Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Easy Ways to Burn Belly Fat

By Ricardo d Argence

This time of year everyone's resolution is to lose weight, especially those who have amassed a great deal of it around their waist. Many people struggle with fat in the belly area. Before you can burn belly fat you need to understand what it is and to have an strategy.

Although the body stores fat in many places, for lots of us, it goes right to the belly. The accumulation of visceral fat around the midsection is Belly fat. People with this problem are commonly referred to as having an "apple" shape.

Fat around the midsection is more problematic because it accumulates around the important organs in the belly. Other types are merely interspersed between skeletal muscles or under the skin.

When you have belly fat, you are then at risk for heart disease, diabetes, and insulin resistance. It is important for fat around the midsection to be thought of as a serious issue.

There are many causes of belly fat accumulation. Check out the list below to see where you fall:

Menopause- Women tend to go through many changes during this period of their life. Weight gain is one of them and unfortunately, the belly tends to be its favorite place to store. Stress- This is a big contributor to belly fat. When you are stressed there is a hormone released called cortisol. Cortisol increases your energy by boosting glucose production, which in turn stimulates appetite increasing your caloric intake and this is converted to stored fat. Generally around the midsection so that it is readily available for the body to burn.

It makes sense that the junk food must go. High calorie foods that have little if any nutritional values are prime suspects in weight gain. Some other foods you should avoid are:

Alcohol is a big no-no if you are trying to lose belly fat; it is high in sugar and works to slow down the metabolism.

Instead of eating a lot of sugars and carbs, you should focus on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and proteins. For example instead of a bowl of sugary cereal for breakfast, you could consider this sample breakfast:

One small glass of orange juice, fruit of your choice, whole grain toast, two poached eggs or bowl of oatmeal.

No discussion on weight loss would be complete without stressing the importance of regular exercise. Even 15 minutes a day walking at a brisk pace will show dramatic results.

Using drugs or pills to lose weight is the exact opposite of what you should do. Those that have any affect depend on harsh chemicals that increase heart rate or worse and most do not work. You will discover that a balanced diet and simple exercise is your best choice to lose that belly fat. - 16004

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