Belly fat is just plain ugly.
But really there’s something way worse about the stuff that just how it looks – when white fat expands in your abdomen nestling deep among your organs, it sets you up for some serious health trouble.
We know that this type of fat—called visceral fat—churns out stress hormones like cortisol and inflammatory substances called cytokines that affect the body’s production of insulin.
The result – besides obesity, you’re also looking at increased risks of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
So, say no to belly fat and check out these nine tips to finally rid your body of even the most stubborn excess stomach.
1. DON’T STOP MOVING
There’s one thing to like about visceral fat: It yields fairly easily to aerobic exercise.
Running, biking, or swimming—basically anything that gets your heart rate up—wins over resistance training when it comes to getting rid of the stuff.
A recent study from the University of Alberta found that jogging the equivalent of 12 miles a week is enough to melt belly fat.
2. EAT A HIGH PROTEIN DIET
You know that protein’s essential for a slimmer you.
But here’s why protein really needs to play a prime roll on your plate: Your body starts to produce more insulin as you age, since your muscle and fat cells aren’t responding to it properly.
Insulin promotes fat storage—especially around your belly—and a diet high in protein may protect you against insulin resistance.
In one study, obese women who followed a diet for eight weeks that was roughly 30 percent protein, 40 percent carbs, and 30 percent fat lost significantly more fat—including visceral pudge—than women who stuck to a plan that was 16 percent protein, 55 percent carbs, and 26 percent fat.
3. EAT HEALTHY FATS (AKA POLYUNSATURATED FAT)
Saturated fat packs on more visceral fat than polyunsaturated ones, according to a recent Canadian study.
When subjects ate 750 more calories daily for seven weeks—either in the form of palm oil (saturated) or sunflower oil (polyunsaturated)—the former gained more visceral fat while the latter gained more muscle mass and less body fat.
Polyunsaturated fats can be found in nuts, seeds, and fish.
4. GET SOUR
Obese people who consumed a tablespoon or two of vinegar daily for eight weeks showed significant decreases in body fat—particularly visceral fat—according to a 2016 Japanese study.
One theory is that the acetic acid in the vinegar produces proteins that burn up fat.
5. GET YOUR NAMASTE ON
Postmenopausal women who tried yoga for 16 weeks reported significant reductions in visceral fat in one 2016 study.
If you’re just not that into downward dog, any sort of relaxation exercise (even simple deep breathing) can help.
The key is to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which is linked to belly fat.
6. GET GOOD SLEEP (WITH A CONSISTENT BEDTIME)
Routinely squeaking by on five hours or less per night increases visceral fat levels, according to a 2015 University of Atlanta study.
As you likely already know, eight hours is ideal.
What’s more, women who wake up and go to bed at the same time each evening have lower levels of body fat, according to a recent study by Oxford University.
Chaotic sleep habits cause your internal clock to go haywire, which in turn causes your body to secrete fat-storing hormones like cortisol.
8. DRINK GREEN TEA
Moderate exercisers who stocked up on the antioxidants found in green tea—called catechins—were more likely to lose abdominal fat while exercising than those who didn’t take them.
One study put the daily dose at 625 mg—the equivalent of two or three eight-ounce cups of green tea.
