Why does belly fat grow?
It’s not just the consumption of unhealthy foods that contributes to the formation of fat cells in the abdominal area.
Sometimes grueling workouts in the gym and a strict diet do not help get rid of fat deposits in the abdominal area.
An increase in waist size is also observed with:
- Insufficient physical activity. It is the “sofa” lifestyle that leads to the formation of a fat layer not only on the stomach, but also on the sides, arms, buttocks and thighs.
- Stress. Overexertion stimulates the production of cortisol in the body, due to which excess sugar begins to be released from the liver. As a result, a person begins to experience a feeling of hunger, which constantly eats.
- Health problems. Belly fat is formed not only due to poor nutrition, but also due to hormonal imbalance, heart and vascular diseases.
According to research by nutritionists, the tendency to gain excess weight can also be “inherited.”
Simple carbohydrates in the diet
The main source of energy in food is carbohydrates . It is almost impossible to remove them from the diet, since they are found in almost all foods, including vegetables and fruits.
But in the fight against fat, you cannot completely exclude the source of energy from your diet. You just need to introduce the “correct” carbohydrates into the menu, which are not deposited on the waist, but, on the contrary, reduce its size.
The main source of energy in food is carbohydrates
There are 2 types of carbohydrates:
- Complex (slow);
- Simple (fast).
The way of eating when fighting excess fat involves excluding fast (simple) carbohydrates from your diet.
They are contained in:
- potatoes:
- bananas;
- sugar;
- dates;
- carbonated drinks;
- pasta;
- grapes;
- flour products;
- baking.
When these foods are consumed, insulin production rises and falls sharply, thereby provoking hunger.
Slow (complex) carbohydrates “work” according to a different principle.
Once in the body, they slowly break down and thereby prevent sugar from rising sharply. As a result, the feeling of hunger appears much later, and a person consumes significantly fewer calories during the day.
Be sure to read: Effective wrap for losing belly fat at home: 7 recipes
The way of eating when fighting excess fat involves excluding fast (simple) carbohydrates from your diet.
Complex carbohydrates include:
- nuts;
- berries;
- legumes;
- vegetables;
- durum pasta;
- whole wheat bread.
To prevent the foods you eat from turning into fat on your stomach, you must adhere to a 1:3 ratio when eating, where one serving is simple carbohydrates and three are complex.
Consumption of animal fats
Frequent consumption of animal fats in food can lead to an increase in the size of the abdomen, as well as provoke problems in the cardiovascular system and increase cholesterol levels.
Dangerous products in this category include:
- salo;
- fatty cheese;
- butter;
- pork.
You can replace dangerous fats with products that contain less fat.
These include:
- poultry meat;
- reduced fat dairy products;
- eggs;
- beef;
- low-fat fish;
- rabbit meat;
- seafood.
When fighting excess weight around the waist, it is important to understand that you should not completely exclude fats from your diet, since they contribute to the proper absorption of vitamins and normalize the production of hormones.
Salty food
In the fight against extra pounds, nutritionists advise giving up salt. Of course, this product does not increase the overall calorie content of dishes, but it promotes fluid retention, which leads to a slowdown in metabolic processes in the body.
Nutritionists advise giving up salt in the fight against extra pounds.
As a result, the belly either does not disappear, or goes away, but very slowly. For people who find it difficult to eliminate salt from their diet, experts advise adding the spice not during the cooking process, but before serving it.
Fried foods
Heat treatment of products in butter or vegetable oil significantly increases the calorie content of the dish, thereby adding kilograms.
To get a waistline you will have to give up fried foods and prepare food in other ways. For example, steamed, using a grill or in the oven.
- White bread -
At some point, the advocates of a healthy lifestyle and those who sympathized with them fell into hysterics and sacrificed all the bread without exception. Nutritionists were required to restore justice: the threat of folds on the stomach directly comes only from white people. During the production process, the grain loses its shell and germ, that is, everything good that it had. What remains for us is starch, empty calories and fast carbohydrates with zero benefit.
What foods to avoid to lose belly fat?
A proper menu that promotes weight loss should not include certain types of foods.
Sweets
Confectionery products are pure carbohydrates.
