Belly Fat
Wonder how they maintain that enviable body at the party or the pool? What if we told you that the hourglass figure and the dashboard abs could also be the result of compression garments? More often than not, they are. And for the sole purpose of escaping those embarrassing glances that belly fat attracts.
Compression tummy-tuckers are a boon to “belly-fat bearers”, promising to pack in and hide that extra flab around the middle and make the body look shapely. Of course, at the cost of comfort and convenience. But shouldn’t looking trim be natural and not the result of a temporary quick-fix?
Interestingly, flab can be healthily reversed to the point of not requiring compression garments. But just like belly fat didn’t happen in a day, getting rid of it will also not happen in a day.
What is belly fat?
Belly fat is an unhealthy accumulation of visceral fat (fat enveloping the organs in the abdomen) that makes the midriff look plump and flabby. The skin covering the body has an underlying layer of fat called subcutaneous fat. So, belly fat is a combination of visceral and subcutaneous fat.
Various factors contribute to the growth of belly fat, the primary ones being:
- Food choices
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Stress levels
- Hormonal imbalance
- Age factor
- Genetic reasons
There could be more causes, but the two best tried-and-tested methods to lose belly fat are food and exercise.
Food
Carbohydrates, saturated fats, trans fats, refined foods and sugar prefer to get plonked around the middle. Once they settle, they stay.
Reduce intake of these foods if you are serious about shedding belly fat.
- Carbohydrates – bread, rice, pasta, chips.
- Saturated fats – butter, cakes, sausage, salami, palm oil.
- Trans fats – pizzas, biscuits, doughnuts, margarine, pastries.
- Refined foods – flavored breakfast cereal and yoghurt, white bread
- Sugar – white sugar, honey, corn syrup.
Exercise
Health experts recommend 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise for at least five days a week to stay fit. Two days of rest and recovery are as important as the exercise itself. So, factor that in.
Chalk out a schedule to implement one of these exercise categories a day, and your clothes will be grateful.
- Cardio/Aerobics – Walking, jogging, swimming, cycling.
- Strength – squats, lunges, planks, push-ups.
- Weight – deadlifts and bench-press.
- Balance – stability ball, single-foot balance, tight-rope walk.
- Coordination – dribbling, dancing, skipping.
Exercise plays an excellent role in handling stress and emotional turmoil by releasing endorphins into the bloodstream while a well-balanced diet helps with health issues and hormonal imbalance.
Belly fat is also an indication of bad health and our body has the knack of drawing attention to itself when there is a compromise in health – be it belly fat, bronchitis or borderline cholesterol.
We ask, why wait for it to act up when it is easier to stay fit, live healthy and look good?
