Apple-shaped people are the ones who tend to gain weight around their stomach and upper body. On a man, an apple shape is sometimes referred to as a pot belly. On a woman, it sometimes leads to the question, "How far along are you?" with the embarrassing response, "I'm not pregnant." While medical experts agree that a proper combination of diet and exercise can help slim down the curvier parts of an apple-shaped body, those medical experts tend to disagree about which diet is best.
Low-Glycemic Diet
The low-glycemic diet is one that restricts your intake of simple carbohydrates. These simple carbohydrates are found in sugary foods such as cookies and starchy foods such as potatoes. In a study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association, apple-shaped people lost approximately six kg on a low-glycemic diet and maintained their weight loss for 18 months.
High-Fiber Diet
Adding foods high in fiber can help you drop excess pounds from around your middle. High-fiber foods slow your digestion of sugars, making you feel full longer, and lower your insulin and cholesterol levels. Foods high in fiber will also lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes.
The Belly Fat Diet
Abdominal weight gain can be directly attributed to your body's insulin levels. The Belly Fat Diet encourages you to focus on consuming proteins, healthy fats and vegetables, while avoiding processed foods and many fruits. The Belly Fat Diet also allows small amounts of sugar and whole grains, but suggests limiting these to 15 g per day.
High-Protein Diet
A study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism found that people who followed a diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates and fat lost more fat than the average dieter. Participants in this study also dropped their abdominal fat by an average of 26%, and, when combined with a regular resistance and cardio exercise schedule, gained an average of two pounds of muscle.
Calorie Counting
If you don't like to restrict what kinds of food you eat, try to limit how much of each food you eat. Watch your portions, count your calories, and remember one simple rule: if you expend more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. Keep a log of everything you eat, and look for items that you can lessen or eliminate completely.
Exercise
No healthy diet is complete without exercise. If you're apple-shaped, you need aerobic training to help drop body fat as well as some lower-body muscle toning to balance your upper and lower body. Climbing stairs, running and walking on an incline will help build leg muscles to balance out your rounder upper body. Dancing also helps you build your core muscles and whittle away your stomach area.
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