Every dieter's dream is to find a food that burns belly fat. Fad diets promote liquid fasting, special soups and even vinegar as a way to increase your metabolism and burn fat. However, there's no such thing as a fat-burning food, says the Weight-Control Information Network (WIN). To keep belly fat at bay, pay attention to the number of calories you consume and get regular exercise.
Belly Fat FAQ
Belly fat is the stuff that you want gone. But abdominal fat isn't just keeping you from looking your best; it comes with health risks. The deep visceral fat that forms in your abdomen, belly fat is described as metabolically active, and it can change the way your body works as it secretes hormones and other substances. Belly fat can cause your bad cholesterol levels to jump. It also puts you at risk for heart disease and other health complications. Belly fat has got to go, no doubt about it -- but don't rely on magic foods to burn it away.
Knowing the Cause
Abdominal fat is particularly problematic to women entering middle age. Harvard Medical School explains that as adult females age, their ratio of fat to muscle increases moreso than it does in men. However, rather than forming on the hips and thighs, body fat accumulates on the upper body -- the abdominal area. You don't even have to gain weight for an abdominal "pooch" to form. Excess body fat of any kind is ultimately caused by consuming more calories than your body is able to burn.
Food Myths
Believing that foods such as celery, cabbage, vinegar or grapefruit actually burn fat is wishful thinking. One "diet" mentioned in Everydiet.org claims that certain foods have negative calories because you purportedly use more calories to eat and digest them than they contain. While fibrous green vegetables such as celery, zucchini, broccoli and asparagus are a part of a healthy diet, they're also very low in calories, and you're likely to lose weight simply because your diet is lower in calories overall. Caffeinated beverages such as coffee and tea may have a negligible impact on your metabolism, says MayoClinic.com, but caffeine won't help keep fat off over the long haul.
What To Do
While food can't tackle belly fat, there is something that can: exercise. According to the American Council on Exercise, if you want to get rid of that midriff bulge, aim to get an hour of moderate to intense aerobic activity almost every day. Walking, jogging, cycling and swimming are all ways you can burn fat and improve your cardiovascular system at the same time. You don't have to put in a full 60 minutes at a time -- you'll start to see results even if you break exercise into short, 10-minute segments. Add strength training that works out all your major muscle groups and you increase your odds of success. Lean muscle burns more calories than fat, even when your body is at rest.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Does caffeine increase weight loss?; Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
- Everydiet.org; Negative Calorie Diet
- Cleveland Clinic Health; What's Your Gut Tell You?; Stanley Hazen, M.D., Ph.D
- Weight-control Information Network; Weight-loss and nutrition myths
- Harvard Medical School; Taking Aim at Belly Fat; August 2010
- American Council on Exercise; How can I get rid of belly fat?; Jessica Matthews, M.S.; April 2010
Member Comments