Look at your plate and note what’s processed and what isn’t. Maybe it’s the whole thing (like a frozen dinner), or maybe it’s just part of your meal (like the bottled dressing on your salad). Think of where you can swap processed foods for healthier versions. Ideas include
Processed foods are linked with chronic inflammation and other health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. One of the healthiest diets you can eat is a Mediterranean-style eating plan rich in vegetables, legumes, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds, fish, poultry, and low-fat dairy products (milk, yogurt, small amounts of cheese).
Set timers on your phone for three different meals and two snacks (if you need them), and don’t eat in between these scheduled times. This might curb your cravings, reduce stress about when you’ll eat next, and cut down on the extra calories of unnecessary snacking — a real challenge if you’re close to a refrigerator all day while at home or work.
Avoid scheduling late-night meals or snacks, when your body’s internal clock (circadian rhythm) senses that you’re supposed to be sleeping. “During the circadian sleep period our metabolism slows, our digestive system turns down, and brain temperature drops, part of the process of clearing toxins during sleep. Eating at different times than our typical circadian awake phase leads to weight gain,” says Dr. Lawrence Epstein, associate physician with the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
If you’re like most Americans, you’re eating too much food. An easy way to implement portion control: load your plate as you normally would, then put back a third or half of the food. Other ideas:
It will also help to know how many calories you should consume in a day. For example, if you’re supposed to eat 2,000 calories per day but you’re scarfing down 3,000, it’s probably time to cut all of your usual portions by a third. How can you figure out your calorie needs? For healthy people who exercise 30 minutes per day, multiply your weight (in pounds) by 15 for an estimate.
You don’t need to incorporate all of these steps at one time; try one step per week. Write down what you’re eating and any thoughts or questions you have about the process. After a week, assess what worked and what didn’t. Before long, you’ll have the confidence to attempt new steps.
This content was originally published here.
]]>
Are you struggling to lose those extra pounds building up around your midsection? You certainly aren’t alone. On any given day, nearly half of American adults are on a diet to lose weight, and only a minority succeed.
Difficulty with losing weight is troubling, especially concerning belly fat, also known as visceral, abdominal, or truncal fat. Belly fat’s impact is more serious than aesthetics. It’s associated with metabolic disease, type 2 diabetes, and other serious health concerns.
That may sound depressing, but with the right information, you can choose a diet that specifically targets this problem. This guide will explain all you need to know about belly fat and provide advice to help you get rid of it for good.
People tend to carry fat in two distinct ways: either under the skin (as subcutaneous fat) or in the abdomen and surrounding internal organs (as visceral fat). The latter is what is often referred to as “belly fat”.
How you carry fat is based on several factors: genetics, age, gender, and lifestyle all play a role But the good news is that you can take control and lose unnecessary belly fat.
A magnetic resonance imaging study (MRI) or CT scan are currently considered the gold standards for measuring visceral and abdominal fat. A DEXA scan, which uses a low dose x-ray beam produces similar results and may be more accessible. Other tests like bioimpedance scales are less accurate, but are widely available.
For those who don’t have access to imaging tools, a simple technique is to measure your waist circumference. General recommendations are for men to keep their waist measurement below 40 inches (101 cm) and women to keep their measurement below 35 inches (89 cm). However, some ethnic groups, such as South Asians, have lower cutoffs of 35 inches (90 cm) for men and 31 inches (80 cm) for women.
However, we suggest aiming for an even smaller waist circumference, such as 35 inches (89 cm) for all men and 31 inches (80 cm) for all women. Keeping your waist-to-height ratio below 0.5 may be an even better measurement for predicting a lower risk of health complications.
Low risk | Intermediate risk | High risk | |
Waist-to-height ratio | <0.5 | 0.5-0.6 | >0.6 |
Measuring your waist allows you to keep track of your results and follow your progress. It can help you determine if your diet is helping you reduce your risk of chronic disease.
If you’re losing weight but not reducing your waist measurement — or belly fat — you may want to change your weight loss methods.
You can also measure your hips and calculate your waist-to-hip ratio (waist measurement divided by hip measurement). The target for men is 0.9 and for women it’s 0.8.
Do you want to learn more about how to accurately measure your waist circumference or hip to waist ratio?
For measuring your hips, follow the same advice as above, except you want the tape measure around the widest part of your hips, usually a couple of inches below your hip bones.
It is best to take these measurements without bulky clothes between the tape measure and your skin. Feel free to wear fitted undergarments when measuring yourself.
Abdominal fat is associated with an increased risk of several health conditions, including:
Belly fat is even associated with a shorter life Even “normal weight” people with extra belly fat are at increased risk of health complications.
