More than 50 percent of Americans carry too much belly fat, says Rachel Whitmer, a researcher at Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland in a March 2008 article in USA Today. Belly fat is not only a problem for your figure, it increases your risk of developing diabetes, stroke, heart disease and dementia. Losing weight will help to shrink your belly. Taking specific steps during weight loss may help to target belly fat more than just reducing calories.
Exercise More
Exercise-induced weight loss often targets belly fat first, according to Anne McTeirnan, a researcher from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle. She lead a study in 2003 revealing that moderate-intensity exercise---when performed consistently--helped to reduce belly fat in post-menopausal women. Exercising minimal amounts for health, however, is not enough to induce loss of abdominal fat. A Duke University study reported in the Journal of Applied Physiology in 2005 found that only when you increase exercise to exceed the minimum of 30 minutes, five days per week recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine do you begin to shrink your tummy. Try to fit in the equivalent of jogging for 20 miles per week to see reductions in waist size.
Choose the Right Foods
In order to lose weight and subsequently reduce your belly size, you must focus on portion sizes and calorie content of meals. In addition, the types of food you choose could play a role in your ability to lose fat at the belly. Low-fat dairy is important in your efforts, reports a 2009 study from Curtin University in Australia. Researchers found that dieters eating five servings of low-fat dairy per day lost more weight, fat and belly fat than dieters eating three servings per day. Whole grains, as reported in a study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2008, can also help you to shrink your waist when eaten instead of refined grains in a low-calorie diet.
Drink Green Tea
Regular consumption of green tea may also support your belly flattening efforts. The Journal of Nutrition published a study in 2009 showing that people who consumed 625 mg of a drink that contained antioxidants found in green tea successfully lost belly fat while their counterparts consuming a caffeine-only beverage did not. Participants also exercised about 180 minutes per week, leading researchers to conclude that green tea can help to support exercise-induced abdominal weight loss.
Eat the Right Fats
Dieters may shun fats because of their bad reputation for containing too many calories per gram and clogging your arteries. While saturated and trans fats should be avoided, monounsaturated fats found in plant foods may actually support efforts to lose weight and belly fat. Coconut oil and safflower oil have both been proved to reduce waist size. In the July 2009 issue of Lipids, researchers reported that 30 ml of coconut oil daily resulted in belly fat loss in participants in just 12 weeks. Eight grams of safflower oil daily helped women in a Ohio State University study decrease their waist sizees and increase lean muscle mass, reported the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2009. Olive oil, canola oil as well as nuts, seeds, olives and avocados are other rich sources of monounsaturated fats.
References
- USA Today: Middle Aged with Middle Fat?
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Comparison of Dietary Conjugated Linoleic Acid with Safflower Oil on Body Composition
- Curtin News: Higher Dairy Intake Can Help Fight Obesity
- Journal of Applied Physiology: Inactivity, Exercise and Visceral Fat
- Fred Hutchinson Research Center: Moderate Physical Activity is Critical for Reducing the Risk of Chronic Disease in Older Women
Member Comments
GoodStew February 8
your science is wrong about the saturated fats. Saturated fats from healthy grass fed animals is optimal