adding new fat, but by moving fat from other areas of your body to your belly.
During a six-year study at Wake Forest University , monkeys that were fed an 8 per cent trans-fat diet had 33 per cent more belly fat than monkeys that were fed an 8 per cent monounsaturated fat diet. There are currently no legal requirements for food manufacturers to label trans fats, according to the British Dietetic Association, so you need to check ingredients lists for hydrogenated fats and hydrogenated vegetable oils.
The biggest culprits? When your cortisol levels are through the roof , it triggers the release of insulin, and this is where things go awry.
Since your blood sugar levels are now super low thanks insulin and your reward centres are blinkered thanks cortisol you wind up face-planting the biscuit tin rather than the fruit bowl.
To make matters worse, cortisol helps to release myostatin, a protein that breaks down muscle. Can one too many pints really earn you a beer belly? Well, yes. It becomes your primary energy source, and the proteins , carbs and fats swirling around your digestive system are converted to fat by default.
Most of the bacteria that dwell in your gut are pretty useful. They produce hormones, regulate your immune system, digest food, extract nutrients, control your mood, manage your appetite and much more besides. Now, two groups of beneficial bacteria are dominant in the human gut, the bacteroidetes and the firmicutes.
However, the number of bacteroidetes is decreased in obese people when compared with lean people, according to research. In another study, scientists took stool samples from twins and found that the less diverse your gut bacteria, the more likely you are to have belly fat. Grow your gut community to shed serious timber. Maintaining a trim midsection does more than make you look great—it can help you live longer. Larger waistlines are linked to a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes and even cancer.
Losing weight, especially belly fat, also improves blood vessel functioning and also improves sleep quality. When Johns Hopkins researchers compared the effects on the heart of losing weight through a low-carbohydrate diet versus a low-fat diet for six months—each containing the same amount of calories—those on a low-carb diet lost an average of 10 pounds more than those on a low-fat diet— An extra benefit of the low-carb diet is that it produced a higher quality of weight loss, Stewart says.
With weight loss, fat is reduced, but there is also often a loss of lean tissue muscle , which is not desirable. On both diets, there was a loss of about 2 to 3 pounds of good lean tissue along with the fat, which means that the fat loss percentage was much higher on the low-carb diet.
Ultimately, you need to pick a healthy eating plan you can stick to, Stewart says. The benefit of a low-carb approach is that it simply involves learning better food choices—no calorie-counting is necessary. In general, a low-carb way of eating shifts your intake away from problem foods—those high in carbs and sugar and without much fiber, like bread, bagels and sodas—and toward high-fiber or high-protein choices, like vegetables, beans and healthy meats. Do every exercise standing instead of sitting.
The solution for the bench press? When you lift, perform supersets in which you alternate between sets of lower-body exercises and upper-body exercises. That way your lower body rests while your upper body is working. Be careful! Without the visual feedback, your core muscles will have to work harder to keep you balanced, burning more calories.
View any type of physical activity—even those you try to avoid, such as mowing the lawn—as a chance to burn fat and condition your body. Just make sure you use a push mower. When using the stair climber, skip one out of every five steps. Then take one large step to get back to your normal walking pattern.
This step recruits additional muscle, upping fat loss , says Cameron McGarr, C. Once a week, watch a movie that inspires you to exercise. And buy smaller ones. The reason: It works. Try this interval-training trick on the elliptical trainer: Ride for 30 seconds as fast as you can, then immediately reverse your direction and ride for 30 additional seconds just as fast in the opposite direction.
Rest 60 seconds, and repeat. The force of stopping your momentum, as well as going from a dead stop to full speed twice in the same interval, will give your fat-burning efforts a massive boost, says Alwyn Cosgrove, C. Their bulk takes up space in your stomach, helping you feel full and eat less.
Research shows that guys who added 12g of fiber a day to their diet lost a quarter of an inch from their love handles, without otherwise modifying their diet. Here are some of the best sources. Researchers believe the acids blunt insulin spikes and slow the rate at which food empties from your stomach.
Fermented foods like pickles and yogurt are also good sour options. Not eating for long periods of time puts your body into a catabolic state, meaning it starts to break down muscle tissue for energy—and conserves fat.
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