Fat is an essential element for the proper functioning of the human body and is involved in many metabolic and hormonal activities. But excess fat, especially around the waist or belly, can cause health problems and prevent you from feeling good about yourself and performing at your best. A few minor lifestyle and dietary changes can be effective in eliminating this unwanted fat and getting you back on track.
Having trouble getting rid of excess stomach fat? The distribution of fat may be relatively even throughout the body, or you may have only belly fat, with thinner limbs. Both of these situations indicate the accumulation of different types of fat. It is important to know what type of fat you have accumulated so that you can determine the best way to get rid of it. Here is a brief explanation.
The three types of fat cells
If we were to slice a human body, we would see three different colored substances that all correspond to body fat. White, brown and beige adipose tissues are essential, subcutaneous or visceral fats depending on where they are found in the human body.
- Essential fat: This body fat is found in the muscles, nerve cells, bone marrow, brain and vital organs such as the heart and lungs. It plays many roles, such as protecting your vital organs, insulating the body, allowing the absorption of vitamins, and regulating your hormone levels. According to the American Council on Exercise, essential fats should represent 2 to 5% of total body mass for men and 10 to 13% for women to stay healthy.
- Subcutaneous fat: Subcutaneous fat is the white fat that is stored directly under the skin. It is this type of white fat that is measured when you have your body fat assessed with an adipometer. This is the fat that can be “pinched”. It is normal to have subcutaneous fat, and it is a sign of good health. Its role is to keep you warm, and to form a barrier that will protect your tissues and organs from external trauma and impact. It also serves as a source of energy. It is also the type of fat that accumulates when you are in a prolonged state of energy surplus, i.e. when you eat too much and do not exercise enough.
- Visceral fat: Unlike subcutaneous fat, visceral fat is not stored under the skin, but inside the abdominal cavity. It is a deep, gelatin-like fat that surrounds the major organs. Our body needs a small amount of visceral fat to cushion the spaces between our organs. But too much of this fat can be dangerous. This excess can be the source of various health concerns, including central obesity, heart problems, high blood pressure and type II diabetes.
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What type of fat is abdominal fat?
The location of the fat will help you determine the type of fat. If the fat is relatively evenly distributed over the body, you probably have a high level of subcutaneous fat. If the fat is mainly distributed around your stomach, it is probably a sign of excess visceral fat.
To find out quickly, simply measure your waistline with a tape measure, making sure you measure above your belly button. Your waist circumference is an indicator of excess subcutaneous fat and visceral fat stored in the abdomen. A waist circumference greater than 90 cm for women and 102 cm for men is a sign of abdominal fat accumulation.
It is interesting to note that you can look thin but have a high level of visceral fat. This type of fat can only be measured by performing a body composition analysis. Even if your total body mass is not high, the internal accumulation of abdominal fat is a sign of an inappropriate lifestyle or diet.
Visceral fat is considered to be more detrimental to health because it is located between vital organs. Therefore, if you have abdominal fat, you must take steps to reduce it in order to stay healthy.
How to get rid of belly fat
- Cut out refined carbohydrates and trans fats.
A diet high in refined carbohydrates and saturated or trans fats contributes to belly fat. Refined carbohydrates are mainly found in sodas, pastries, bagels, pizza, etc. Studies have shown that consumption of these foods is directly linked to an increase in visceral abdominal fat. This is partly because these foods are high in calories and it is easy to overeat them. It is also because these foods cause spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels that can ultimately lead to insulin resistance and excess fat gain.
Saturated and trans fats are found in butter, cookies, cakes, processed meats and fried foods. These foods cause inflammation. They have been shown to increase the amount of visceral abdominal fat.
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2. eat more protein
There are a few key reasons for the link between a high protein diet and weight loss. Eating protein increases your metabolic rate, increases the feeling of satiety and therefore decreases your appetite. This is because consuming protein stimulates thermogenesis and alters the production of a number of hormones such as ghrelin and leptin, both of which are associated with hunger and satiety signals.
