“How do I lose belly fat?”
This is the most common question new clients ask me. The answer, of course, isn’t always straightforward because no two people are the same. We all have different body types, lifestyles, and goals. The fitness plan that works for one person might not work for someone else.
I advocate for a personalized, tailored approach to health and wellness. One of the first steps to improving your well-being is education. Once you understand why you will be better prepared to create an effective plan for addressing the problem.
In this article, I will dive into the issue of visceral fat, what it is, why it is dangerous, and which common factors contribute to visceral fat gain, plus some of my proven personal tips.
What Is Visceral Fat?
Visceral fat is a hazardous type of fat in the abdominal cavity. It wraps itself around our internal organs, so you cannot always see or feel it. You can have a flat stomach and still have visceral fat deposits deep inside your body.
Too much fat is harmful, but visceral fat is more dangerous than the subcutaneous fat that lies beneath your skin. Visceral fat is more likely to increase your risk for serious medical problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, high cholesterol, Alzheimer’s, high blood pressure, etc.
4 Factors That Contribute to Visceral Fat Accumulation
There is no quick-fix solution because several factors can contribute to visceral fat gain. The good news is, if you are serious about making lifestyle changes to improve your overall health, that multi-faceted approach will help you decrease the visceral fat in your body.
Here are some of the main driving factors behind visceral fat gain:
Inadequate Sleep
A good night’s sleep benefits virtually every part of your body. Sleep enables your body to recharge and heal, from your skin to your immune system to your brain’s cognitive abilities.
But if you regularly get less than six hours of sleep each night, you have more to worry about than just being tired and irritable in the morning. Inadequate sleep prevents our bodies from functioning correctly. In addition to increasing your risk for chronic health issues, too little sleep prevents your body from purging visceral fat and can lead to weight gain.
Cortisol Spikes
Cortisol is the hormone our bodies produce when it is stressed. Unfortunately, it can directly affect metabolism and the fat deposits in your abdomen. Minimizing stress will help to reduce visceral fat. Although many stressful situations are out of our control, how we respond to them is not. Finding ways to manage your stress will help keep cortisol spikes under control, thereby helping to minimize visceral fat accumulations.
Poor Diet
Exercise alone is not enough to have a healthy body. No amount of cardio or resistance training will sweat away the effects of a bad diet.
In addition to being cognizant of the types of food you are eating, it is also essential to pay attention to the quality of that food. The best way to combat visceral fat and flatten your tummy is to eat natural, whole foods with balanced portions of good fats, complex carbohydrates, and high-quality proteins.
Dehydration
More than 60% of our bodies contain water, yet over 80% of people don’t drink enough water. Drinking plenty of water detoxes the body and helps minimize bloating. I know; that sounds counterintuitive. But never underestimate how good water is for the body! Staying hydrated helps your body in many ways.
Good Health Is a Lifestyle Choice
Wellness is a multidimensional concept that includes physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental health. All of these pieces fit together and impact each other. If you want to improve one aspect, such as minimizing visceral fat deposits, you’ll need to make a series of changes in your lifestyle to address your overall wellness.
More sleep, better nutrition, regular exercise, plenty of water, and stress-coping techniques will help to reduce your visceral fat. But the benefits of making those changes go even deeper to help your body function better.
Do you want to learn more about reducing your visceral fat and getting the healthy body you always wanted? Schedule a free consultation to discuss the best fitness plan for you.