To get rid of the hated “apron,” a woman will have to give up:
- cakes;
- chocolate;
- cakes;
- sweets
Be sure to read: How to eat to get rid of your belly and sides, what foods to exclude, diet at home
For those with a sweet tooth who cannot imagine their life without sweets, their favorite delicacy should be replaced with dried fruits, honey, natural marmalade and marshmallows. But even these products should be consumed within reasonable limits.
Flour products
It will be possible to get rid of fat in the waist area only after flour products disappear from the daily diet.
It will be possible to get rid of fat in the waist area only after the following disappear from the daily diet:
- semolina;
- pasta (except for durum products);
- White rice;
- baking;
- bread.
These products can be replaced with their lower calorie “brethren”:
- brown rice;
- oatmeal;
- rye or bran bread;
- pearl barley;
- pasta based on buckwheat or durum wheat.
Important! Products with a high flour content attract fat like a magnet and increase body weight in a matter of days.
Pork
The human body will not function normally without meat. But pork contains too much saturated fat, which doesn't help you lose weight.
To make the reflection in the mirror pleasing, instead of pork cutlets, it is better to eat baked poultry, rabbit or beef.
Potato
They prefer to eat this favorite vegetable in Russia fried, along with a good portion of lard. But 1 serving of this dish contains at least 300 kcal.
And that's not counting the lard. Women who want to get a slim body can only eat potatoes boiled or baked. Pre-peeled vegetables must be soaked in cold water for 2-3 hours.
Pasta
Properly prepared pasta will not harm your figure. Excess fat will appear only if you season the side dish with a fatty butter-based sauce or add smoked meats to the main dish.
In the fight against excess weight, you can eat pasta only with stewed vegetables, low-fat fish or mushrooms.
Sweet drinks
Properly prepared pasta will not harm your figure.
The main enemy of the waist is sugar . In view of this, it is recommended not to add granulated sugar to coffee, tea or compote. Juices can only be drunk freshly squeezed. With regular use of the packaged product, belly fat will appear within a week of use.
In the fight against excess weight, it is advisable to drink unsweetened drinks throughout the day. If bitter coffee or tea does not bring pleasure at all, you can sweeten it with honey or stevia.
Be sure to read: How to remove belly and sides: super simple exercises + ready-made workout program for home
Alcohol
Intoxicating drinks themselves are non-caloric (not counting beer). But the foods that a person consumes while taking them definitely add extra pounds.
In addition, alcohol overloads the liver, slows down metabolism and retains water. To burn fat, you should remove alcoholic drinks from the menu.
Carbonated drinks
It will be possible to protect your health and figure only by completely abstaining from carbonated water
. By drinking 200 g of Coca-Cola, a person consumes 1/7 of the daily requirement of carbohydrates and does not quench the feeling of thirst. In addition, such drinks increase blood sugar, gradually leading a person to diabetes.
You can protect your health and figure only by completely abstaining from carbonated water.
Fast food
Fast food dishes not only contain a lot of preservatives, but are also eaten with fatty sauces. The body does not receive saturation from such food; accordingly, the person overeats and exceeds the permissible caloric intake. As a result, the numbers on the scale increase daily.
- Sparkling water -
Does diet soda have fewer calories than regular soda? Not God knows what argument, given the presence of artificial sweeteners in the composition, in particular such as aspartame. There are studies challenging its right to be considered a healthy alternative to sugar, and their results show that the insulin release under the pressure of aspartame is comparable to what comes from simple sugar and the aforementioned white bread. And where there is insulin, there is a fat belt at the waist.
Eating Habits That Can Lose Belly Fat
You don't need to go on a diet to reduce your belly fat. It is enough to develop eating habits that will help you cope with the problem without strict dietary restrictions.
A woman who is losing weight needs:
- have a full breakfast;
- in 30 min. drink a glass of water before meals;
- eat more vegetables and fruits;
- chew food thoroughly and slowly;
- drink coffee no more than once a day;
- replace black tea with green tea.
There is no need to suddenly change your lifestyle. New habits should be introduced slowly, allowing less than 5–7 days for a new rule.
- Beer -
A massive beer belly is rightly called one. Whenever you plan to spend the evening with a three-liter PET of draft beer, remember that our body regards it as fuel. And like any fuel, beer is expelled from the body, unlike a not always healthy snack, which the body wraps in subcutaneous fat and saves until difficult times. In addition, malt, without which beer is not beer, is in the top ten in terms of glycemic index.