As we saw in 2020, more visceral fat is associated with a higher risk of severe Covid-19 complications.
Fortunately, excess belly fat can be reduced. Studies show that reducing it improves metabolic health and is likely to improve overall health.
But not all weight loss leads to a reduction of abdominal fat. In one study, people who did a 10-day fast lost weight, but they lost mostly lean body mass, not fat. The participants eating a ketogenic diet lost fat mass without losing lean body mass.
Belly fat, also known as abdominal or visceral fat, is associated with an increased risk of multiple health conditions. Imaging tests, like DEXA scans or MRIs, are most effective for measuring belly fat, but simple techniques like waist circumference or waist to hip ratio are also very useful. Fortunately, lifestyle changes can decrease belly fat and improve overall health.
Any weight loss method may reduce belly fat to a degree. But what intervention helps reduce abdominal fat the most?
In 2019, researchers from Virta health published a two-year study on the keto diet and reported a 15% reduction in abdominal fat.
Other studies show a low-carb diet leads to greater loss of abdominal fat than a low-fat diet.
In one study, low-carb dieters lost 22.8% of their abdominal fat, compared to only 1% for the low-fat dieters.
And another study reported an 11% reduction for low-carb eaters compared to a 1% reduction for low-fat dieters.
Other methods of weight loss may also help people lose belly fat. One randomized trial reported that 12 weeks of calorie restriction reduced fat mass by 11 pounds (5 kilos) and visceral fat by 16%.
However, other studies question the sustainability of these diets and results. One randomized trial using a low-fat, calorie-restricted diet reported that at eight years, the dieters lost only 4.4 pounds (2 kilos), almost all from lean mass rather than fat mass.
An interesting randomized trial revealed that after one year, exercise without calorie restriction led to the same reduction in belly fat as a diet with 20% fewer calories.
In a recent 16-week trial, 122 overweight adults who ate a low-fat vegan diet lost an average of nearly 14 pounds (6.4 kilos), reduced their body fat by 10%, and became more insulin sensitive. The control group continued their standard diet and did not see any significant changes.
Another 16-week trial reported those following a vegan diet lost 9.5 pounds (4.3 kilos) of fat mass, some of it from visceral fat, whereas those on the control diet did not lose any.
However, vegan diets do not provide all the essential nutrients that humans need, therefore requiring careful supplementation.
Some may also find it challenging to meet adequate protein needs on a vegan diet. Protein intake is especially important during weight loss to ensure that the weight lost is fat mass, not muscle mass.
One study found that six weeks of alternate-day fasting led to a 7% overall weight loss with a visceral fat loss of 5.7%.
Another randomized trial reported more significant fat mass loss with intermittent fasting than traditional dieting.
But not all studies agree. One trial of alternate-day fasting reported no change in visceral fat. This trial had subjects eat 25% of their usual calories one day and 125% the next day. This unusual protocol may have influenced the results.
People can combine intermittent fasting with any diet, so it’s a versatile option available to people with different food preferences.
Nutrition plays a vital role in reducing abdominal fat. Many diets that promote weight loss can help people lose belly fat. However, low-carb diets may be the most effective method, and studies show they are more effective than low-fat diets. Intermittent fasting is another promising option.
One common misconception is that doing stomach strengthening exercises, like crunches or sit-ups, helps people lose belly fat. But studies show that sit-ups alone are not effective at reducing belly fat.
Other types of exercise, especially when combined with an effective diet, may reduce belly fat. For instance, two trials reported high-resistance training and moderate-cardio programs had a greater impact on belly fat loss than lower-intensity exercise.
And a study from Spain reported a more significant loss of fat mass when the investigators added intense exercise to a low-calorie diet.
Aerobic training alone may also be effective for visceral fat loss, but the key seems to be the intensity. Only studies of moderate and high-intensity aerobic exercise find a meaningful impact on belly fat.
To lose unwanted belly fat, exercise can be a helpful addition to nutrition. However, exercise intensity matters, with moderate and high intensity aerobic or resistance exercise showing the best results.
If you believe the ads, there are hundreds of “belly busters” or products that will help the fat “melt away from your middle.” While most of these are ineffective, some supplements may help.
One randomized trial reported a small benefit in abdominal-fat loss for a group randomized to a green tea extract when compared to a caffeine control group. Since the difference was small and this was just one study, you shouldn’t expect green tea to be a magic potion for belly-fat loss. But it may be an added bonus when combined with nutrition, exercise, and other lifestyle improvements.
A randomized study reported that those supplementing with Lactobacillus amylovorus experienced a small decrease in abdominal fat compared to those eating yogurt made with other bacterial strains.
