Visceral belly fat is an especially dangerous type of fat. It encases the internal organs and may secrete specific substances that increase your risk of developing diseases such as diabetes, dementia and cardiovascular disease, says Richard Stein, a spokesman for the American Heart Association in a March 26, 2008, issue of USA Today. Men who have a waist size over 40 inches and women over 35 inches are likely to have too much visceral belly fat and should take immediate action to reduce their girths, according to mayoclinic.com. While you cannot target belly fat directly with any specific exercise, you can lose overall weight, which will help reduce the size of your stomach and contribute to better health.
Step 1
Eat a reduced-calorie diet that includes specific types of foods. Eat fewer calories than you burn by choosing smaller portions and healthier choices such as lean proteins and vegetables. Whole grains, as shown in a 2008 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, can help contribute to belly fat loss when used in lieu of refined grains in a low-calorie diet. Also consume more low-fat dairy products, suggests a study out of Curtin University released in 2009. Dieters who ate five daily servings of cottage cheese, yogurt and skim milk lost more weight and belly fat than their counterparts who ate only three servings daily.
Step 2
Choose the right kind of fats. Go for plant-based oils such as olive, coconut and safflower oils. Include small amounts of nuts and avocado at most meals. A study in the journal Lipids from July 2009 found that women who included 30 ml of coconut oil in their diets daily lost belly fat over the course of 12 weeks. Women who added 8 g of safflower oil to their daily diet reduced their waist size and increased the percentage of their lean body mass without any major dietary changes, reported a study by Ohio State University researchers published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in September 2009. Be judicious with serving sizes, as these foods are calorie-dense and can easily push you over your calorie targets.
Step 3
Limit saturated fat, found in animal products and palm oil. Aim to get 7 percent or fewer of your total daily fat calories from these sources, recommends the American Heart Association. Over-consuming saturated fat can lead to chronic conditions related to obesity and the development of belly fat.
Step 4
Eliminate trans fats--found in manufactured, processed snacks and fast food--from your diet. Avoid fast, fried foods such as french fries, chicken nuggets and fish patties, which are usually all prepared using trans fat-containing oils. The journal Obesity in 2007 published a study showing that monkeys put on a reduced-calorie diet containing trans fats still gained belly fat, while a control group on the same calories without trans fats lost weight.
Step 5
Do moderate- to high-intensity cardiovascular exercise most days of the week. Go at least an hour or more and choose activities such as jogging, swimming, cycling or a cardio fitness class that keeps your heart rate in an aerobic zone. Incorporating the equivalent of 20 miles of jogging per week in your regimen leads to the loss of belly fat, say Duke University researchers whose study was published in the Journal of Applied Physiology in 2007. Exercise less and prevent the accumulation of additional fat, but remain sedentary and likely gain more visceral fat.
Tips and Warnings
- Read ingredient labels and put back anything with “partially hydrogenated”--even if the nutritional information reads 0 g trans fats--manufacturers only have to report levels of 0.5 g or greater, so eating more than one serving may put you over your daily limits and hinder your attempts to lose visceral belly fat.
References
- USA Today: Belly Fat Linked to an Increased Risk of Dementia
- Mayo Clinic: Belly Fat in Men
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: The Effects of a Whole Grain--Enriched Hypocaloric Diet on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Men and Women with Metabolic Syndrome
- Lipids: Effects of Dietary Coconut Oil
- Curtin News: Higher Dairy Intake Can Help Fight Obesity
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