Eat Less Dairy Products And Nuts
Can you eat as much as you like and still lose weight? This often works well with a low-carbohydrate diet, as appetite regulation often improves.54
However, despite the fact that a low-carbohydrate diet generally makes it easier to eat just enough, there are foods classified as low carb which become a problem in larger quantities. If you find yourself having a hard time losing weight on a low-carb diet, you could try to be more careful with:
- Dairy products
- Nuts
Dairy products contain varying amounts of lactose , which could slow down weight loss when over-consumed. Consequently, cutting back on dairy products may help accelerate weight loss.
This applies especially to dairy products typically lacking in fat, such as regular milk and various yogurts.
However, if youre struggling to lose weight, you should avoid large amounts of full-fat dairy, such as cream and cheese. Remember that, gram for gram, fat has twice the calories of carbs or protein therefore, high-fat, highly palatable foods can deliver a huge calorie load before you know it.55
When it comes to butter, you dont need to worry about extra carbs, as butter is almost pure fat. But, like any other source of fat, if butter is over-consumed, your dietary fat will be burned for fuel instead of body fat.
Nuts, the second food to watch, contain a fair amount of carbohydrate in addition to a significant amount of fat, and its very easy to unwittingly scarf down large quantities.56
Keep Whole Grains In Your Diet
You don’t have to go low-carb to ditch those extra pounds around your waist in a short period of time.
To get rid of belly fat, ditch refined grains like white bread and white rice, and eat more whole grains such as:
- Oatmeal
- Barley
- Farro
In fact, opting for more whole grains might just get you there faster. Researchers at Tufts University have linked eating three or more daily servings of whole grains to as much as a 10 percent reduction in visceral body fat, the kind that ups your risk for chronic diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
Know The Basics On Pubic
Everyone stores fat in adipose cells throughout the body, but some people have extra cells in certain areas, causing weight to gather there, according to Harvard Health Publishing. Women, in particular, experience an increase in body fat as they age, especially around the hips and thighs.
Typically, after menopause women begin to see more fat gather around the belly area, which can include the pubic area, according to the Mayo Clinic. This is due at least in part to decreasing levels of estrogen, which seems to affect where body fat is distributed in the body.
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Another factor that affects body fat levels is a decrease in muscle mass, which happens naturally with age, according to Harvard Health Publishing. Lean muscle mass keeps the metabolism high, helping the body burn fat. However, after the age of 30, people begin to lose 3 to 5 percent of muscle mass for each decade. Most men lose about 30 percent of their muscle mass in their lifetime.
Luckily, these factors can all be mitigated with a healthier diet, including a safe cut of calories and some adjustments to your macronutrient consumption. Coupled with a consistent exercise regimen and a good sleep schedule, you can trim body fat, including fat that tends to stick around the pubic area or lower abdomen.
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How Long Does It Take To Lose Belly Fat
As mentioned, anyone wondering how to lose belly fat fast isn’t alone, but this isn’t always realistic, and almost always not sustainable. It plays out differently for every single person. Our genetics, age, lifestyle, stress and sleep all play a role in how fast we lose belly fat the same goes for all body fat actually.
It’s not about trying to lose belly fat in a week or get rid of belly fat fast it’s about sticking to a pace that keeps you trucking on. For most people, the best way to lose belly fat looks like an 80/20 split of healthy habits and ones that are, perhaps, more fun than functional.
Read our complete guide on how long it takes to lose weight.
Address Unhealthy Stress And Sleep Habits
Stress can lead to poor eating habits and weight gain, especially in the lower belly and upper pubic area. High levels of stress are often associated with a buildup of visceral fat . Stressors like financial concerns or family issues can take a toll, causing people to seek comforting foods, which are usually high in fat, sugar and calories, according to Harvard Health Publishing.
Unfortunately, stress levels can also take a toll on your sleep, causing weight gain or fat retention. Over time, insufficient sleep can inhibit your fat loss and even lead to weight gain, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Lack of sleep also affects your choices, driving you to overeat or pick less healthy foods. Commit to a good night’s sleep by limiting screen time before bed, powering down electronics and making time for seven to nine hours of quiet rest.
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Are You Stressed Or Depressed
Researchers in Holland learned that stress and depression raise your cortisol levels. You develop unhealthy eating habits when youre feeling bad emotionally, which triggers the buildup of visceral fat on your stomach. Adapting a positive mindset benefits your body mentally and physically. You might need to make an effort to let go of toxic elements and start the habit of positive thinking.
