A flat tummy is desired by men and women alike. But with all the fad diets and exercise machines and schemes, you can get lost trying to find the right way to flatten your abdominals. Losing weight and fat from your midsection calls for a lifestyle change complete with a balanced diet and a varied exercise routine. Becoming a healthier individual will help you lose that excess fat which will provide you more than just aesthetic benefits. Lowering the fat around your abdominals reduces your risk of certain diseases and even some cancers.
Types
There are two types of fat that surround your midsection. Subcutaneous fat is the fat directly under your skin and is the fat you can pinch with your fingers. Visceral fat on the other hand is below subcutaneous fat and is around your abdominal muscles.
Significance
Aside from being uncomfortable or a source of stress, excess fat around your midsection predisposes you to numerous health problems. Harvard Medical School states "visceral fat has been linked to metabolic disturbances and increased risk for cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes. In women, it is also associated with breast cancer and the need for gallbladder surgery." It explains that visceral fat is also directly correlated to having higher total and bad cholesterol levels, while lowering good cholesterol levels. The University of Maryland Medical Center States that a waist greater than 35 inches for and 40 inches for men may be a risk factor for heart disease and diabetes.
Benefits
Having a flat stomach calls for a total reduction of body fat, which reduces the amount of subcutaneous and visceral fat located in your midsection. Decreasing the fat in your midsection alone reduces your risk for heart disease and diabetes.
Misconceptions
Many believe that an extreme diet, one consisting of 1,100 calories or fewer per day will reduce weight and abdominal fat. Only half of this statement is true. The American Dietetic Association states half of any weight loss on an extreme diet is muscle and water loss. These types of diets cannot be sustained for the long term, therefore are abandoned and any weight lost comes back.
Solutions
A total reduction of body fat involves both a clean, nutritious diet and exercise consisting of cardiovascular and strength training. A diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, healthy fats and lean cuts of meat, such as poultry and fish, will help retrain your body and help reduce fat, not only in your midsection. Aim to get 40 percent of your calories from carbohydrates, 30 percent from fat and 30 percent from protein. Use an online calorie calculator, such as the one at Nutriweb or Livestrong.com, to determine how many calories you need per day. A reduction of this number by 250 to 500 calories leads to 1 lb. of healthy weight loss per week. Exercise plays an important role in weight loss, because while losing the weight you want to build lean muscle. The University of Maryland Medical Center states "Muscles use more calories than fat throughout the day, even while you are resting. This contributes to what is commonly called a 'faster metabolism.'" Burning 500 calories per day while exercising leads to an additional 1 lb. of weight loss per week.
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