Introduction
If you’re looking for surefire ways to lessen abdominal fat, you’ve come to the right place. Eating the right foods and avoiding the wrong ones is key to reducing abdominal fat. In this article, we’ll discuss the best foods to eat and the worst foods to avoid in order to reduce abdominal fat. We’ll also provide tips on how to make healthier food choices and how to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to a slimmer waistline. So let’s get started!
Surefire Ways to Lessen Abdominal Fat — Eat This Not That
If you’re looking to reduce abdominal fat, you’re not alone. Many people struggle with excess fat around their midsection, and it can be difficult to know where to start. Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to help you get rid of that stubborn belly fat.
Eat More Protein
Protein is essential for weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight. Eating more protein can help you feel fuller for longer, which can help you reduce your overall calorie intake. Aim to include lean proteins such as chicken, fish, eggs, and legumes in your diet.
Cut Out Refined Carbs
Refined carbs such as white bread, white rice, and sugary snacks can cause your blood sugar to spike, leading to increased fat storage around your midsection. Instead, opt for complex carbs such as whole grains, oats, and quinoa, which are digested more slowly and can help keep you feeling fuller for longer.
Increase Your Fiber Intake
Fiber is essential for weight loss and can help you feel fuller for longer. Aim to include plenty of high-fiber foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains in your diet. This will help you reduce your overall calorie intake and help you lose weight.
Drink More Water
Drinking plenty of water can help you stay hydrated and reduce your appetite. Aim to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day to help you stay on track with your weight loss goals.
Get More Sleep
Getting enough sleep is essential for weight loss. Aim to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night to help you stay energized and reduce your cravings for unhealthy foods.
Reduce Stress
Stress can lead to increased cortisol levels, which can cause your body to store more fat around your midsection. Aim to reduce stress by taking time for yourself, meditating, and exercising regularly.
Exercise Regularly
Exercise is essential for weight loss and can help you reduce abdominal fat. Aim to include both aerobic and strength training exercises in your routine to help you burn more calories and build muscle.
By following these simple steps, you can reduce abdominal fat and get on the path to a healthier lifestyle. Remember to be patient and consistent with your efforts, and you’ll be sure to see results in no time!
Abdominal fat is a particularly dangerous form of fat: Known as “active” fat thanks to its impact on hormone function, abdominal fat is stored deep in the belly around organs such as the liver and intestines. “Fat in the central abdominal area is an additional risk factor for heart disease, as it accelerates atherosclerosis,” says preventive cardiologist Haitham Ahmed, MD, MPH. “If you’re a man with a waist measuring 40 inches or more, or a woman with a waist of 35 inches or more (less, if you are Asian), you are at increased risk for heart disease and ought to talk to your doctor.” Here are five proven ways to lose belly fat, according to experts. Read on—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure Signs You’ve Already Had COVID.
The Mediterranean diet is not only delicious and incredibly healthy, it can help lessen abdominal fat. “The popular ‘flat belly diets’ embrace much of the wisdom found in eating a Mediterranean diet, which helps everything from brain health to heart health,” say Rasa Kazlauskaite, MD, and Sheila Dugan, MD. “The basic premise for both diets is to eat foods rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) that may help reduce your belly fat storage. MUFA-rich foods include olive oil, nuts and seeds, avocados, and fish. Eating yogurt regularly has also been found to be helpful in reducing belly fat.”
Regular exercise not only helps get rid of fat, but it can help maintain muscle. “Because aging is associated with sarcopenia, the loss of skeletal muscle mass, relying on body weight alone is insufficient for the study of healthy aging,” says Rania Mekary, Ph.D. “Measuring waist circumference is a better indicator of healthy body composition among older adults. Engaging in resistance training or, ideally, combining it with aerobic exercise could help older adults lessen abdominal fat while increasing or preserving muscle mass.”
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You don’t need us to tell you smoking is really bad for your health—but did you know it also leads to an increase of abdominal fat? “We found that current smokers had abdominal muscles that were significantly higher in fat,” says J Greg Terry, MSc. “Smokers also had a higher proportion of visceral fat, the fat around their internal organs, compared to never smokers, whereas those who had quit smoking had intermediate levels of visceral and intramuscular fat.”
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There is growing evidence that not getting enough sleep can lead to an increase in abdominal fat. “Our findings show that shortened sleep, even in young, healthy and relatively lean subjects, is associated with an increase in calorie intake, a very small increase in weight, and a significant increase in fat accumulation inside the belly,” says Virend Somers, M.D., Ph.D., the Alice Sheets Marriott Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine. “Normally, fat is preferentially deposited subcutaneously or under the skin. However, the inadequate sleep appears to redirect fat to the more dangerous visceral compartment. Importantly, although during recovery sleep there was a decrease in calorie intake and weight, visceral fat continued to increase. This suggests that inadequate sleep is a previously unrecognized trigger for visceral fat deposition, and that catch-up sleep, at least in the short term, does not reverse the visceral fat accumulation.”
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Stress-induced cortisol can unfortunately lead to fat accumulation in the belly. “Chronically stressed primates that have increased cortisol also develop abdominal obesity and laboratory studies confirm a clear correlation between cortisol levels and the deposition of deep abdominal fat,” says the American Institute of Stress. “A study of stressed out middle-aged Swedish men similarly showed that those with the highest cortisol levels also had the biggest beer bellies.”