Grocery aisles are loaded with good and bad fats, but what about our bodies? Is all fat created equal, or are some types – like that stubborn roll atop your jeans – worse than others? Turns out that muffin top might be an indicator of a more serious problem, a secret layer of fat underneath that’s much more harmful. Find out why, and then try these expert-recommended ways to lose belly fat.
Has belly fat come between you and your favorite pants, skirt or dress?
“The good news is that’s the first kind of fat you lose when you drop weight,” says Michael Jensen, M.D., an endocrinologist with the Mayo Clinic.
The bad news?
Let love handles linger, and they could have serious health consequences, he warns.
There are two types of belly fat, according to Jensen: subcutaneous fat – the visible kind just above your hips that jiggles oh-so-attractively, and visceral fat – the invisible kind that lurks deep in your abs and wraps around organs.
While subcutaneous fat can make you look and feel like a blimp, visceral fat is the real villain. It’s metabolically active, which means it functions like an endocrine system. It releases enzymes and hormones into the bloodstream that raise blood pressure, increase bad cholesterol (HDL) and lower good (LDL) cholesterol. It also interferes with the body’s ability to use insulin and increases estrogen levels, Jensen says.
Too much visceral fat can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, type 2 diabetes and other conditions in women, he adds.
“It also makes you fatter by promoting insulin storage, which increases hunger and cravings for sugar and carbs and boosts fat storage around your belly,” says David Edelson, M.D., a New York-based internist and bariatric surgeon and assistant clinical professor of medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
“The fatter you get, the more insulin-resistant you become, which creates a vicious cycle of craving carbs and sugar, weight gain, dieting, getting hungry and gaining more weight,” he says.
And there’s another reason to ditch that belly fat before it becomes a permanent fixture.
“Belly fat worsens as we enter menopause because falling estrogen levels cause fats to accumulate around the middle,” says Amy Lee, M.D., an internist who specializes in diabetes, clinical nutrition and weight management at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles.
Want to know how to get a flat tummy? Read on for 13 ways to lose belly fat.
Ways to lose belly fat: Do the math.
Not sure you have visceral fat?
To get a rough idea, calculate your waist-to-hip ratio, says the Cleveland Clinic.
To find your ratio, measure your waist at its narrowest point and your hips at their widest point. Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement. If your hip-to-waist ratio is more than 0.8, you probably have visceral fat and need to lose weight.
Ways to lose belly fat: Cut back on carbs and sugar.
“If you have belly fat, reduce sugars, simple carbs and products made with high fructose corn syrup, which absorb quickly, turn on inflammation and spike blood glucose and insulin levels,” says Edelson.
But don’t use artificial sweeteners as a substitute, Edelson warns.
“Artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame, have been shown to increase inflammation and insulin resistance and trigger more storage of belly fat.”
Stay full with a fat-burning diet of 30% protein, 40% carbohydrates, and 30% fat, such as the Mediterranean diet, he says.
Traditionally, the Mediterranean diet calls for high consumption of olive oil, legumes, unrefined cereals, fruits, vegetables, moderate servings of fish dairy and wine, and low consumption of meat.
A 4-year 2009 study conducted at Second University of Naples in Naples, Italy found that women following the Mediterranean diet lost more weight, saw more improvements in cholesterol and reduced blood pressure and their risk of heart disease more than women on a low-fat diet.
For meal ideas, visit our Mediterranean recipe collection.
Ways to lose belly fat: Load up on healthy fats.
To lose the love handles, eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, including fish like salmon and herring, nuts and seeds like walnuts and flaxseeds and canola, olive, flaxseed and soybean oils.
“More and more research shows that eating diet high in omega-3 fatty acids helps reduce belly fat,” says Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D., a Maui-based physician specializing in weight loss who has authored 22 books on women’s health, including The Complete Natural Medicine Guide to Women’s Health (Robert Rose).
“Omega-3 fatty acids also help turn off inflammation, which promotes insulin resistance and belly fat,” says Edelson.
