Burning Belly Fat

A Nigerian woman named Ifeoma once said;

"I am unhappy with my belly fat. It is embarrassing and I feel uncomfortable wearing fitted clothes".

Ifeoma, like many others, has this thought pattern, and understandably so.

However, what these people fail to realize is that belly fat is more dangerous than it is 'embarrassing'.  And it poses a potential threat to the health. 

It's not just about the aesthetics (though we like to think so), and there's a bigger picture at play.

How? Let's get right into that.

What Is Belly Fat?

Belly fat, also called abdominal obesity, is the accumulation of fat around the centre of the body.

This fat found in the centre of the body (abdomen) increases the risk of accumulating visceral fat. 

Unlike subcutaneous fat which is stored underneath the skin, visceral fat is deep. It builds up around the visceral organs like the heart, liver and intestines.

Imagine an accumulation of fat around your organs (get the point yet?).

It's possible, however, to have a flat tummy and still have visceral fat. This is called TOFI (Thin Outside Fat Inside).

Nothwithstanding, visceral fat has been linked to dangerous conditions such as coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, cancer, and stroke. These diseases don't play and you shouldn't.

So, you can see that this belly fat needs to be burned! Not just because of how you look, or how embarrassed it makes you feel, but the potential threat it poses to your health. 

Burning Belly Fat

'So, how do we burn this fat?' You might wonder.

Well, listed below are tested and proven ways of losing belly fat.

These methods have worked wonders and they can do the same for you.

Ways to burn belly fat include:

1. Curb stress levels:

Apart from the fact that stress can cause you to overeat, there is a phenomenon called stress belly.

Stress belly is the accumulation of fat in the abdomen due to chronic stress.

It isn't a medical diagnosis per se, but it is known to result from an imbalance in the stress hormone, 'cortisol'. 

Stress causes the release of the hormone cortisol from the adrenal cortex. And this hormone produces various effects in the body. 

These effects are aimed at maintaining balance in the face of a stressor. It isn't bad when it's acute (for a short period of time), but when stress is chronic (continuous), and there is a prolonged release of cortisol, there is a problem.

One of the functions of cortisol is fat storage. It increases the accumulation of fat, hence resulting in stress belly.

To curb stress belly, you need to:

-Rest more (learn to relax when you ought to).

-Eat stress reducing foods. These include chicken, fish, eggs, fruits, milk and carrot.

-Exercise more. 

-Cut down on alcohol.

2. Diet:

If you want to lose belly fat, you have to start with adjusting your diet (yep, read that again).  Diet is very important and can't be overlooked. 

Sure, exercise alone might make you lose a few, but combined with diet, it produces a greater effect.

According to Abraham Khodadi a senior clinical pharmacist, a group of people were engaged in a study. They were divided into two groups; the diet group and the abdominal exercise group.

The participants in abdominal exercise group lost 2cm of waistline in 6 weeks, while the participants in the diet group lost 5cm in 5 weeks. Visceral fat was reduced as well.

Thus, note to self; proper diet+exercise= maximum effect. 

To develop a healthy diet for losing belly fat, you should:

-Consume more proteinous foods: According to a science based article by Healthline , protein is most likely the most important macronutrient for weight loss. Research shows it can reduce cravings by 60% and boost metabolism by 80-100 calories per day.

Increase your intake of proteinous foods such as legumes, meat, eggs, fish and nuts.

-Eat less refined carbohydrates: Refined carbohydrates include white bread, sugary drinks and foods.

It is suggested that refined carbs are the number one contributor to belly fat. Don't take it from me. Here's what Katherine Tucker a study researcher discovered. 

She conducted a study on food patterns in 459 middle-aged adults over an average of two years. Their waistlines were measured throughout the study and it was discovered that people who ate the greatest amount of white bread and other refined foods gained the most belly fat. 

Do you want to lose that fat? Cut down on refined carbs. You might not be able cut it out completely, but monitor your intake. 

-Eat more fibre: Eating fibre makes you feel full, and prevents you from overeating. 

3. Exercise:
Most people resent exercises, but you really can't run away from engaging in them especially if you want to lose a few. 

They play a crucial role in losing belly fat, and total body weight at large. 

True, exercises might hurt a lot, but they yield beautiful results.

Top exercises in losing belly fat include;

A. Sit-ups:
Technique:
-Lie on the floor.
-Bend your knees and place your hands on your chest in a crossed fashion. Avoid putting your hands behind the head.
-Lift your torso as close to your thighs as possible.

B. Sit-up and twist:

Technique:

Same method as the sit-ups, but alternate your body at sides when you lift your torso.

C. Simple forearm plank:

Technique:

-Place your forearms on the ground with your elbows aligned below the shoulder, and arms parallel to the body.

-Tighten your glutes (butt) as much as possible to stabilize body.

-Hold for 20-30 seconds.

D. Russian Twist:

Technique:

-Sit on the floor with your knees slightly bent. Use something to hold your feet, or tell someone to hold it for you.

-Keep your arms extended fully in front of face with your fists closed.

-Rotate your torso to right and hold for 3 seconds.

-Rotate to the left and hold for 3 seconds.

-Repeat 7 times.

E. Crunches:

Technique:

Knee high crunch:

-Lie on the floor, bend your knees and keep your legs raised.

-Aim to touch your knees with your elbows, and keep your hands at the side of the head.

-Lower your body back to its starting position.

-Do 9 more knee-to-elbow crunches.

Basic crunch:

Technique:

-Lie on your back.

-Bend your knees with feet touching the ground, and place your hands by the side of the head.

-Lift your shoulders off the floor for exercise to be effective.

-Hold for 20-30 seconds.

High leg crunch:

Technique:

-Lie on your back.

-Lift your legs towards the ceiling.

-Lift your shoulders off the floor and stretch your hands towards the feet.

-Hold for 20-30 seconds.

F. The Superman:

Technique:

-Lay face down on the floor with your arms and legs extended.

-Lift your legs and your arms towards the ceiling simultaneously. Do this while squeezing the back.

-Hold for 2-5 seconds. 

G. Mountain climber:

Technique:

-Place your body in a plank position.

-Pull your right knee to your chest and swap with left as soon as possible.

Measuring Belly Fat

The most accurate way of checking how much belly fat you have is conducting an MRI or a CT scan.

However, you can check it yourself with a measuring tape by using the following steps;
-Getting a measuring tape.
-Wrapping it around your abdomen.
-Making sure you're standing erect
-Exhaling. Ensure you don't suck in your belly.
-Taking your measurement.

For women, a result of > 35(88cm) inches is abdominal obesity. And for men, a result of >40(102cm) inches is abdominal obesity.

Remember, that this belly fat needs to be lost and fast! I'm rooting for you, as always!