However, there’s still much to learn about our gut flora’s impact on weight loss and body composition. The evidence is not strong enough to make a general recommendation about using probiotics to lose belly fat. But, if you choose to take probiotics for other reasons, you may want to consider strains with Lactobacillus amylovorus.
One study in Japanese men reported those who drank 0.5 to 1.0 ounces (15 or 30 ml) of vinegar decreased their waist size by about 0.5 inches in 12-weeks.
You can read more about the potential health benefits of apple cider vinegar in our evidence-based guide. Again, the evidence isn’t likely to be strong enough to recommend vinegar specifically for belly-fat loss. But if you are taking it for other reasons, you might see a small benefit.
Marketing for most supplements overstates their potential benefits to help people lose abdominal fat. Although the evidence is limited, some people may see a small effect from green tea, probiotics, or apple cider vinegar.
You have likely heard about the importance of getting enough sleep and managing chronic stress. But can these healthy practices also help you lose belly fat? They might.
Elevated levels of cortisol, a hormone that your body produces when under stress, are associated with higher levels of abdominal fat.
Fortunately, stress management can make a difference. It may help with weight loss and reduce both cortisol and abdominal fat.
One randomized trial reported that insufficient sleep reduced fat loss.
And another study reported that better sleep correlated with greater fat-mass loss. Plus, given all the other health benefits of better sleep, there are plenty of reasons to make it a priority.
Managing chronic stress and getting adequate sleep are two lifestyle interventions that may improve belly-fat loss. It’s worth prioritizing them for general health.
Despite your best efforts to shed excess abdominal fat, you may find a more significant challenge as you age. When women go through menopause and men experience “andropause,” sex hormones change in ways that can lead to more belly fat.
While menopause refers to a drastic decrease in women’s estrogen levels, andropause refers to a more gradual reduction in testosterone for men.
Studies show that women experience an increase in abdominal and visceral fat as they transition into menopause.
This is likely related to the hormonal changes and the resulting decrease in energy expenditure and fat burning.
However, it’s not clear that hormone replacement by itself is adequate to eliminate abdominal fat. One randomized trial did not report any benefits in body composition with hormone replacement. But other observational trials reported women taking hormone replacement lost more abdominal fat than those not taking hormones.
Studies also suggest that men accumulate proportionally greater amounts of abdominal or visceral fat with decreasing testosterone levels. Testosterone replacement therapy appears to improve body composition with decreased fat mass, increased lean body mass, and specifically decreased abdominal fat.
While we wouldn’t recommend relying solely on hormone replacement for losing belly fat, combining hormonal replacement therapy with nutrition and exercise may be a particularly effective method for reducing abdominal fat for those who have entered menopause or andropause.
Hormonal changes that come with age can predispose both women and men to excess accumulation of abdominal fat. For some people, hormone therapy may make it easier to lose unwanted belly fat with improved nutrition and exercise.
Abdominal or visceral fat is associated with significant health risks, including metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
Fortunately, you can lose stubborn belly fat with targeted lifestyle changes. A combination of low-carb nutrition, moderate to high-intensity exercise, and intermittent fasting can help you reduce the fat around your midsection.
You can learn more about losing weight from our Top 18 tips for weight loss guide. Or try our program Weight Loss for Good. Plus, if you want to set achievable goals, read our guide, Setting realistic expectations for weight loss before you start making changes.
This content was originally published here.
You’ve probably heard me talk about becoming a fat burner as opposed to a sugar burner. In fact, this is something that is slowly creeping its way into the fitness industry, as more and more research is being done on how to effectively lose fat in a healthy way. Personally, I have been doing research on this topic for years. The FASTer Way to Fat Loss was designed based on this research, and more than 100,000 clients have now learned how to burn fat effectively and safely.
How do you know if you are a sugar burner?
A couple of hours after eating, you are hungry again
You struggle to lose weight
You are holding on to belly fat
You experience spikes in energy, followed quickly by crashes
Sugar burners eat small meals throughout the day that are often high in carbs. Because of this, their bodies use glucose as their main fuel source. When you give your body a steady stream of glucose, it is never required to reach into its fat stores for fuel. This means you hold onto fat and burn the glucose that comes from the foods you are eating. In addition, your body becomes reliant on carbs for energy, so when your body runs out of carbs, you crash and need to eat more to keep your energy levels up.
Often, sugar burners eat foods that are high in sugar, which spikes their insulin levels only to have those levels eventually bottom out. According to Mark Hyman, M.D., “Chronically elevated insulin levels store fat, increase your appetite, and adversely affect other fat-regulating hormones. Insulin blocks leptin, your appetite-control hormone. You become more leptin-resistant, so the brain never gets the ‘I’m full’ signal. Instead, it thinks you are starving.” (Virgin) This obviously makes you feel like you can eat more than your body actually requires, which usually leads to a calorie surplus and eventual weight gain.