A study published in the International Journal of Obesity compared a group of participants on a high-protein diet with a second group consuming a normal amount of protein. Both groups were in a caloric deficit. The high-protein diet group lost more weight and were able to maintain their weight loss over a one-year period. They also showed a greater reduction in blood pressure, blood lipid levels and inflammation than the normal protein diet group. Poultry, red meat, eggs, tempeh, whey protein powder and beans are all high protein foods.
3) Decrease your total caloric intake
Here’s the idea: if you want to get rid of belly fat, your body needs to use more fat than it stores. How do you do this? With a calorie-deficient diet. Your daily energy expenditure (DEJ) indicates the number of calories you need to consume to change your body mass.
If you consume more calories than your DEJ, you will gain weight. If you consume fewer calories, your body will burn stored fat for energy and you will lose weight. Keep in mind, however, that it is impossible to lose fat in one specific area of the body. So if you want to lose belly fat, you need to make sure your body is in a caloric deficit, to force it to tap into its energy stores.
You can calculate your DEJ using an online tool, or in a meeting with a professional. Following a diet plan or counting calories/macros will ensure that you are following a low-calorie diet.
Adopting a low-carb diet can be an effective approach to getting rid of your belly fat. As mentioned, excess refined carbohydrates can contribute to the accumulation of belly fat. By limiting this intake and adopting a low-carbohydrate diet rich in healthy (unsaturated) fatty acids, you can achieve good results. Various research studies have confirmed the effectiveness of this strategy.
A 2015 study published in the “Journal of Nutrition” showed that low-carb, high-fat diets have more impact on reducing abdominal fat than a high-carb, low-fat diet. This is because reducing carbohydrates increases insulin sensitivity and accelerates the process of burning visceral fat in the abdomen.
4) Beware of vitamin deficiencies
If you eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly, but still can’t get rid of your belly fat, it may be a sign of vitamin deficiency. There is a link between vitamin D deficiency and increased abdominal fat. This is because fat cells have vitamin D receptors. When your vitamin D levels are low, your body cannot mobilize fat stores efficiently and more energy is stored as fat instead of being used for energy, which in turn leads to increased body fat. This excess fat is stored disproportionately around the abdomen.
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5) Learn to manage your stress
Your vitamin D level is not the only thing that affects abdominal fat. In fact, cortisol, known as the stress hormone, has been shown to contribute to the creation of belly fat. Cortisol affects the distribution of fat, increasing the amount of visceral fat located in the center of the body. In addition, when you are under stress, you are also more likely to eat compulsively and move less, which increases weight gain.
6) Exercise daily
Exercise is a powerful tool! It helps relieve stress to reduce cortisol levels. Exercise is always a good way to create and increase an energy deficit. By practicing a physical activity, you mobilize your fat reserves. It also allows you to build muscle, which will boost your metabolism. Exercising has many health benefits that go beyond cosmetic considerations. If you want to lose belly fat, include a daily workout in your program. When it comes to the best exercises for losing belly fat, there are several options:
- High Intensity Split Training (HIIT): HIIT is great for losing fat. This activity increases the heart rate and creates an oxygen deficit in the body. HIIT has the advantage of pushing the body to burn fat during the workout, but also after. A study published in “Sports Medicine” in 2018 found that in 39 studies of HIIT and fat loss, HIIT significantly reduced abdominal and visceral fat mass.
- Aerobic Type Exercise: Aerobic type exercises such as walking, biking and rowing are great for reaching your daily exercise goal. You can try walking 10,000 steps a day, or riding your bike to work instead of driving. Even though aerobic type exercises involve less intensity than HIIT, they are still effective activities to get rid of your belly fat. One study showed that aerobic exercise reduced the amount of abdominal fat and improved insulin sensitivity in participants with excess abdominal fat. These participants performed approximately 20 km of aerobic training per week at a maximum oxygen consumption level of 75% (low to moderate effort).
- Resistance training: Resistance training can be done with free weights or bodyweight. This type of training helps build lean muscle, which will boost metabolism and mobilize stored fat more efficiently. We recommend that you do three to five resistance training sessions per week.
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