How to reduce belly fat? Let's find out exactly!

Do you also feel that the clothes you used to wear are a little tight now? Has your stomach moved forward a little? This is actually a common problem for many people. Don't be surprised, even someone with a flat stomach has some belly fat. It's normal. However, the amount of this fat and its location can have a big impact on our health. Therefore, it is very important to be aware of this.

There are two types of belly fat!

Simply put, the fat in our belly can be divided into two main types.

1. Subcutaneous Fat: This is the layer of fat that lies just beneath our skin. This is the soft part that feels firm when you touch your stomach. This fat is the main reason why clothes get stuck and your stomach looks round.

2. Visceral Fat: This is the type we should pay the most attention to, and the most dangerous . This fat is located deep inside the abdomen, around vital organs like our heart, liver, lungs, and intestines. Doctors call this 'Visceral Adipose Tissue'.

Although a little bit of ``Visceral Fat'' is necessary to provide some protection to our organs, an increase in its amount is not a good thing at all. Imagine how much damage it can cause if even a little bit of fat is deposited around the heart.

Having too much visceral fat significantly increases the risk of developing high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, dementia (memory loss), and several types of cancer, such as breast cancer and colon cancer.

So how do you reduce this belly fat?

The biggest mistake that many people make here is to only exercise their stomach to lose weight. Remember, we can't lose fat from just one area of ​​our body as we want. To lose belly fat, we have to lose weight from our entire body.

When you lose weight like that, the first thing that starts to decrease is the ``Visceral Fat`` in the stomach. There are four main ways to do this.

How to choose exercise?

Exercises like `Crunches` and `Sit-ups` strengthen your abdominal muscles. But you won't see a 'six pack' until the fat layer on top of those muscles is reduced. Therefore, you should focus on exercises that burn more calories.

• Cardio: Anything that increases your heart rate, such as brisk walking, jogging, dancing, or tennis.
• Strength Training: Things like weight lifting and push-ups. These build muscle and increase our metabolism. This means that the rate at which we burn calories even when we are just standing still increases.

You can use the "Talk Test" to measure the intensity of your exercise. If you can talk normally while exercising, it's low intensity. If you can talk with a little effort, it's medium intensity. If you have difficulty talking, it's high intensity. If you want to lose weight, you should be at medium and high intensity levels.

Most importantly: If you have never exercised before, or if you have other medical conditions, it is essential to talk to your doctor and seek advice before starting a new exercise program.

Let's change our diet.

There is no special food or drink in the world that will melt belly fat. So forget about the talk about apple cider vinegar and protein shakes. When you lose weight with a proper diet, belly fat will also automatically decrease.

• Fiber-rich foods: Include foods high in soluble fiber, such as oats, beans, apples, carrots, and barley. These slow down the digestion of food, making you feel full for a longer period of time. This helps control overeating.
• Whole grains: Choose whole grains like brown bread, bran rice, and oats instead of white bread.
• Water: Although drinking water does not directly reduce belly fat, it helps a lot in the weight loss process.
• Provides the energy and hydration needed for exercise.
• Water is essential for the fat burning process.
• The best zero-calorie alternative to sugary drinks and sweetened beverages.

Other treatments and misconceptions

In some cases, medical treatment may be required for severe obesity.

• Bariatric Surgery: These are surgeries performed to reduce weight. These also significantly reduce the amount of ``Visceral Fat``.
• Weight loss medications: Newly introduced injectable medications such as `Semaglutide (Wegovy)` and `Tirzepatide (Zepbound)` have also been shown to reduce body fat and `(Visceral Fat).` These should only be taken under the supervision of a doctor .

How do you know if you have too much belly fat?

Visceral fat cannot be measured accurately without an MRI scan. But there is a simple way. That is by measuring your waist circumference.

Stand up, take a tape measure, and place it around your waist, just above your navel. The tape should be parallel to the ground and not tight against your skin.

• For women: Waist circumference should be less than 35 inches .
• For men: Waist circumference should be less than 40 inches .

If it's higher than these values, it's a good indicator that you may have excess `(Visceral Fat)`.

What is 'Skinny Fat'?

Even if you are thin or have a normal weight, you can still have excess `(Visceral Fat)`. This condition is called `Skinny Fat'. The reason for this is genetic influences and a sedentary lifestyle. That is why it is important for anyone of any body size to stay active.

Belly fat, weight loss, visceral fat, exercise, diet, diabetes, heart disease, healthy lifestyle