Doctors around the world are sounding the alarm: every year more and more people become hostage to excess weight. And, as a rule, the main problem is belly fat, which is extremely difficult to get rid of.
Excess abdominal fat is not just a cosmetic problem, but can actually be dangerous. According to medical research, it is abdominal obesity that often causes the development of diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular pathologies.
Some people start doing intense physical activity, others follow a strict diet. And there are those who make a radical decision, going under the knife of a plastic surgeon.
Yes, this problem is actually serious and can be very difficult to deal with. To get a good figure and reduce the risk of danger to your health, you will need an integrated approach.
How to determine abdominal volume
You can do it yourself, at home. It is enough to measure your waist with a tape measure or tape used by tailors. Standard indicator:
- Women - 88 centimeters (34. 65 inches)
- Men - 102 centimeters (40. 16 inches)
We can talk about the progression of obesity if there are even small deviations from the established norm. If there is a large discrepancy, immediate action should be taken.
Important! There is no need to rush to resort to radical methods. In scientific practice, there are many ways to remove the belly without surgery. It is recommended to use them in combination to achieve quick and effective results.
We will see in our article6 ways to get rid of belly fat at home.
Eliminate sweets from your diet
Taking large amounts of glucose into the body leads to serious metabolic disorders. Sugary foods also contain fructose, which the liver can only process in small amounts. If this organ is saturated with fructose, it begins to convert it into lipids.
The liver is made up of cells calledhepatocytes. When the metabolic process is disturbed, they start to turn into fat, resulting inhepatosis.
Leading scientists agree in one opinion: the initiation of this metabolic process occurs due to oversaturation of the body with sugar, which has a harmful effect. Hepatocyte degeneration causes the cells to become resistant to insulin. This, in turn, disrupts the metabolism, against which diabetes develops.
Separately, it is worth noting sweet drinks, which are considered the most harmful, since sugar is present in them in liquid form. Frequent consumption of carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks and packaged juices provides many more calories than, for example, cakes or chocolate. In this case, the risk of obesity increases by at least 60%.
Attention! If the first signs of excess weight appear, it is recommended to reduce your daily sugar intake. Fresh fruit and natural juices contain much less glucose. Furthermore, fruit is rich in fiber, which tends to reduce the negative effects of fructose on the body.
Eat more protein foods
Obese people, even in the initial phase, are advised to consume protein foods. They should become the basis of daily nutrition, as they can suppress hunger for a long time. Furthermore, protein-rich foods speed up the metabolic process and reduce the number of calories consumed per day.
It has been experimentally found that protein foods help reduce abdominal circumference and overall weight loss, maintaining the effect for a long time. Everyone who took part in the trials followed this diet for a certain period of time and gradually lost pounds.
Long-term observations have shown that belly fat increases rapidly if you eat oils and sugar often and decreases if you consume more protein. Therefore, those who want to lose weight are advised to introduce fish and seafood dishes, as well as coconut oil, into their diet. In some cases, the amount of protein you get from food may not be enough, so you may want to add a protein supplement.
Note! When switching to a protein diet, you should not expect that the fat layer will begin to disappear intensively. After all, they have been accumulating for years and therefore it will take some time to bring your figure back into ideal shape.
Eliminate carbohydrates
Products containing a lot of carbohydrates are literally "deposited" in the abdominal area. This fact has been confirmed by multiple randomized studies. The subjects' diet was low in carbohydrates and they could consume an unlimited amount of food. The main condition is that it is low in carbohydrates.
The average daily carbohydrate intake isup to 50 grams.
Consume fiber
This is a food component consisting of plant fibers that take a long time to digest, and some of them have a viscous structure. They bind the liquid and turn into a thick gel. Once in the intestine, it helps to slow down the passage of the food bolus and digestion in general.
As a result, a person is not hungry for a long time, his appetite decreases, and excess weight is lost much faster. Fresh vegetables, herbs, legumes and oats should be included in your usual diet. Doctors also recommend taking various fiber supplements, especially glucomannan.
Don't ignore physical activity
Even strict adherence to a diet will not give the expected result if at least minimal physical exercise is not involved in the weight loss process.
However, it is worth considering that not all types of physical activity help to eliminate excess weight. One of the scientific studies revealed an interesting fact. For two months the subjects engaged in a workout that strengthened their abdominal muscles. At the end of the test it was ascertained that none of the participants managed to achieve at least the minimum result.
At the same time, long-term observations have shown that this problem can be solved with aerobic exercise, that is, regular running, swimming and brisk walking.
Pay attention to the quantity and quality of food consumed
This is one of the main aspects of effective weight loss and health maintenance. A high-protein, low-carb or any other diet won't help if your daily meals consist of low-quality foods. Correcting eating habits, carefully studying the composition on product labels and counting the calories consumed - all this is the key to achieving the desired result.
To record the caloric value of the food you eat, you can use a special online calculator, which can be easily and simply installed on any modern gadget.
19 recommendations whose effectiveness is confirmed by scientific research
Excess weight is becoming a global problem as it affects different age groups regardless of gender. And it is precisely the visceral fat that accumulates in the abdominal area that is extremely difficult to eliminate. Excess deposits very often lead to the development of various diseases, including diabetes.
In medicine there is the concept of body mass index, with which you can independently determine the presence of extra kilos. At the same time, localized fat accumulated in the waist area can also be present in thin-looking people. Dealing with him is quite difficult. However, scientists have identified 19 basic recommendations that, taken together, help to quickly solve the problem.
