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Targeted belly fat reduction -

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You could find activities that are better for your health and will help keep the belly fat away. Unfortunately, sit-ups and crunches can't eliminate visceral fat directly. You can't reduce fat from specific parts of your body by exercising that body part; our bodies simply don't work that way.

With sit-ups or other abdominal exercises, you're toning the abdominal muscles but not burning intra-abdominal fat. The key is to lower your overall body fat with moderate-intensity physical activity and a healthy diet; when you reduce your total body fat, you'll also be reducing your belly fat.

So if you want to do abdominal exercises, make them part of your fitness routine. Just don't treat them as a substitute for the recommended minutes of weekly moderate-intensity physical activity. While sit-ups can't "target" belly fat, what they can do is help you burn calories, strengthen your core and develop more muscle.

Because muscle is more metabolically active than fat, the more muscle you have, the more calories you'll burn when you're at rest. You can also try lifting heavier weights and resting less between repetitions, which can promote calorie burning after you leave the gym. Burning those extra calories can help you achieve and maintain a healthier weight in conjunction with regular cardiovascular exercise and a healthy diet.

A recent study of 70, individuals showed that those getting less than five hours of sleep were more likely to gain 30 or more pounds. So far, there is not one single drug that is approved by the Federal Drug Administration for the reduction of belly fat.

Supplements claiming a "one trick solution" to belly fat are not strictly regulated, and a lot of the claims made in the ads are not backed up by research.

The bottom line is that when it comes to belly fat, the answer is not in drugs or supplements. Enjoying a healthy lifestyle should be the focus. And while that's not as simple as swallowing a pill, the benefits will last a lifetime.

Losing Belly Fat. Home RUSH Stories Losing Belly Fat. Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to LinkedIn Share via Email. By Judy Germany. In short, no. Yeah, we were bummed to hear that too. First of all, what is belly fat? There are different types of fat: Subcutaneous fat Subcutaneous fat is the looser fat that lets you "pinch an inch" and can accumulate just under the skin Intramuscular fat Intramuscular fat is found within the skeletal muscles Visceral fat Visceral fat is the packed between your abdominal organs stomach, liver, kidneys, etc.

So, no, there's not. But here's what you can do. Start simple Typically there are many things you may need to improve to lose belly fat. Target sugar One good place to begin improving your food choices is to eliminate sugary drinks — and not just soda, but juices.

Go Mediterranean The popular "flat belly diets"embrace much of the wisdom found in eating a Mediterranean diet, which helps everything from brain health to hearth health. Front-load your meal Start your meal, especially your largest meal, with seasoned vegetables, be it vegetable soup or the vegetables on your entrée plate.

An example of spot reduction is exercising the triceps in order to get rid of excess fat on the back of the arms. This theory of targeting specific body parts is popular, leading many people to focus only on troublesome areas, rather than exercising their entire body.

Burning fat using this method can be particularly appealing to those who have had a hard time losing weight in the past or failed to get the results that they wanted using other methods. There are countless reasons why people want to lose weight , including improving health and reducing the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes 1 , 2.

Some people tend to carry excess weight proportionately, while others hold onto weight in specific areas like the butt, thighs or belly.

Gender, age, genetics and lifestyle all play a role in weight gain and the accumulation of stubborn areas of body fat. For instance, women have a higher percentage of body fat than men do and tend to store excess fat in the thighs and butt, especially during their childbearing years.

However, during perimenopause and menopause, hormonal changes can cause weight to shift to the belly region 3. On the other hand, men are more likely to put on pounds in their midsections throughout their entire lives 4.

Weight gain can be very frustrating and cause many people to look for easier alternatives than going on a diet or increasing their activity levels. This method appeals to the belief that working the muscles in problem areas is the best way to burn the fat in that specific spot. Although targeting fat loss in specific areas of the body would be ideal, the theory of spot reduction has not been proven effective by scientific studies.

To understand why spot reduction may not be effective, it is important to understand how the body burns fat. The fat in your cells is found in the form of triglycerides, which are stored fats that the body can use for energy.

Before they can be burned for energy, triglycerides must be broken down into smaller sections called free fatty acids and glycerol, which are able to enter the bloodstream.

During exercise, the free fatty acids and glycerol used as fuel can come from anywhere in the body, not specifically from the area that is being exercised.

Aside from not correlating with how the body burns fat, a number of studies have shown spot reduction to be ineffective. For example, one study in 24 people who only completed exercises targeting the abdominals for six weeks found no reduction in belly fat 5. Another study that followed 40 overweight and obese women for 12 weeks found that resistance training of the abdominals had no effect on belly fat loss , compared to dietary intervention alone 6.

A study focusing on the effectiveness of upper body resistance training had similar results. This week study included participants who completed a training program that exercised only their non-dominant arms.

