Getting rid of belly fat and love handles is the goal of many men. Despite the fact that many of them tend to justify body changes with age-related changes, often the true cause of belly growth is excessive caloric intake and a sedentary lifestyle.
It is also important to remember that a large bulging belly most likely means the presence of stores of internal fat – involved in metabolism. Unfortunately, visceral fat can affect metabolism, increase appetite and provoke overeating.
Why does your belly accumulate fat?
Sweets
Refined carbohydrates stoke the feeling of hunger, forcing you to seek nourishment in sweets. The time it takes to digest the calories of one can of cola is 30-40 minutes, while a portion of meat with a side dish of green vegetables, equivalent in calories, will be digested from 3 to 5 hours.
Fatty foods
The relationship between fat intake and body fat gain is controversial. Most types of vegetable fats are rather beneficial for health, and their exclusion from the diet threatens to cause metabolic disorders (and even affects the quality of sleep).
Salty foods
By reducing the amount of salt in your diet, you will be able to reduce your food intake, as the food will seem tasteless. Plus, salt increases fluid retention in the body, which is another reason for the increase in weight.
The dangers of losing weight too quick
Trying to reduce the stomach, many men drastically reduce the amount of food and begin to starve – believing that in this way they can quickly drive away fat from the belly and love handles. However, such a strategy leads to negative consequences for metabolism – as a result of which the stomach can begin to grow even more.
Sharp calorie restriction disrupts the production of hunger and satiety hormones, and a low-fat diet reduces testosterone – provoking muscle loss and at the same time accelerating the gain of fat on the abdomen (female-type obesity).
Read also: How fast can you remove your stomach? And how long will it take?
How to remove fat from your belly and love handles
In order to get rid of belly fat and drive away fat from your love handles, you must, first of all, give up high-calorie foods. In addition, it is recommended to make it a habit to do cardio at least 3-4 times a week. If you follow the rules below, you can easily lose 2-3 kg per month:
1. Rething your eating habits
The fight against excess weight should begin not with strict diets, but with a smooth change in nutrition, reducing the amount of food with a high glycemic index in the diet, and increasing the proportion of vegetables and fresh fruits. The more carefully you go on a diet, the longer you can stay on it.
2. Set realistic goals
The more specific your goal, the more likely you are to succeed – and consistency is far more important than a single effort. Focus on a goal like “lose 5kg in a month” or “remove 5cm from your waist in a month” – not just trying to shrink your belly.
3. Eliminate the extra 300 kcal
200-300 kcal is a key number for those who want to lose weight. Studies show that limiting the menu to this figure daily leads to weight loss. On the other hand, to burn 300 kilocalories, you need to exercise for at least 30 minutes.
4. Start counting steps
10,000 steps a day is a typical fitness tracker recommendation. However, this figure is used primarily for simplification. In reality, the World Health Organization recommends a minimum level of activity of 3-5 times per week, at least 30 minutes per workout.
5. Learn fat-burning strategies
To fight belly fat, it is important to understand why the body chose to store fat there. However, there are several types of fat in the human body. For example, internal fat – it is he who forms a large belly and literally pushes the belly forward.
6. Start a simple diet
Diets are needed not only to reduce calories – but also to normalize blood sugar levels (and, therefore, equalize appetite). However, resist the temptation of quick results and do not go on aggressive diets, as this will not work to remove belly fat.
7. Strengthen your abdominal muscles (abs)
It is necessary to move on to performing abdominal exercises after you manage to hide your stomach under a T-shirt. Remember that everyone has abs, but for many, they are hidden under a layer of fat. Only nutrition, not exercise, can get rid of excess fat and make the stomach flat.
Consequences of excess belly fat
- The more fat the male body stores, the more it affects the conversion of testosterone to estrogen. The result is an increase in female-type breast fat, a decrease in muscle mass, and a decrease in libido.
- Being overweight and having a large belly is a serious factor in metabolic and immune disorders. The internal organs are displaced from their normal position, the load on the bones and joints increases, and the gait changes.
- The presence of belly fat triggers a dangerous mechanism for further weight gain. The more actively a man ignores his excess weight, the faster this excess weight grows, creating more and more serious health risks.
Since the main reason for the growth of the abdomen in men is the excessive caloric content of food, following the simple rules of proper nutrition can show a significant reduction in excess weight even without additional physical activities.
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