The Science of losing weight and belly fat

Obesity, specially the belly fat is not good for health. Belly fat deposits in layers. The fat just behind the skin, called as Subcutaneous fat and the fat deep inside the abdomen is called Visceral fat. Evidence reveals the visceral or intra-abdominal fat, threatens our health more than subcutaneous fat. Visceral fat secretes hormones and other molecules that directly increase a persons risk of developing Blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and other chronic conditions.

Why reducing belly fat is harder?

The daily habits that led to the excess pounds are hard to change since they include eating bad foods that taste good, drinking excess alcohol and developing the couch potato habit. similarly doing regular exercises need high level of commitment and staying motivated. Eighty percent of your ability to reduce excess body fat is determined by what you eat, with the other 20 percent related to exercise and other healthy lifestyle habits. Here are some reasons, why we get fatty and why it is hard to get rid off.
Age- Burning belly fat gets harder as you get older. This is due to hormonal changes and the aging process.

All fats are not alike- The extra calories we eat, gets deposited on different places—long-term storage depots beneath the skin (subcutaneous fat) or short-term bins deep in the abdomen (visceral fat).

Stress makes you fat- Stress is directly involved in making you fat. Stress hormone Cortisol, helps adding belly fat.

Type of fats consumed- Trans fatsand saturated fats has more tendency of deposition inside the arteries as well as abdominal wall than the unsaturated fats. Though all of them offer same amount of calories.

Muscle Memory- Muscle memory can best be described as a type of movement with which the muscles become familiar over time. Youve probably tried numerous exercises that target just your abs. Most exercises provide excellent results, while others dont. This may be due to muscle memory. Muscles are easily worked out, but after a while they stop building. 

Childbirth- Pregnancy and childbirth changes how your abdominal muscles look. Its possible to become toned and burn belly fat after giving birth by doing exercises as soon as you get approval from your doctor.

How to reduce belly fat?

Reducing belly fat is not so much difficult as much you think. Just you need to make a proper plan and follow it with commitment.

Make a plan

you need to make a plan for your weight loss. Losing belly fat takes some work, and you have to put together a realistic plan you can refer to once you start your weight loss program.

You divide your working plan in five parts:

• Part one- Enhance your metabolism
• Part two-Exercises for fat loss
• Part three- Diet plan for fat loss
• Part four- Measure your progress
• Part five- Stay motivated

Part one- Enhance your Metabolism

EatBreakfast

Studies show that eating breakfast within an hour of waking up keeps your insulin levels steadier and your LDL cholesterol levels lower. Eat breakfast around the same time each day. Include protein, high fibre, nutrients and antioxidants. Avoid sugary, fatty breakfast.

Avoid stress

Studies show that stress is correlated with an increase in belly fat. During stress our body secrets a hormone called Cortisol which contributes in belly fat. To avoid stress, first of all have a sound sleep of at least 7 hours. A little nap after lunch, be it of 15-30 minutes, is enough to make you fresh. Do not sleep more than 30 minutes in day time, if you have good sleep during night. Yoga and meditation or simply deep breathing is better for mental relaxation and avoiding stress.

Eat whole grains

Studies show, people who ate all whole grains (in addition to five servings of fruits and vegetables, three servings of low-fat dairy, and two servings of lentils/ beans or lean meat, fish, or poultry) lost more belly fat than who ate the same diet, but with all refined grains.

Drink enough water

Studies suggest that consistently drinking water throughout the day can lead to a more active metabolism, regardless of dieting.  Drinking more water also helps your body flush out waste/toxins and improves your overall health. Being hydrated you be a lot less likely to indulge in a sugar-laden soda or juice if you’re not thirsty!  This is a sure way to lose stomach fat fast, try it for a week and you’ll see what a difference it makes.

Walk and Climb

Walk to work and climb stairs. Studies show that less walking increases deposition of belly fat fast. Similarly use less car, lifts, use stairs. It will keep your metabolism up as well as burn more calories.

Part two- Dieting for fat loss

Reduce calorie consumption. Unless you restrict calorie intake, you wont lose belly fat. Try these tips:

How much calories you need?

Calculate Your BMI(Body Mass Index) and calculate your Energy requirements. Click here to know your Diet chart with calorie requirements to maintain the weight at which you are now.

Lose One Pound in a week: Plan to lose one pound in a week. To lose one pound in a week you need a combination of reducing and burning 500 calories per day. Plan accordingly. Cutting more than this is unhealthy. Beside the diet plans for the required calories, here are some tips to avoid extra calories:

Colour your Plate- Eat more colourful meals, the more healthful it’s likely to be. Think about carrots, peppers, spinach, tomatoes: they are all brilliant colours, and they are all very healthful choices. Keep your plate colourful and you’re well on your way to losing that belly fat.

Cut out fast food- Fast food is the worst culprit in the battle against stomach fat. It’s convenient, sure, but it’s loaded with calories and fat.

Cut out soda- A serving of soda contains more calories than a large banana, with none of the nutritional value. many of those calories come from high fructose corn syrup, which our bodies don’t really know how to process, and which often ends up turning into belly fat.

Don’t starve yourself- Starving yourself will not help you burn belly fat. Cut calories by reducing and burning upto the safe lavels only.

Drink a glass of water before you eat- If you’re thirsty, you’re going to eat more. Strange but true. So before you sit down to eat, drink a glass of cool water and wait a few minutes. Then eat your meal.

Eat 5 small meals a day- Rather than eating three large meals every day, switch to five smaller meals: a light breakfast, a mid-morning snack, a light lunch, a mid-afternoon snack, and a balanced dinner. Smaller portions more often will keep you from feeling hungry.

Read the labels (even on diet food)- Even the foods that are supposed to be designed for dieters can be loaded with nasty chemicals and even far more calories than we need. Always check the labels on the food and drinks you’re about to have — and again, make sure you know what a serving size is?

Keep a food diary. Most people tend to underestimate how much they eat. Get an honest assessment of your eating habits by writing down everything you consume for a week. 

We will discuss the remaining three parts- exercises for fat loss, measure your progress and staying motivated in the next article - "The science of losing weight and belly fat-2"