Posts Tagged ‘losing belly fat’

In the last post we talked about the dangers of having too much belly fat inside your abdominal wall, the visceral fat.  So the two questions we need to answer are:

1. How do I know if I have visceral fat?
2. What can I do about it?

How to tell if you have it

If you want to be absolutely sure and you have lots of money to spend, you can have a CT scan or MRI.  But the easiest way to tell is by using a tape measure.

Place the tape around your abdomen at the level of your belly button.  Do not measure where your waist curves in, do not suck in your tummy, and do not pull the tape tight to smash down your gut!  If you’re just going to try and “trick” yourself, don’t bother doing it at all!

What does the tape say?  If the diameter of your belly is 35 inches or more, you probably have excess visceral fat.

If you don’t want to measure but you notice that your pants are getting tight around the waist but not elsewhere, you probably have excess visceral fat.

Why me?!

Part of why you tend to gain weight in certain places is determined by your genes and your age.  Women tend to add a lot of visceral fat when they go through menopause.  If you have had children, you will be more likely to add visceral fat than women who haven’t had children.  And, oddly enough, if you were born a low birth weight baby, you are more likely to develop this unhealthy belly fat.

How can I prevent or get rid of it?

Guess what?  Getting rid of belly fat is easier than getting rid of thigh or hip fat! Follow these tips for reducing visceral fat in your belly:

• Don’t smoke. Smokers tend to store more fat in their abdomens than any place else.
• Take care of your emotional health. Women who are stressed or depressed accumulate more visceral fat.
• Get the right amount of sleep. Regularly sleeping less than 6 or more than 8 hours per night is linked to gaining belly fat.
• Get plenty of calcium. Women who have more calcium in their diets tend to put on less visceral fat.
• Exercise. Get at least 30 minutes a day of exercise.
• Eat healthy. Follow a balanced diet that keeps you at a healthy weight.

What doesn’t work?

• Crunches Although crunches help tighten your muscles, they don’t reduce belly fat.
• Liposuction This procedure removes subcutaneous fat, not visceral fat.

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