HOW TO AVOID STOMACH FAT AND HOW TO GRADUALLY GET RID OF IT

It takes a lot of motivation and perseverance to successfully get rid of belly fat and to maintain the new fat free belly. Before you try to fight your enemy, it’s logical to know who he is.

So,  briefly what is  this  fat and why does it build on our tummies ?

Beneath your skin are different areas where fat can accumulate;

subcutaneous fat  :

The pinch you make on the skin.

Intramuscular fat :

Found within your skeletal muscles.

visceral fat :

which is packed between your abdominal organs (stomach, liver, kidneys and it is what becomes  belly fat and this is the type we will discuss here. Visc

eral fat overs the entire abdomen including the hips and it’s partly responsible for increased waist line and of-course the pot belly.

How is Belly Fat Measured and What is considered deadly belly fat?

Large calipers may be used to measure abdominal diameter, which is the distance from the back to the front of the belly.

An abdominal diameter of more than 9.8 inches (25 cm) is considered obese. Imaging devices may also be used to get a thorough picture of belly fat.

Another way of determining central obesity around the waist is a measuring tape. Central obesity is defined as more than 35 inches (89 cm) for women and more than 40 inches (102 cm) for men.

But anything over 31.5 inches (80 cm) for women and over 37 inches (94 cm) for men may be a red flag of future health problems, says Dr. Petanceska.

Why You Should Be Concerned By This Fat build up Anyway ?

~    Research on the biology of fat has shown that there are several types of adipose tissue. Belly fat, also known as visceral fat, is the most damaging type. It wraps itself around organs, makes the abdomen protrude, and produces molecules that can pass into and interact with the brain.

~     In 2008, a study found that middle-aged people with large bellies are more likely than are their flat-bellied counterparts to develop Alzheimer’s later in life. Epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Whitmer, and her co-investigators analyzed epidemiological data collected on 6,583 Kaiser members, ages 40 to 45. Almost 16 percent of the entire group developed dementia.

~     And Lewis Kuller, MD, DPH, professor and past chair of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health goes ahead to suggest that this fat breaks down easily into fatty acids, which flow directly into the liver and into muscle .

~     He goes a head to suggest that When these excess fatty acids drain into the liver, they trigger a chain reaction of changes — increasing the production of LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol and triglycerides. During this time insulin can also become less effective in controlling blood sugar, so insulin resistance sets in.

~   Blood sugars start to get out of balance. Fats and clots get into the bloodstream, and that sets the stage for diabetes, heart disease, and more.

~   Major studies confirm that being overweight or obese increases the risk of various cancers . The World Health Organization (WHO) says that overweight and obesity are the most important known avoidable causes of cancer after tobacco

 ~     Some researchers suggest that fat may accelerate the aging process. This is because  changes initiated by belly fat are normally linked to aging like its effect on insulin resistance.

Why or How Does it easily build up here ?

There are a number of reasons for this including;

1..Genes

A recent study published in Human Molecular Genetics. has indicated that five genes may play a role in determining your waist to hip ratio.

Two genes in women that seem to determine the waist to hip ratio, One of them  found in fat tissue and specifically interacting with 17 proteins that are known to exist in obese people, and this new study is the first to link it specifically to visceral fat.

2..Age

As we go through our middle years, our proportion of fat to body weight tends to increase — more so in women than men. Extra pounds tend to park themselves around the midsection In fact, even women who don’t actually gain weight may still gain inches at the waist.

3..Diet:

Some of the foods we eat increase the production of insulin which leads to the build up of fat in our bodies for instance

Refined Grains including

Foods such as white flour, white rice and degermed cornmeal.

Foods from refined grains have high glycemic values and increase insulin production.

The process used to refine grains gives products a finer texture and longer shelf-life, but it also removes the dietary fiber that makes whole grains have a lower glycemic value.

Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas in response to sugar intake usually in the diet. Its role is to drive sugar into the cells of the body where it is used as a source of energy (measured in calories).

Insulin therefore drives calories into cells. If this energy (sugar) is not used by the cells say by exercising, or is more than is needed it is converted into an energy storage form known as fat. Because of these actions, insulin is called an “anabolic” hormone.

SO WHAT SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THE STUBBORN BELLY FAT ? ( EXERCISES FOR STOMACH FAT.)

If this fat has already built up around your tummy, you need to know that it will take time to get rid of it so you will have to be patient persistent and consistent.

A lot will have to be done but in brief, all you have to do is to check your diet and regularly exercising. Emerging research examining High-intensity intermittent exercising indicates that it may be more effective at reducing subcutaneous and abdominal body fat than other types of exercises.

So, the first thing to do is to start by performing High intermittent exercises at least 2 – 3 times a week. These may include the following;

Weightlifting.

The weights should be lifted intermittently, alternating them with very short rest periods. For this method to work efficiently, it should be done within 4 – 30 minutes.

You will also have to do weight training repetitions to the point of momentary muscular failure. While taking into account the amount of time the muscle is exposed to tension to maximize quantity of muscular fiber recruited.

If done right, it’s believed to be more effective than any other exercise when it comes to burning the extra pounds. Visit the  High Intesity Exercises Page for more about such exercises.

Abdominal Workouts

While sit ups and other crunches will not in any way directly help in reducing belly fat, they can indirectly have an impact. How will they do that?

they will  help you burn calories, strengthen your core and develop more muscle. Because muscle is more metabolically active than fat, the more muscle you have, the more calories you’ll burn when you’re at rest.

For more  on flat stomach exercises, link to this page… Effective Stomach Exercises

Sprints

Sprinting once to twice a week about 40 yards or half a foot ball pitch for about 30 seconds with rest intervals for no more than 10 minutes is believed to be effective in burning  the extra unwanted fat while helping you to build muscles at the same time.