You’re Drinking Too Much Alcohol
As a qualified nutritionist, this is one Clarissa sees all the time. “While having a glass of red wine has been shown to have some health benefits, it is widely known that consuming excess alcohol can impact your health and your waistline.”
Why? Well, when you consume alcohol, the liver burns alcohol instead of fat, which over a long period of time can lead to fat accumulation. “Additionally, alcohol can increase your appetite, potentially leading to an increased consumption of calories. Try to stay below the 14 units of alcohol per week that is recommended by the NHS and opt for a few nights alcohol free,” she recommends.
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Try Curbing Carbs Instead Of Fats
When Johns Hopkins researchers compared the effects on the heart of losingweight through a low-carbohydrate diet versus a low-fat diet for sixmonthseach containing the same amount of caloriesthose on a low-carb dietlost an average of 10 pounds more than those on a low-fat diet28.9 poundsversus 18.7 pounds. An extra benefit of the low-carb diet is that itproduced a higher quality of weight loss, Stewart says. With weight loss,fat is reduced, but there is also often a loss of lean tissue ,which is not desirable. On both diets, there was a loss of about 2 to 3pounds of good lean tissue along with the fat, which means that the fatloss percentage was much higher on the low-carb diet.
Focus On Weight Loss In General
Weight lossalone can effectively reduce visceral fat, says Dr. Butsch. By losing 10% ofyour body weight, you may lose up to 30% of your body fat.
Talk to your doctor about a weight-loss method that is right for you. While there are lots of options to choose from, Dr. Butsch recommends you avoid fasting for long periods. Prolonged fasts cause the body to hold onto the visceral fat, making it tougher to lose. If fasting is your jam, an intermittent or time-restricted fasting approach may be more effective for losing belly fat.
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Learn More About Weight Loss Tips For Men Today
To learn more about weight loss for men, please contact us at Medical Transformation Center in Louisville, KY today to schedule your initial consultation. Whether youre trying to lose belly fat to be healthier, improve your aesthetic, or for some other reason, we can help you reach and maintain a healthy weight.
We have licensed nutritionists to help you create a diet plan that will allow you to meet your nutritional needs while fitting into your daily caloric budget. We also offer medical guidance and treatment for conditions that lead to weight gain, such as hypothyroidism.
Stop Adding Sweeteners To Your Food And Drinks
While many people turn to artificial sweeteners in a misguided attempt to whittle their waistlines, those fake sugars are likely to have the opposite effect. According to Yale researchers, artificial sweeteners are actually linked with an increased risk of abdominal obesity and weight gain, possibly because they can trigger cravings for the real stuff and spike insulin levels in a similar fashion to real sugar.
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Think Eating Plan Not 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 involveslearning better food choicesno calorie-counting is necessary. In general,a low-carb way of eating shifts your intake away from problem foodsthosehigh in carbs and sugar and without much fiber, like bread, bagels andsodasand toward high-fiber or high-protein choices, like vegetables, beansand healthy meats.
Slow Down Your Eating
Eating slowly will also help cinch your waist, too. Inhaling croissants while run-walking to work will do little to satiate you not that youll do much digesting anyway, with all that cortisol flooding your system. Instead, by making time to eat and focusing on your food , youll wind up eating less and youll feel fuller for longer.
9. Get Quality Sleep
Multiple studies have shown an association between short sleep and weight gain. When youre low on Zzzs, activity in the brains frontal lobe is impaired. At the same time, the more primal parts of your brain that deal with things like desire and motivation are lit up like the Blackpool Illuminations.
Inadequate sleep also wreaks havoc on your metabolism. When the body doesnt get enough rest, it conserves energy by slowing down basic functions. The combination of untameable cravings, little willpower and inefficient processing is an open invitation for fat storage. Follow our advice to improve your sleep tonight.
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Eat All Fats In Moderation
The body doesn’t react to all fats in the same way. Research correlates high intake of saturated fat to increased visceral fat, says Patton. On the other hand, monounsaturated fats and specific types of polyunsaturated fats have anti-inflammatory effects in the body, and if eaten in proper portions may do your body good. But Patton warns that eating too much fat of any kind increases your calorie intake and could lead to weight gain, so enjoy healthy fats in moderation.
Exercises To Lose Inches Off Waist
One of the best ways to get rid of inches off your waist is to increase how much fat your body burns via exercise. Studies have found low fitness activity to be linked to an increase in waist circumference . That as well as more inflammation in the body.
And the best thing you can do to burn excess fat off your belly is to do Afterburn workouts. These workouts combine high-intensity interval training in the form of cardio to achieve a higher total amount of fat burned.
