Losing Belly Fat Mission, LLC

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being overweight is not healthy, we know that. But excess belly fat can be especially dangerous and put us at risk for all kinds of health issues including insulin resistance, diabetes and heart disease (just to name a few). Gaining weight in the middle is quite common as we get older, in fact, it is quite common for women to gain in their middle after menopause. For others, belly fat may be genetic. And while we can’t fight our genes, there are strategies that we can take to reduce fat around our belly to not only look better, but improve our health as well.

 

The Dangers of Excess Belly Fat
Belly fat is considered the most dangerous because it contains what is called visceral fat. Visceral fat is dangerous because it surrounds our organs, which causes so many chronic health problems. If you have fat around your middle then there is no doubt about it, you have visceral fat. You should be especially concerned if the circumference of your waist is 35 ore more inches if you are a woman and 40 ore more inches if you are a man.

Whether you are getting older or it’s in your genes, it is possible to reduce fat around your middle and improve your health through a healthy diet and exercise plan. But not any diet plan will do. There are some strategies that are much more effective at targeting belly

fat.

 

 

 

Choosing the Right Diet Plan
There are so many diet plans out there that it can be difficult to figure out which one to follow. Some experts advocate a low fat diet while others swear by low carb. Then there are experts that tell you to give up entire food groups such as grains or dairy. The problem is, giving up entire food groups is not easy. And although cutting back on excess carbohydrates can be effective to reduce fat around your middle, you may have trouble sustaining such a restrictive diet long term.

 

Choosing the Right Carbohydrates
Instead of cutting out carbohydrates, start swapping for healthier choices. By eating 100% whole grain bread instead of white bread, and experimenting with healthy whole grains such as quinoa, you will not only be eating more nutrient dense foods, you will also be increasing fiber in your diet, which naturally fills you up.

Cutting back on sugar and fried foods is also a must to reduce fat. Excess sugar, whether in the form of table sugar, fruit juice or too many starches can wreak havoc on our bodies and contribute to excess belly fat. Instead, you want to eliminate these foods as much as possible. A good strategy with almost immediate results is to reduce, or even eliminate empty calories from your diet – especially soda.

 

Whole fruits and non starchy vegetables are also a good option. And although fruit is higher in carbs than non starchy vegetables such as greens, it is a much better choice than fruit juice because of the fiber. You might want to limit fruit to just a few servings a day, and choose fruits that are naturally lower in sugar such as berries.

 

Choosing the Right Fat
Just because you want to reduce fat on your body doesn’t mean you have to give it up in your diet, in fact, we need some fat. There are many healthy benefits to adding the right fat in our diet in moderation. It is a good idea to cut back on saturated fats by choosing leaner cuts of protein, and choose healthier, monounsaturated fats such as olive oil and avocados and as well as fats found in nuts and seeds as well as fatty fish like salmon.

 

There is no question about it, eating healthier foods is an effective way to reduce fat not only around your middle but overall. However, it is not enough to just make healthier choices, you also have to practice moderation when it comes to calorie dense food. It is also a good idea to get advice from your health care provider so that he or she can further guide you in finding the right diet and exercise plan that is right for you.