Visceral fat is the most dangerous type of fat for health. It is not only deposited on the internal organs and squeezes the stomach forward, but also disrupts metabolism – in particular, it affects the hormonal level and is also the cause of chronic hunger.
In order to get rid of visceral fat, regular exercise, and proper nutrition are necessary – while trying to lose weight as quickly as possible will only slow down the metabolism. However, the good news is that removing internal fat from the abdomen is much easier than subcutaneous fat.
Visceral fat – what is it?
Visceral fat is fat located in the abdominal region and surrounding the internal organs. It is he who squeezes the stomach forward, giving the figure the shape of an apple. The presence of a large amount of visceral fat is one of the key characteristics of obesity.
On the one hand, it is easier to get rid of internal fat than subcutaneous fat – it usually forms with a sedentary lifestyle and an excess of calories, so the normalization of nutrition helps to reduce the stomach. On the other hand, visceral fat disrupts metabolism, making it difficult to lose weight.
Studies show that the presence of stores of abdominal fat negatively affects hormonal levels. Changes in the mechanisms of production of insulin, cortisol, and leptin. In addition, in men, visceral fat provokes the conversion of testosterone into estrogen.
Fat loss strategy
Visceral fat is the easiest to burn. Since it is gained as a result of lack of activity and excessive calorie intake, with a normal diet and regular cardio, the body quickly gets rid of it. A weekly weight loss of 0.5 kg is an achievable result.
However, it is important to lose weight gradually, and not try to lose weight in a few days. Sharp calorie restriction against the background of active training further disrupts the hormonal balance of the body. Also, the presence of visceral fat puts a serious strain on the knees, so not all types of cardio are suitable.
How to get rid of visceral fat:
- 2 – 4 workouts per week, 40 – 60 minutes each
- moderate heart rate
- reject fast carbohydrates
Symptoms and why it occurs
Fat in the human body belongs to one of three types:
1) subcutaneous abdominal fat,
2) internal visceral fat, and
3) retroperitoneal fat.
The differences are not only in the place of occurrence but in the effect on metabolism and hormonal levels.
In particular, internal fat is actively involved in metabolism – lowering testosterone levels in men and becoming the cause of female-type obesity. Among other things, the growth of visceral fat leads to mechanical compression of internal organs (for example, the liver and heart).
Reasons for gaining visceral fat
The key reason for gaining visceral fat is the restriction of physical activity against the background of an increase in calorie intake – from pregnancy in the last months to fractures. Another reason for the growth of belly fat is depression when the desire to move simply disappears.
The process of gaining visceral fat often goes into a chronic phase – it becomes more and more difficult to limit oneself in the use of high-calorie foods. A person sees that he is getting fat, but either he cannot change his lifestyle, or he simply becomes indifferent.
Hormonal changes also play a role. Internal fat makes the body less sensitive to insulin while disrupting the production of the hunger hormone leptin – as a result, there is a chronic feeling of hunger, and excess calories are quickly stored in visceral fat.
How to remove visceral fat?
Formed in the absence of physical activity, visceral fat is characterized by a small number of capillaries. In fact, it is an inert mass that the body does not use for energy metabolism. In order to “retrain” the body and remove fat, regular training will be required.
Under the influence of aerobic and cardio loads of moderate intensity, the blood flow in the internal abdominal fat gradually increases, as a result of which the body begins to use visceral fat as an energy source – which leads to its gradual burning.
It is also important to note that the process of getting rid of visceral fat accelerates over time. In other words, the most difficult thing will be to develop the habit of exercising regularly and eating right – but once the first kilograms are gone, losing weight will become much easier.
Workouts and exercises
The main criterion when choosing workouts to combat internal fat is to maintain a pulse in the fat-burning zone. In other words, the heart rate should not be too low and not too high – about 120-140 beats per minute.
In order to remove visceral fat, brisk walking, an exercise bike or an ellipsoid are recommended for obese people – while running and active fat-burning workouts are usually prohibited. They create an excessive load on both the heart and the joints.
The strategy for successfully burning visceral fat is 2-4 cardio workouts per week, 40-60 minutes each. After one to two months and successful achievement of the first results in the form of a decrease in body weight by 10-15 kg, you can proceed to train to strengthen the abdominal muscles.
Diet and nutrition
In the process of getting rid of visceral fat, it is important to resist the urge to go on an aggressive diet or start starving. This will not help burn fat faster at all, but will only put the body into a state of shock. While you should completely change your diet, it’s best to do it gradually.
At this stage of losing weight, it is enough just to observe the daily calorie intake, exclude fast food, sweets, and other fast carbohydrates as much as possible, increase the amount of fiber, green vegetables, and other healthy foods in the diet, and simply do not overeat (especially in the evening).
In the future, it is necessary to study the theory of the glycemic index and learn how to divide carbohydrates into useful and harmful ones.
Visceral fat is an internal fat that lies in the abdominal cavity and pushes the stomach forward. The presence of reserves of this fat is the main characteristic of obesity. In order to get rid of visceral fat, it is important to maintain moderate exercise and control the diet without trying to starve.