It's important! Sudden weight loss can often cause intoxication, characterized by: nausea, diarrhea, weakness, skin rashes. The detoxifying product Enterosgel, which has a gentle effect, will help you quickly cope with poisoning. It does not interrupt peristalsis, effectively absorbs toxic compounds and restores microflora.
Your diet should contain fiber
It consists of coarse plant fibers which, by absorbing water, acquire a gelatinous consistency. A fiber bolus takes a long time to digest in the gastrointestinal tract, so a person does not feel hungry for a long time. As a result, the number of snacks is minimized and the amount of calories consumed per day is reduced. And this, in turn, leads to effective weight loss.
Rich in fibre:greens, linseed, (fresh) greens, legumes, blackberries, etc.
Including fiber-rich foods can actually help you reduce the size of your belly and thighs.
Transgenic fats are strictly prohibited
Margarine and spreads, with which most confectionery products are literally saturated, are the main cause of insulin resistance. For six years scientists tested the effect of these substances on monkeys. All individuals who consumed foods containing transgenic compounds had varying degrees of obesity.
Attention! It is recommended to exclude transgenic fats not only for those who want to lose weight, but also for all people who want to stay healthy.
Quit alcohol
Many people know that rarely drinking a glass of good wine or expensive brandy cannot harm your health. The same cannot be said about alcohol abuse, which accelerates the growth of adipose tissue around the waist. And this fact has also been proven by scientific tests.
Proteins are the basis of nutrition
Protein-rich foods are essential for weight control and maintaining proper metabolism. That is why the daily diet must include: meat and fish dishes, eggs, dairy and fermented milk products.
Damage from emotional overload
Frequent stress is generally harmful to overall health and causes weight gain. When under nervous tension, the human body, or rather the adrenal glands, begins to produce cortisol. As a result, many experience an increase in appetite, which leads to an increase in the localized layer.
Quit sugar
Sweets containing this substance are harmful to your figure. Sugar abuse is a direct path to obesity, vascular disease, heart disease, diabetes and hepatosis.
The need for physical activity
According to studies, cardio training helps you lose weight more intensely and eliminate fat around your waist at an accelerated rate. The more intense and longer the aerobic exercise, the faster the results are achieved.
Refusal of complex and easily digestible carbohydrates
For those who lose weight and for those who tend to gain weight, nutritionists strongly recommend eliminating carbohydrates from the diet, which tend to be absorbed quickly. Preference should be given to complex carbohydrates that do not have a negative effect.
Cooking fats and coconut oil
Eating this type of oil speeds up your metabolism. Recently, scientists conducted several experiments, one of which involved men with large amounts of visceral fat. For three months they consumed a certain amount of coconut oil every day. At the same time, the usual diet and lifestyle have not changed. At the end of the experiment all participants showed a decrease in waist circumferenceof 3 centimetres.
The benefits of strength training
Sudden weight loss is associated with sagging skin. And to avoid such consequences, strength training is highly recommended for those losing weight. Furthermore, in combination with aerobic exercise, they promote rapid fat burning.
No to carbonated drinks
Juices (packaged) and sweet soda contain a lot of fructose, which contributes to the growth of the layer, especially in the waist and liver area. These conclusions were drawn by scientists during a ten-week study.
The importance of proper rest
To understand how sleep quality affects health and weight, scientists conducted a study. For 16 years they studied this problem and came to a conclusion that was officially recorded. People with sleep disorders (insomnia, apnea, etc. ) are much more likely to be obese.
Food diary
In order for the menu to be optimal during the period of weight loss and elimination of visceral deposits, regular calorie counting is necessary. To do this, nutritionists recommend keeping a special diary that will help control the number of calories you receive daily.
Be sure to include Omega-3s in your diet
This substance is found in fatty fish and is rich in polyunsaturated acids, which are not only useful for maintaining the proper functioning of the body, but also help burn fat cells.
Important! A week you need to eat at least three fish dishes containing Omega-3: salmon, mackerel, anchovy, herring.
Avoid "toxic" fruit juices.
Yes, if it is freshly squeezed juice, without added sugar, it will benefit the body. The same cannot be said about tetra pack drinks, which contain a huge amount of fructose. This is one of the substances that contributes to the accumulation of deposits in the abdominal area. It is better to give preference to juices squeezed only from fresh fruits or plain water, infused with slices of lemon, orange or lime.
Apple cider vinegar: effective for lowering blood sugar
It would seem that such a familiar product, which can be found in the kitchen of every housewife, helps to lose weight. And once again, this was proven in an experiment in which men of different ages took part. They took 15ml of vinegar diluted with water every day for three months. Tests showed that, on average, each of them had a reduction in waist size of 140 millimeters.
Focus on probiotics
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria found in some categories of foods and dietary supplements. Their action is aimed primarily at normalizing digestion and restoring microflora. Lactobacilli effectively help in the fight against excess weight.
Intermittent fasting
In this case, a certain diet is implied, the essence of which is long breaks (one day) between meals. However, daily food waste can be applied no more than twice a week.
There is another scheme: the ban on any food for 16 hours, while the rest of the day you can eat any food. Experimental experiments have shown that with intermittent fasting it is possible to achieve a reduction in abdominal volume of up to 7% in several weeks.
Green tea is the basis of any diet
The benefits of this drink for losing weight and maintaining health have been proven for centuries. Contains catechin, which is involved in the activation of processes aimed at accelerating the burning of fat cells.
And another very important point: to lose weight and at the same time maintain the effect for a long time, you need to reconsider your usual lifestyle. Lack of sufficient physical activity, bad habits and consumption of junk food are the main enemies of an ideal figure and health in general.