A research suggests that male fat on the flanks, lower abdomen, and lower back is hormonally similar to female fat on the thighs and buttocks. This “problem spot” fat is different from any other in both the mechanism of deposition and the strategy for getting rid of it.
Ultimately, to remove the visceral fat that pushes the stomach forward, you need regular cardio and the transition to proper nutrition. And in order to get rid of the soft hormonal fat in the lower abdomen – normalization of the levels of the hormones insulin, leptin, and cortisol.
How to lose belly fat?
To quickly remove fat from the abdomen, it is important to understand whether you are dealing with internal fat or subcutaneous fat. It will be either about methods of combating obesity or fat-burning workouts. Pumping the abdominal muscles will be useful in the fight against fat in the lower abdomen, while visceral fat burns quickly from cardio.
Visceral fat is a special fat that accumulates inside the abdomen. Its main task is to protect internal organs from damage. Reducing the amount of visceral fat helps not only to remove centimeters from the waist but also affects the hormonal background of the body, normalizing appetite.
As for the hormonal belly, we will look at the effect of insulin, cortisol, leptin, ghrelin, and testosterone on gaining excess weight and fat in the lower abdomen. The role is also played by the fact that the hormonal belly in men disappears faster with a diet, while women’s fat in the lower abdomen burns out most quickly with cardio.
Fat loss strategy
There are several types of fat that differ in their structure and required mechanism for burning. Even subcutaneous fat is not the same – the fat in the lower abdomen becomes cold during cardio, as the hormone adrenaline blocks the circulation processes. To remove such fat, you need to train with maximum acceleration.
The difference lies in the fact that saturated fatty acids are stored in the abdomen, which makes visceral fat hard to the touch – while subcutaneous fat is usually soft. In turn, fat in the lower abdomen is formed with a chronic excess of carbohydrates in the diet against the background of a sedentary lifestyle.
Retroperitoneal fat
- Reduce your daily calorie intake by 15 – 20%
- Cardio with your pulse in the fat-burning zone 2 – 4 times a week for 30 – 40 minutes
Regular subcutaneous fat
- Eliminate fast carbohydrates and control saturated fats
- Cardio 3 – 4 times a week + abdominal exercises
Fat in the lower abdomen and thighs
- A low-carb diet and high in fiber
- Cardio according to the Tabata method 3 – 4 times a week + exercises for the abdominal muscles
Hormonal Belly
One of the reasons for the appearance of a hormonal belly is high levels of cortisol. Under normal conditions, this hormone is necessary for the body to respond quickly in stressful situations, but chronically high cortisol negatively affects the metabolism. In particular, the deposition of fat in the lower abdomen is accelerated.
Since cortisol is a stress hormone, high levels of cortisol are associated with nervousness and sleep disturbances. Fast carbohydrates are the typical “cure” in such conditions, but they are what lead to a set of belly fat. If, on the background of high cortisol, a person tries to go on a strict diet, this disrupts metabolism even more.
In addition, in men, low testosterone provokes a set of fat in the lower abdomen and a decrease in overall muscle mass. The less muscle in the body, the lower the metabolic needs – even the usual diet in this case will cause weight gain. Plus, estrogen levels can rise, provoking female-type obesity.
The danger of visceral fat
Internal visceral fat differs from subcutaneous fat in that it is capable of producing hormones. This is the satiety hormone leptin. In a person with normal body weight, leptin is produced during meals, creating a feeling of satiety – in simple terms, turning off appetite.
However, with obesity, the level of leptin is constantly kept high – which reduces the body’s sensitivity to the action of the hormone and provokes overeating. Plus, excess weight can also affect the production of the hunger hormone leptin, which, in turn, increases cravings for fast carbohydrates.
Water retention in the body
Subcutaneous fat in the lower abdomen and thighs is 2-3% triglycerides (fatty acids), and 90% water and other intercellular fluids. A sedentary lifestyle and an unhealthy diet with the use of salty, fatty, and sweet can increase the percentage of water, making the stomach visually larger.
Fortunately, adipose tissue is like a sponge – it absorbs water, maintaining increased volume. With the right mechanical action, the sponge is “squeezed out” – due to which the tissues become more elastic. Local therapy works on this principle, which allows you to remove the stomach – in particular, lymph massage. However, we note that we are not talking about really getting rid of fat.
How to remove lower belly fat?
To remove belly fat, it is important to give up sweet and starchy foods. Carbohydrates raise the levels of the hormone insulin, opening up the cells to take in energy, and the excess calories present in the food become material for the formation of fat reserves on the body – and, in particular, the hormonal belly.
Regular consumption of large amounts of fast carbohydrates impairs the body’s ability to properly respond to insulin and hormones that form a sense of satiety. Type 2 diabetes is often associated with obesity, and the diet for diabetics is based on total control of foods that cause insulin spikes.
Diet and belly fat
To get rid of belly fat, you need to study the theory of the glycemic index. The problem with “harmful” carbohydrate foods is not at all their high-calorie content, but that they raise blood glucose (and insulin) levels too quickly – however, when they decrease, a feeling similar to hunger is formed.
To lose weight, you need to limit fast carbohydrates in the diet as much as possible, while at the same time increasing the amount of complex carbohydrates and fiber foods – scientific evidence suggests that this normalizes the secretion of insulin in the body. Plus, dietary fiber helps the gut microflora work more properly by acting as prebiotics.
Workouts to flatten your belly
Although abdominal exercises strengthen the abdominal muscles, they are not capable of burning fat on their own. In order to get rid of fat reserves, you need a long cardio with an average heart rate – about 30-45 minutes with a heart rate of 130-145 beats.
Such training not only reduces blood glucose levels but also accelerates blood circulation in adipose tissue. The key hormone produced by the body during cardio is adrenaline. This hormone activates the release of free fatty acids from the fat cell, and low insulin levels enhance fat-burning processes.
Under the influence of adrenaline, internal fat literally melts – however, fat in the lower abdomen has a different nature and reacts differently to hormones. In this case, fat burners and BCAAs will help, allowing you to increase the effectiveness of training.
Cold stomach during cardio
The receptors in male fat in the lower abdomen work differently from the receptors in visceral fat. By acting on the fat in the lower abdomen, adrenaline reduces blood circulation, blocking fat burning – which is why the stomach becomes cold during cardio. Ultimately, this significantly complicates the fat-burning process.
To lose fat in the lower abdomen, you need to start training with low blood sugar. In practice, this means cardio on an empty stomach or morning workouts while following a 16/8 diet. Working in such conditions forces the body to use readily available reserves – and they are located just in the fat on the stomach.
Exercises for the abdominal muscles
The key problem of pumping the abdominal muscles for overweight people is that many of them do not feel the work of the abdominal muscles. The abdominal muscles themselves can be extremely stretched, which complicates training. In the material on how to pump the press correctly, we considered in detail the best exercises and a strategy for strengthening neuromuscular communication.
In turn, the oblique muscles of the press are responsible for the development of the muscles of the lower abdomen – they form the characteristic V-shaped line. Doing exercises like cycling is great for developing lateral abs. Without regular training for the press, although you will remove the stomach, you will not achieve a toned figure at all.
Best abdominal exercises:
- Plank – strengthens the transverse muscles
- Bicycle – develops side abs
- Abdominal Vacuum – Diaphragm and Internal abs
The strategy to fight belly fat in men and thigh fat in women is to cut out high glycemic carbohydrates and do cardio on an empty stomach to improve insulin resistance. However, in order to remove internal belly fat, it is enough just to switch to proper nutrition and regular cardio – such fat disappears extremely quickly.