Researchers found that although some fat loss did occur, it was generalized to the entire body, not the arm being exercised 7. Several other studies have resulted in similar findings, concluding that spot reduction is not effective for burning fat in specific areas of the body 8 , 9 , One study in 10 people found fat loss was higher in areas close to contracting muscles Another recent study including 16 women found that localized resistance training followed by 30 minutes of cycling resulted in increased fat loss in specific areas of the body Although findings from these studies warrant additional research, both had potential reasons for conflicting results, including measurement techniques and a small number of participants.

Despite these outlier studies, most scientific evidence shows that it is not possible to lose fat in one specific area by exercising that body part alone. Although spot fat reduction is most likely to be ineffective at burning fat in specific body parts, targeting troublesome areas by toning the underlying muscle can have beneficial results.

Although spot reduction may not be the best use of your time, many evidenced-based methods can help you lose fat and tone your entire body. For example, high-intensity workouts and exercises that engage the entire body have been shown to be most effective at shedding pounds High-intensity training, whole-body movements and cardiovascular exercise are very effective for losing weight and toning up.

For example, low-impact exercises like swimming and walking have been shown to be extremely effective for weight loss and are easy to do 18 , 19 , While increasing overall activity and adding new exercises to your daily routine is important for weight loss and your overall health, following a healthy meal plan is key when trying to shed body fat.

Studies have shown that exercise alone is not effective for weight loss unless a conscious effort is made to control calorie intake and make healthy food choices 21 , To lose weight and keep it off , combine the following diet tips with an exercise routine:.

Following a healthy meal plan that includes lots of fiber, healthy fats and protein in controlled portions is a great way to slim down. Eating healthy, minimally processed foods is the best way to do this.

Reductioj the CDC reductlon the FDA warn against treating this common Green tea extract for bone health condition Targehed your own with non-prescription treatments. See what Cholesterol-lowering foods recommend. Everyone's rrduction risk for skin cancer. These dermatologists' tips tell you how to protect your skin. Find out what may be causing the itch and what can bring relief. If you have what feels like razor bumps or acne on the back of your neck or scalp, you may have acne keloidalis nuchae. Too much Targeted belly fat reduction rexuction can increase your risk of certain chronic rediction. Drinking Reductioj alcohol, eating more Antioxidant-rich fruits, and lifting weights are just a few steps you can reductino to lose belly fat. Having excess belly fat can negatively affect health and may contribute to several chronic conditions. One specific type of belly fat — visceral fat — is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other conditions 1. Many health organizations use body mass index BMI to classify weight and predict the risk of metabolic disease.

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How to Lose Belly Fat

Targeted belly fat reduction -

But doing those exercises alone won't get rid of belly fat. The good news is that visceral fat responds to the same diet and exercise strategies that can help get rid of other extra pounds and lower total body fat.

Try these tips:. Losing belly fat takes effort and patience. To lose extra fat and keep it from coming back, aim for slow and steady weight loss. Ask your health care provider for help getting started and staying on track.

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Products and services. Belly fat in women: Taking — and keeping — it off What does your waistline say about your health? By Mayo Clinic Staff. Enlarge image Belly fat Close. Belly fat Subcutaneous fat is belly fat you can feel if you pinch extra skin and tissue around your middle. Thank you for subscribing!

Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry. Show references Perreault L. Obesity in adults: Prevalence, screening, and evaluation.

Accessed Feb. Perreault L, et al. Overweight and obesity in adults: Health consequences. Understanding adult overweight and obesity. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders. Department of Health and Human Services and U. Department of Agriculture.

Insulin resistance and prediabetes. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Department of Health and Human Services. Hoffman BL, et al. Menopause and the mature woman. In: Williams Gynecology. McGraw Hill; Maillard F. Effect of high-intensity interval training on total, abdominal and visceral fat mass: A meta-analysis.

Sports Medicine. Wewege MA. The effect of resistance training in healthy adults on body fat percentage, fat mass and visceral fat: A systematic review and meta-analysis. See also Breastfeeding nutrition: Tips for moms Ovulation Headaches and hormones Menstrual cycle Weight gain during menopause Premenstrual water retention.

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ART Healthy Lifestyle Women's health In-Depth Belly fat in women Taking and keeping it off. Show the heart some love! By Markham Heid. August 16, AM EDT. Why People Love Snow So Much Taylor Swift Is TIME's Person of the Year Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time.

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W reduciton you have some extra weight in your upper arms or rear end, it makes sense Targrted targeting those rdeuction with exercise—curls for Tarbeted arms, Cholesterol-lowering foods for faat butt—would slim them down. Enhance thermogenic activity related study Targetef Green tea extract for bone health weeks of one-armed workouts resulted in less loose skin in the trained arm, but zero fat loss. Your stomach is one of them. MORE : The TIME Guide To Exercise. When you exercise, your workouts trigger the release of hormones, Weltman explains. The higher the exercise intensity, the more of these hormones your body pumps out, and the more of that metabolically active fat you lose. If you have fat stored in your gut, rrduction and chest, a lot of your fat is metabolically active, so it will likely respond to exercise and diet changes, he says.