How to Lose Belly Fat | Diet & Fitness

Regardless of a person’s weight, everyone has some amount of belly fat. While some of this fat is right under your skin, it also surrounds organs like your heart and lungs. Fat in the latter category is also known as “visceral fat,” and it’s associated with many health problems – even in thin people.

Along with these issues, excess belly fat can make diabetes management considerably more difficult. Read on to learn more from the team at US MED about the most effective ways to lose extra belly fat.

Deep Belly Fat

First of all, it’s essential to understand that visceral fat isn’t inherently a bad thing. At least some of this fat is needed to cushion your internal organs.

Instead, the drawbacks you need to be aware of are associated with having too much visceral fat. When this is the case, you’ll have an increased risk of getting everything from high blood pressure, dementia, asthma, some cancers, and arthritis.. If you don’t already have diabetes, high amounts of this fat can also increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

In some cases, the body can start running out of “normal” places to store fat. For example, some obese people have fat stored in their organs and around their hearts.

How Much Belly Fat Do You Have?

If you’re looking for a completely accurate measurement of your visceral fat, you’ll need to get an MRI or a CT scan. Luckily, there’s a more straightforward and affordable way to check your belly fat.

All you need to do is find a measuring tape and wrap it around your waist at the belly button. Make sure you’re standing straight and that your measuring tape is level. Ideally, your waist should measure no more than 35 inches (for women) or 40 inches (for men).

Your body shape matters, too. Generally speaking, people with “pear-shaped” bodies (which often store fat in the thighs and hips) have lower fat-related health risks than people with “apple-shaped” bodies (which tend to store fat around the waist).

Thin People Have It, Too

If you’re a person on the slim side, you might think you don’t have anything to worry about regarding visceral fat. However, that may not be the case – even thin people can have an excess amount of this fat.

Most people have 90 percent of their body fat stored subcutaneously – that is, just below the skin. Visceral fat makes up the remaining 10 percent, stored behind your abdominal wall.

Factors like lifestyle and genetics partially determine visceral fat levels. Since you can’t control your genes, staying physically active is crucial to managing this fat.

4 Steps for Beating Belly Fat

By keeping these priorities in mind, you can make significant progress towards keeping visceral fat under control:

1. Exercise

Regular exercise can help people lose all types of fat, visceral fat included. Aim to exercise for at least half an hour on at least five days of the week. This exercise can consist of things like brisk walking, jogging, and biking. Everyday activities like yard work and sports count, too!

2. Diet

For people with diabetes, eating a healthy diet is crucial – and the same is true for people trying to lose weight. Fortunately, belly fat is often the first type of fat to go when you make positive dietary changes. Start by getting at least 10 grams of soluble fiber each day.

3. Sleep

Physical activity is vital for losing weight, but so is inactivity – that is, sleep. Research shows that people getting six or seven hours of sleep per night gained smaller amounts of visceral fat over five years than people getting five or fewer hours (or eight or more hours).

4. Stress

Some amount of stress is unavoidable in life, but it’s essential to know how to deal with it. The next time you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed, try spending time with loved ones, working out, or meditating. If you’re particularly affected by stress, you may want to consider counseling, as well.

Along with following these steps, don’t bother looking for a quick solution to extra belly fat in the form of liposuction. You can’t remove visceral fat in this way since the liposuction process doesn’t go past the abdominal wall.

Manage Your Belly Fat – And Your Diabetes

Taking steps to get rid of excess visceral fat is one of the best ways to improve your overall health, especially if you have diabetes. By following the steps listed in this article, you can make living with diabetes that much easier for yourself.

At US MED, we’ll do everything we can to assist you in your weight loss journey. Are you wondering where to start? Read some of our blog entries on diet and exercise, and explore our vast collection of diabetes-friendly recipes.

US MED can also help you manage your diabetes by making the process of ordering diabetes supplies as simple as possible. We offer free shipping and can bill orders directly to your Medicare or insurance. Whether you need CGM systems, diabetes testing supplies, or insulin pens, rely on us to ship them to you!