An overabundance of belly fat indicates you may have too much visceral fat, a particularly toxic fat that resides deep inside your body putting you at risk for hypertension, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. If you are a man with a waist over 40 inches, or a woman with one over 35 inches, the American Heart Association recommends you take immediate measures to reduce belly fat. You must embark on a weight loss program--involving lowering calories and cardiovascular exercise--to attack that belly fat. Some additional measures can help you make belly fat burn off even faster.
Step 1
Replace refined flours with whole grains. Eat a serving of whole grains instead of white rice, baked goods made with white flour and white pasta, because, as a study in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" reports, whole grains can help accelerate weight loss--particularly in the stomach. Stick to between one and three servings a day so as not to over-consume calories.
Step 2
Never eat trans fats because this man-made fat encourages accumulation of fat in the abdomen. Pass up packaged foods with the words "partially hydrogenated" in the ingredient list. Make your own baked goods and avoid fried food.
Step 3
Make your fat calories come from mono-unsaturated sources to discourage central fat distribution. Follow a Mediterranean-style diet that emphasizes fats found in olive oil and nuts while discouraging consumption of saturated fats.
Step 4
Exercise at a vigorous intensity (about 70 percent of peak oxygen consumption) for an hour most days of the week to reduce both visceral and subcutaneous belly fat, as per a study in the "Journal of Applied Physiology." Exercise at a vigorous intensity less often to discourage further storage of fat at the belly.
Step 5
Take immediate measures to de-stress. Learn to delegate at home and work, meditate or try yoga. Keep your stress levels to a minimum to reduce the amount of cortisol your body produces--cortisol is a hormone that encourages your body to hold onto body fat, particularly fat in your mid-section.
Things You'll Need
- Brown rice
- Oatmeal
- Quinoa
- Whole wheat pasta and wheat breads
- Avocados
- Nuts
- Olive oil
- Athletic clothing
References
- The 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
- Journal of Applied Physiology: Inactivity, Exercise, and Visceral Fat
- Obesity, A Research Journal: Trans Fat Diet Induces Abdominal Obesity and Changes in Insulin Sensitivity in Monkeys
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