Having some extra fat around your midsection isn't just a cosmetic issue. The Mayo Clinic says it can greatly increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer in women and high blood pressure. It's a problem that can affect both men and women, and the solution is eating the right foods and doing the right types of exercises on a regular basis.
Visceral vs. Subcutaneous Fat
There are two main types of fat found within your abdomen: visceral and subcutaneous. Subcutaneous fat is the type of fat you actually see on the outside of your body. In other words, it's the fat that jiggles -- the stuff you're always trying to get rid of. Visceral fat surrounds your organs, and this type of fat is especially dangerous to your health. If you have been unable to get rid of visceral and subcutaneous fat around your waistline, a focus on diet and exercise is the answer.
Sneaky Calories
The number of calories in some of the foods, condiments and drinks you consume each day can sneak up on you rather quickly. For instance, a single 20 oz. soda can contain 250 or more calories per bottle. Adding mayonnaise, high-calorie dressings, butter and high-fat cheeses to your food can really pile up the calories. Spend a week writing down every single thing you eat and approximately how many calories it contains. After a week, you'll see that there are plenty of opportunities to cut calories.
Lack of Exercise
A sedentary lifestyle is a common cause of excess belly fat. Lack of exercise causes your metabolism to slow down, and at that point, your body begins storing more calories as fat rather than burning them as energy. If you do currently exercise and haven't noticed a slight decrease in your waist size, try increasing your workout intensity. Additionally, utilize both aerobic and resistance training in your workouts. Certified personal trainer Christian Finn says an aerobic/resistance training regimen can burn abdominal fat by an average of 26 percent in just 12 weeks.
Keep It Simple
It might help to get back to the basics instead of making it a complicated issue. You can lose belly fat by creating a calorie deficit, which means you are taking in fewer calories than you're burning. Look at it this way: If you can create a calorie deficit of 1,000 calories a day, that's equal to losing 2 lbs. per week. Cut back by 500 to 750 calories per day -- mostly from sugar and other high-calorie snacks -- and exercise for 30 to 60 minutes each day to burn the additional 250 to 500 calories.
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