But avoid omega-6 and omega-9 fats, which increase inflammation.
“These unhealthy fats are found in saturated fats (meat, dairy products, junk foods), tropical oils like palm and coconut oil and trans fats, which are abundant in fast foods, junk foods and fried foods,” Edelson adds.
Ways to lose belly fat: Use supplements to naturally lower insulin resistance.
“Cinnamon and chromium have both been shown to lower insulin resistance, so consider taking supplements to lose belly fat,” says Edelson.
A 2008 study conducted at Beltsville Human Nutrition Center found that taking a daily dose of 1-6 grams (g) of cinnamon reduced insulin levels 18%-29% percent in 40 days, while 200-1,000 micrograms (mcg) of chromium reduced insulin 40% within four months.
Ways to lose belly fat: Try green tea.
“Green tea contains catechin, a powerful antioxidant that has been shown to release fat cells and make it easier to lose weight, so drink up,” says Lee.
A 2009 study on 139 women at Provident Clinical Research, Bloomington, Ind., found that women who drank about five cups of green tea daily and got regular exercise lost more belly fat than women who didn’t drink green tea.
In 12 weeks, the tea drinkers lost an inch around their waists, reduced subcutaneous fat by 6% and visceral fat by 9%.
Ways to lose belly fat: Fill up on foods full of water and fiber.
“Foods that are packed with water and fiber, like fruits and veggies, expand in your stomach and fill you with fewer calories and practically no fat, so eat at least five servings daily,” says Katherine Tallmadge, M.A., R.D., a Washington, D.C.-based dietitian, and author of Diet Simple (Lifeline).
And don’t forget to get 2-3 servings of whole grains daily.
Eating a diet high in whole grains and low in refined carbs makes it easier to use up fat stores. Scientists believe the dietary fiber and magnesium in whole grains may help maintain insulin sensitivity, according to a just-published review study in Nutrition Today.
The study was conducted at Tufts University and reviewed scientific evidence since the release of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines on the role of whole grains on measures of insulin sensitivity.
Ways to lose belly fat: Lose the booze.
“Alcohol is empty calories, all from carbs. Too many carbs trigger insulin resistance,” Lee says. “Plus, those extra calories contribute to belly fat.”
While one glass of wine can help prevent inflammation and even fight depression, according to two Australian studies, more than three glasses of wine daily can lead to weight gain and insulin resistance, according to the Mayo Clinic.
And go especially easy on beer: Research shows too much can increase belly fat.
A 2009 Germany study conducted at the German Institute of Human Nutrition found that people who drank excessive beer had a 17% increased risk of gaining belly fat than people who were light beer drinkers.
Ways to lose belly fat: Move it to lose it.
To keep belly fat at bay, exercise for at least 30 minutes a minimum of five days a week, using a combination of cardio, resistance training and interval training, says Scott Danberg, M.S., director of fitness at Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa in Florida.
The NIH/Wake Forest University study also found that women who walked on a treadmill for 50 minutes three times weekly decreased the size of abdominal fat cells by 18% and lost more weight than women who didn’t exercise.
Exercise can also help prevent pounds from creeping back, according to research conducted at MLA University of Missouri-Columbia. In the study, women who didn’t exercise were more likely to regain weight than those who combined a healthy diet with aerobic exercise five days a week.
Women in the study who exercised also improved their cholesterol levels, aerobic capacity, blood pressure and blood glucose levels.
Ways to lose belly fat: Focus on interval training.
If you want to blast belly fat, get serious about interval training, which means alternating periods of intense exercise with low-intensity exercise or rest, says Danberg.
You can apply it to any type of aerobic sport, such as walking, biking or jogging, and it can work for any fitness level. For instance, alternate slow and fast cycling or fast walking and running, says the Mayo Clinic.
In a study conducted at the University of New South Wales, women who engaged in interval training — doing a 20-minute cycling regime that included sprinting on a stationary bike for eight seconds followed by 12 seconds of light cycle — lost more belly fat than women doing cardio, even though the cardio workouts were twice as long.