Let’s compare this to fat burners.
Fat burners:
Can go hours between meals without feeling hungry
Have increased energy levels
Can lose weight around their midsection
Don’t experience sugar spikes and crashes
Fat burners still eat carbs, but they do it at the right time, for the right reasons, in terms of fueling a workout. Intermittent fasting aids in the process of becoming a fat burner because it allows your insulin levels to remain low during your fasted window. Because you aren’t giving your body a steady stream of glucose, it is then able to reach into its fat stores to begin using fat as fuel. You won’t experience the crashes that come with spiked insulin levels, and will be able to listen to your body’s hunger and satiety cues.
A couple of other things to consider…
Pairing an Intermittent Fasting/Carb Cycling Lifestyle with weight training and speed burst training will increase your body’s fat burning abilities. The more lean muscle you have, the more efficiently your body will burn fat. So, building lean muscle will only bring you closer to becoming a pro fat burner. In addition, when you do high intensity intervals, your body goes into oxygen debt, and has to work harder to repay that oxygen debt. This means your body will need more energy to recover. When you haven’t pumped your body full of glucose, your body will dig deep into its fat stores for that energy. This is why it’s such an important part of the FASTer Way to Fat Loss program!
Getting your gut health right is extremely important to becoming a fat burner. The right bacteria in your body can keep you from storing fat, and decrease the number of calories your body extracts from the foods you eat. For more on how to get your gut bacteria in check, read this article!
Your body, over time, will learn to either rely on glucose for energy or to rely on fat for energy. Implementing Intermittent Fasting, Carb Cycling, Weight training, Speed Burst Training, and getting your gut health in order will significantly aid your body in becoming a pro fat burner!
If this sounds a little overwhelming and you need someone to walk you through the process, then join me for the FASTer Way to Fat Loss. Everything in the FASTer Way to Fat Loss Program is designed to help you burn fat so that you look and feel your absolute best. More than 100,000 clients have already discovered this incredible lifestyle! Spots fill up quickly, so be sure to register asap. The FASTer Way to Fat Loss Program truly is the most effective program on the market today. Six weeks of implementing these strategies will have you well on your way to becoming a pro fat burner for life!
Cited:
Virgin, JJ, CNS, CHFS. “Ask JJ: Sugar Burner or Fat Burner?” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 27 May 2015. Web. 13 Dec. 2016.
]]>Once you stand up and move around, your heart rate goes up. And exercise boosts it further still. Even intense emotions — fear, anger, or surprise — can cause your heart rate to spike. But what happens when you lie down to sleep? The answer differs depending on the phase of sleep: light sleep, deep sleep, or rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.
“During sleep, the stimulation of your nervous system is reduced and most of your body processes slow down,” says Dr. Lawrence Epstein, associate physician with the division of sleep and circadian disorders at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Within about five minutes after you drift off to sleep, your heart rate gradually slows to its resting rate as you enter what’s known as light sleep. Your body temperature drops and your muscles relax. People typically spend about half the night in light sleep. But during the next phase, deep sleep, your blood pressure falls and your heart rate slows to about 20% to 30% below your resting heart rate.
When you dream, you enter the sleep phase known as REM (also known as dreaming sleep). “Your heart rate can vary quite a bit during REM sleep because it reflects the activity level occurring in your dream. If your dream is scary or involves activity such as running, then your heart rate rises as if you were awake,” says Dr. Epstein.
If you run or do other moderate to vigorous physical activity regularly, you can lower your resting heart rate. That’s because exercise strengthens the heart muscle, allowing it to pump a higher volume of blood with each heartbeat. As a result, more oxygen gets delivered to the muscles, so the heart doesn’t need to beat as many times as it would in someone who is less fit.
As people age, the resting heart rate stays about the same unless they are taking medicines that slow heart rate, such as beta blockers or calcium channel blockers.
To determine your resting heart rate, try taking your pulse when you wake up a few days a week over the course of several weeks. With your index and middle fingers, press lightly on the opposite wrist, just below the fat pad of your thumb. Or press gently on the side of your neck, just below your jawbone. Count the number of beats over a period of 30 seconds. Double that number to get your heart rate in beats per minute. (Measuring for just 15 seconds and multiplying by four is also pretty accurate.)
A resting heart rate that is too low (less than 50 beats per minute), or one that is 100 or higher, could be a sign of trouble and should prompt a call to your doctor.
This content was originally published here.