Having too much tummy fat affects your appearance and your health. A fat belly, particularly one that makes your waist larger than 40 inches as a man or 35 inches as a female, indicates you may have too much visceral fat surrounding your internal organs. This puts you at risk for a number of chronic conditions, warns the American Heart Association. Losing weight is an important step to reducing waist size. Following specific strategies can help to target weight loss at the tummy.
Exercise More
Exercise helps you to burn calories and build muscle---two important steps toward weight loss. But simply following the guidelines put forth by the American College of Sports Medicine of 30 minutes of moderate cardiovascular work, five times a week will only prevent the accumulation of further belly fat. Researchers from Duke University reported in a 2005 issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology that exceeding ACSM guidelines to exercise the equivalent of jogging 20 miles per week---or about 45 to 60 minutes per day for five days per week---resulted in a loss of midsection fat over the course of eight months. These results occurred without major dietary changes, illustrating that a consistent exercise program alone can help reduce tummy fat.
Switch to Whole Grains
Whole grain foods contain more fiber and nutrients than white, refined types. It takes the body longer to digest whole grains, making you feel sated and reducing cravings. A February 2010 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association published a study showing that regular consumption of whole-grain, ready-to-eat cereal, when consumed as part of a low calorie diet, resulted in accelerated tummy fat loss. When compared to participants not consuming the oat-based cereal, cereal-eaters lost noticeable belly fat after just four weeks.
Avoid Trans Fats
Fat is an important part of your diet as it promotes hormone production, vitamin absorption and skin and hair health. Too much of the wrong kinds of fat, however, encourages your body to pile the pounds on at your stomach. A study on monkeys, published in the journal Obesity in 2007, found that eating trans fats---even as part of a reduced calorie diet---caused fat storage at the belly. Trans fats are found in fast foods and processed products. Checking the label listing for trans fats may not be enough to avoid them altogether. Manufacturers only have to report levels that exceed .5 g per serving according to Dr. Steven Acocella, MS, D.C., DACBN, Board Certified Clinical Nutritionist of the American College of Lifestyle Physicians, and a diplomate of the American Clinical Board of Nutrition. You are likely to consume more than one serving of any given product, and thus take in far more trans fats than you intended. It is recommended you take in less than 1 percent of total daily calories in the form of trans fats--only 1.8 g for a typical 1,800 per day diet. Check the ingredient listing on your foods and put back any that contain "partially hydrogenated" oils.
References
- Journal of Applied Physiology: Inactivity, Exercise and Visceral Fat
- Disease Proof: The Nutrition Facts Label to List Trans Fat: From Bad to Worse
- Obesity: Trans Fat Diet Induces Abdominal Obesity and Changes in Insulin Sensitivity in Monkeys
- Journal of the American Dietetic Association: Whole-Grain Ready-to-Eat Oat Cereal, as Part of a Dietary Program for Weight Loss
- American Heart Association: Metabolic Syndrome
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