Why belly fat is so tough to break

While it's hard to rid yourself of excess flab on your tummy, it's not impossible. So here's what you should keep in mind.

Usually, people are over-fed on myths and the wrong diet advice. Diet is an important factor that has to be taken into consideration. Consulting a competent nutritionist works for a majority of people. Staying motivated is the biggest hurdle one has to face when embarking on a programme, and the required motivation is obtained by regular visits to the nutritionist.

There is no dearth of information on the stress that needs to be laid on healthy eating and avoiding junk food. However, losing weight, in particular losing ugly abdominal fat, continues to be an uphill task, from where slipping and coming crashing down becomes a frequent risk.

Why is removal of abdominal fat so important?

Abdominal fat, or belly fat as it is commonly referred to, is not only an eyesore, it poses many health risks for the people struggling with it.

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Fat that gets deposited in the abdominal area is of two types:

• Visceral fat: Visceral fat refers to the fatty deposits around the major organs of the abdomen. People having more visceral fat are at risk of developing metabolic disturbances, sleep apnea, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, breast cancer and gall bladder abnormalities.
• Subcutaneous fat: Subcutaneous fat refers to fatty deposits below the surface of the skin (which you are able to pinch on).

Studies reveal that it is easier to purge visceral fat than the subcutaneous belly fat, with exercise and diet regulation.

Heredity and aging play vital roles in the accumulation of belly fat. Aging is a natural phenomenon, which cannot be reversed. But as a result of aging, there are many changes that take place in the body. These changes include the loss of muscle and the accumulation of fat. With aging comes the loosening of muscles. When the muscles get loose, fat fills up the space. This leads to many health issues. Whatever the reasons behind it, belly fat has to be dissolved in order to lead a healthy, disease-free life.

Another important thing that needs a mention here is the fluctuations that take place in the hormones. This prevents the easy loss of abdominal fat. Harvard health publications have found that a rise in cortisol will lead to the decline of estrogen levels, which eventually results in the accumulation of fat in the abdominal region.

Just regular spot reduction techniques cannot reduce visceral fat, although they will strengthen the abdominal muscles and you will look visibly thinner as compared to before.

Having said that, all is not lost. You can definitely reduce visceral fat with overall weight loss that comes from regular exercise and diet changes. Experts say that a regular moderate intensity exercise regimen of 30 to 60 minutes daily, which includes strength training, will give good results and bring down visceral fat, as well as subcutaneous fat. Regularity and continuation is the key.

You need to:

• Reduce portion sizes when it comes to your meals.
• Include plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains (complex carbohydrates) in your diet.
• Avoid or limit highly refined foods like white bread, pasta, sugar, refined flour (maida) etc (simple carbohydrates).
• Avoid saturated fats and trans-fats.
• Include polyunsaturated fats.

The vast research carried out in this field provides evidence that belly fat is a hard nut to crack and aggressive measures need to be undertaken in order to get rid of it for good.