Here’s another reason to get into interval training: It suppresses the appetite hormone ghrelin so you naturally want to eat less, according to a 2010 study at Loughborough University in London.
Ways to lose belly fat: Join the resistance.
In resistance training (also called strength training), you increase muscle strength and endurance by doing repetitive exercises with weights, weight machines or resistance bands, building lean muscle and speeding up your metabolism, says Danberg.
Aim for at least 30 minutes two or three times a week, he says.
“Lift weights or do circuit-training at the gym, and do resistance crunches and push-ups at home,” he says.
To burn maximum fat, do your resistance training workout before your aerobic workout, according to a 2011 study conducted at Ohio State University.
While there’s no evidence that “spot” exercises such as yoga, Pilates or mat exercises (workouts you do on a mat rather than on a machine, such as mat Pilates) decrease belly fat, they will firm muscles in your abs, back and chest, so you’ll look fitter and slimmer, Danberg adds.
Ways to lose belly fat: Chill out.
When you’re stressed out, your body increases its production of cortisol, a hormone that jacks up your appetite, and makes you crave high-fat, high-sugar comfort foods like cookies, cake and ice cream that pack on pounds, Dean says.
Research at Georgetown University Medical Center found that chronic long-term stress resulted in metabolic syndrome, which causes inflammation, weight gain, insulin resistance and increased belly fat.
“To reduce stress, try gentle stretching, deep breathing, tai chi, Pilates, yoga, meditation or take a walk in nature,” she says.
Ways to lose belly fat: Get enough shut-eye.
Studies show that skimping on sleep increases your levels of two appetite hormones, leptide and ghrelin, which stimulate appetite and promote weight gain, Edelson says.
In a 2004 study conducted at the University of Bristol in the U.K., people who slept five hours compared to those who slept eight hours saw a dramatic increase in ghrelin and leptide levels.
A landmark 1999 study at the University of Chicago found that people who slept four hours had a 24% increase in appetite, and craved high-carb foods like cookies, candy, and cakes, compared to those who slept 10 hours.
To prevent sleep deprivation from adding excess belly fat, get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night, Edelson says.
Ways to lose belly fat: If all else fails…
“Most women can lose belly fat using a combination of diet, exercise and healthy lifestyle changes,” Edelson says.
But what if your belly fat won’t budge even after you’ve incorporated all of the above strategies?
Some meds, including drugs used to treat mood disorders, seizures, migraines, diabetes, and even high blood pressure, can cause weight gain, says Dean.
Steroids, hormone replacement therapy and oral contraceptives can also cause unwanted pounds and make it harder to lose, she adds.
“Or you could have an underactive thyroid, which affects many women approaching menopause,” she says.
What to do?
Talk to your physician about switching meds and get your thyroid tested with a simple blood test, Dean says.
Or ask your doc if you’re a candidate for one of these new ways to lose belly fat – FDA-approved meds and procedures, says Edelson.
They include:
Metformin, a new medication that helps reduce insulin resistance and belly fat. Side effects may include indigestion, headache, and diarrhea. Metformin is usually covered by insurance. Women may take Metformin for several months to two years or longer, depending on how much weight they need to lose and whether or not they have diseases like diabetes, which can make it harder to lose weight.
Zeltiq, a non-invasive procedure using a gel patch attached to a machine that freezes unwanted fat cells, causing them to self-destruct and get re-absorbed into the body over several months. Side effects may include temporary tingling and bruising. Cost is $700-$1,800 per treatment, depending on how much fat you have. Most women get 2-3 treatments or one per month. Results are permanent.
Zerona aims a low-energy laser at troublesome areas, forcing fat cells to empty in a few weeks. There are no documented side effects. Cost is $3,000-$4,500 for Zerona, which is typically administered in six 40-minute treatments over the course of a week or two. Zerona is not a permanent fix, but by maintaining a healthy diet and exercise program, you can expect long-term results. If you gain weight, you may need touch-up treatments.
For more information, visit our new Weight Loss Healthy Eating Guide.
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