Reducing Stomach Fat AKA Belly Fat

 

Yes, I admit, I have some, just like so many other women.  I've always thought it was part of being a woman.  I thought that some of us had a bit of a belly and others didn't but I've been reading up on the topic because I noticed that when I exercised a lot, it went down.  It never disappeared totally, just become less noticeable.

As women, we've always heard that we will gain weight as we age and we'll end up with more of a belly at the same time.  In addition, when we go through menopause, our belly fat moves down into the abdomen. Unfortunately, this belly fat can impact our health but we can reduce the risks.  

The amount of belly fat you have is effected by three factors.  First, the number of calories you eat every day.  Second, how many calories you burn through exercise.  Finally, you age. There is not much you can do about your age but you can do something about the number of calories eaten and the amount of exercise you do every day.

Belly fat can be divided into two categories.  First is the fat that acts as padding just below the skin also known as subcutaneous fat. The second is the fat found deeper in the abdomen, surrounding your internal organs, also known as subcutaneous fat.  The second type is the one you need to be concerned about.  It is linked with heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol, and breathing problems.

If you want to get rid of the extra belly fat, there are a variety of things you can do to create a multi pronged attack. It is important to move to a healthier diet with lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. It is important to switch to a leaner variety of protein and move to low fat dairy products. In addition, limit foods with high saturated fats while cutting back on the amount of sugar you consume each day  Instead of eating foods with high amounts of saturated fats, look at having moderate amounts of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

Instead of enjoying soda pop or even coffee or tea sweetened with lots of sugar, switch to drinking water or unsweetened drinks such as coffee or tea.  If you like sweet drinks, you. might look at switching to an artificial sweetener.  Do not think about switching to a fruit juice that is 100 percent juice as that type of drink can be high in sugars.  

In addition to switching to a healthier diet, it is important to monitor portion sizes.  Even if you eat better, you can still gain weight if you are consuming large portions so you need to control your portion sizes. The best general rule of thumb I've heard in regard to portion sizes is that the protein serving should be the size of your fist, grains should be no more than a quarter of the size of your plate and greens should take half the plate.  When you eat out, eat only half the meal and take the rest home.  You do not have to eat it all at the restaurant. The other option is to order one thing between two people to share so there is nothing to take home.

Make sure you exercise regularly.  The government recommends at least 150 minutes a week of moderate activity such as brisk walking or 75 minutes a week for vigorous activity such as running.  In addition, you should do strength training at least twice a week.  If you are not loosing belly fat, look at your diet, portion size, and increasing the amount of exercise you do each week.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day