Studies have found high-intensity interval training burns a significant more amount of fat than traditional cardiovascular exercise . One study found it burned 900% more fat over a 15 week period compared to another group over 20 weeks .
Depending on your current fitness level intense exercise can mean many things. If youre a total beginner then going for a hike or brisk walk will be better than sitting on the couch. But if youre already working out consistently then youre going to have to crank up the intensity of your exercise. This is the only way to get more results from your workouts. Your body adapts quickly to exercises as well as the intensity you do them at.
Then itll be a good idea to combine high-intensity exercise with specific exercises for your abs. This way youll be able to build some lean toned muscle on your abs. This will help to shrink the inches off your waist even more.
You can also check out some of my best ab exercises as well as belly fat burning exercises.
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Cardio Workouts To Lose Belly Fat
- This 28-day plan by Alice Liveing will teach you the basics of strength training, helping you to build lean muscle with foundation moves.
- Or, this four-week Kayla Itsines workout plan incorporates HIIT to burn fat and tone muscle.
- PT Gauri Chopra’s four week HIIT plan will help to burn fat efficiently and increase your stamina and muscular endurance.
‘The key to continually improving and losing belly fat is to scale up your workouts every week. Incrementally increase the intensity and load of your workouts, and you will soon see improvements to your fitness,’ says Hughes.
How Can I Reduce Visceral Fat
The best way to reduce visceral fat is through losing weight and diet. Visceral fat responds better to diet and exercise than fat on the hips. Regular exercise can also stop visceral fat from coming back.
Another option is medication, but studies show this is not as effective in reducing visceral fat as exercise. Liposuction does not work to remove visceral fat.
Even though you cannot change your genetics, hormones or your age, you can reduce your risk of disease by:
- exercising for at least 30 minutes every day
- eating a healthy diet
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Lose Belly Fat Tip: Avoid Trans Fats
If you want to lose belly fat then ditch the trans fat – found in processed and packaged foods like margarine and spreads. Its thought of as the worst fat you can eat because it raises cholesterol levels in the blood, and has been shown to increase the amount of fat specifically around the belly.
It does this not just by adding new fat, but also by moving fat from other areas to the belly, according to this study. This really compounds the belly fat issue, as too much viscous fat begins to press on your internal organs. Other studies have linked a diet full of trans fat to inflammation, insulin resistance and heart disease.
Its sometimes listed as partially hydrogenated fats, but trans fats can be found in cakes, cookies and pies microwave popcorn frozen pizza fried foods and even non-dairy coffee creamer. Generally, if you opt for whole, unprocessed foods such as lean meats prepared on the best health grills rather than deep-frying, vegetables, fruit and whole grains, you won’t go far wrong.
How Do I Know If My Belly Fat Is A Problem
An easy way to assess if there may be a problem is to measure your waist. Experts suggest that for women a waist measurement more than 80cm and for men more than 94cm suggests there may be an issue. These guidelines are adjusted for ethnicity with South Asian, Chinese and Japanese men recommended to have a waist circumference no more than 90cm. If your measurements exceed these guidelines and you are concerned, refer to your GP for further guidance.
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Is There Really One Trick To Losing Belly Fat
When ads claim a “one trick” solution, remember that their main objective is to sell their product rather than to help you. Good marketing means one message, because it is hard to follow too many things at once. So they focus on one fad, and that tickles your curiosity and you click on the link to go their website.
What Is Belly Fat Anyway
The definition of belly fat might sound obviousit’s clearly the fat that sits around your middle, right? Well, not quite. While belly fat does indeed reside around your midsection, it goes deeper than just below the skin, padding your intestines and other vital organs, Lawrence Cheskin, MD, professor and chair of the department of nutrition and food studies at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, tells Health.
“The reason it’s different than other forms of fat is because it’s more metabolically activeit gets into the bloodstream faster than the stuff under your skin,” Dr. Cheskin explains. “Belly fat has a bad influence on blood cholesterol and blood sugar, and all the metabolic diseases.” So with belly fat also comes a heightened risk of those metabolic diseases, like diabetes.
Belly fat can also be independent from overall body fat, meaning someone who’s not overweight could still have a lot of excess fat around his or her waist. The good news: For most people, when they lose weight, it tends to come off the middle, says Dr. Cheskin. People also tend to shed belly fat a little quicker than other areas, because the tummy is just a temporary holding zone for fat, he adds.
Something to keep in mind: It’s normal to carry some weight around your middle. Dr. Cheskin says a normal waist circumference is less than 40 inches for men and 36 inches for womenbut if you want to trim it down, here are a few things you can do.
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