Belly Fat and Carbohydrates  

So how do you lose the belly fat? In order to battle the bulge, it’s important to understand how it grew in the first place.

Belly Fat Science

There are two types of belly fat: visceral belly fat and subcutaneous belly fat. Visceral fat is underneath the abdominal muscle and in close proximity to the organs. You can’t pinch it, and those who have a lot of it, can have abdominal muscles that feel tight and ridged despite the bulging protrusion. Subcutaneous belly fat is above the abdominal muscles and can be pinched. This is the stuff that hangs over the belt.

Visceral fat is more easily stored and faster to be burned. This is because it has a greater blood supply and is more sensitive to the fat burning hormones (catecholamines) compared to subcutaneous fat.

Belly fat is stored when the combination of excess calories meets the hormonal influence of cortisol and insulin.

Insulin & cortisol

The single biggest influence over the levels of insulin in your body comes from the amount of starchy and sweet foods you eat. The biggest influence over cortisol has to do with stress levels, which is directly related to sleep quantity (and quality).

Insulin activity shuts down any fat releasing activity of other hormones and therefore accentuates the negative fat storing effects. Adding cortisol to insulin is like pouring gasoline on a fire. The two together — with excess calories — are the real culprits in fat gain around the middle.

While fat supplies calories by itself, it has little to no impact on insulin production. But when fat is added to sugar and starch (think doughnuts, French fries, pizza and burgers), you get higher calories, more insulin exposure and lose the ability to feel satisfied. Insulin and fat also independently raise another fat storing hormone called ASP (acylation stimulating protein), and when they are combined, they drastically enhance another fat storing hormone called GIP (glucose dependent insulinotrophic peptide). Add stress (St) on top of this and the impact is multiplied, further forcing excess calories around the belly.

The Belly Fat Plan

The fix lies in reducing the sugar and rapidly digestible starches while trying to increase healthy carbs, fiber and protein.

For exercise, make your dominant form of activity fast-paced metabolically demanding weight training. Weight training done the right way is better at burning fat, balancing hormones and is great for your heart.

Sleep (8-10 hours a night) — Make sleep a priority. Getting enough sleep is about choices. For some, it’s cutting out that last television show of the night. For others, it’s accepting the fact that not everything on the to-do list can be done in one day.

Belly Fat Detective Work

Time and time again, we are spinning our wheels trying to change our exercise program in an attempt to get rid of the belly fat, when in reality it is the diet program that needs to be manipulated and experimented with the most. Despite claims we are “eating right,” many times we don’t realize that if we are not getting the results in fat loss, then no matter how good we are eating, it is not good enough. Your metabolic formula is different from everyone else, and you need to stop being the dieter and start being the fat loss detective. Remember: Diet is the most crucial element in body change and fat loss. Abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym.

Reference:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-jade-teta/weight-loss-tips_b_3980234.html