The number one question that people ask me is: how can I lose belly fat? A pot belly, love handles, a spare tire—call it what you will—it seems to be the area of the body that everyone would really like to do something about.
Belly Fat
Researchers have found that losing abdominal fat is one of the most important steps you can take to stay healthy for life.
Most people realize that excess fat is unhealthy, but the key is where the fat is distributed. People with apple-shaped bodies (fattest in the abdomen) have a greater risk of heart disease and diabetes than those with pear shapes (fattest in the hips, buttocks and thighs).
There’s more to the fat around your waist than what the scales and mirrors reveal.
Most doctors will tell you that the best way to avoid a heart attack is to lower your cholesterol. What they won’t tell you is that routine cholesterol tests identify less than half of all patients who are at risk for heart disease. In other words, a patient can receive a normal cholesterol reading one day and still suffer a heart attack the next. The truth is that many cardiologists believe we should be looking beyond cholesterol.
As scientists delve deeper into the fundamental causes of heart disease and other illnesses, they are starting to see links to an age-old defense mechanism called inflammation—the same biological process that causes the redness, swelling and pain if you cut a finger.
One way to test for inflammation is to measure levels of C-reactive protein in the blood. Elevated levels of C-reactive protein are linked with a higher than average risk of heart disease. What’s interesting is that higher C-reactive protein levels are linked with body fat, especially the fat stored around your waist.
Much of the fat in the midsection is stored deeper inside your body, in and around the liver and other organs. Fat in the hip and thigh region is mainly stored just under the skin. This is called subcutaneous fat.
Exercise
It won’t surprise you to learn that the best way to lose abdominal fat is to eat right and exercise regularly. And there’s a growing body of research showing that the fastest way to burn off the fat from your belly is with a combination of weight-training and aerobic exercise.
Some evidence for this comes from a six-month study of 30 obese women. They were separated into three groups: a control group, an aerobic exercise group, and a combined exercise group.
The aerobic group did one hour of cardiovascular exercise (60-70% maximum heart rate) six days a week. The combined exercise program involved weight training (three days a week) and aerobic exercise (three days a week).
The combined exercise group lost almost three times more abdominal subcutaneous fat and 13% more visceral fat than the aerobic-only group.
A one-year study of men shows similar results. Thirty-six men with coronary artery disease were assigned to one of three groups: weight training plus aerobic exercise, aerobic exercise only, and a control group that did nothing.
The drop in total and abdominal fat was higher in the combined exercise group than in the group that only did aerobics.
The Bottom Line
Belly fat is stored energy. To get rid of the fat, you have to burn more energy (calories) than you eat on a regular basis. Abdominal exercises like crunches and sit-ups won’t burn as many calories as a properly designed fat-burning exercise program.
In other words, hundreds of sit-ups won’t make much difference to the appearance of your waist and stomach if your abdominal muscles are hidden under a layer of fat.
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Michael Cohen has more than 25 years’ experience as a personal trainer and is affiliated with top professional trainers, coaches, and nutritionists. He consults with them daily.
