Abdominal fat in men: how to get rid of it, diet, menu, exercises

How and why does the belly grow?

There may be several reasons for this, and sometimes one of them is to blame, but more often there is a whole complex of problems that also need to be dealt with comprehensively.

Binge eating

Excess belly fat in men can be caused by a number of factors, but the main one is overeating. Visceral fat, which accumulates in the midsection, is formed when the balance of calories is imbalanced. An imbalance between calorie intake and calorie burning is the main culprit and cause of these deposits. A person eats more than he can use. It's simple math at work here.

Sedentary lifestyle

The modern man spends most of his life sitting. He is sitting behind the wheel of a car, in the office at the computer. The abdominal muscles atrophy and cease to perform their function - to support the internal organs. Low physical activity provokes weight gain.

Metabolic disorder

As a result of overeating and a sedentary lifestyle, metabolism is disrupted. A slow metabolism slows down energy expenditure. With a slow metabolism, all the calories you eat will turn into fat and be deposited on your stomach.

Hormones

Women store fat in the thigh area as it serves as a source of energy during pregnancy. This is caused by the hormone estrogen.

The same lack of estrogen in men is the reason that they store fat in the abdomen, and not on the thighs. But its deposition in men, unlike women, does not make any practical sense. On the contrary, it is fraught with illness.

Research also shows that a man is more likely to grow a paunch as he ages as his levels of testosterone (aka the male sex hormone) begin to deplete. Why do the levels of the male hormone testosterone drop?

The level of the main male hormone decreases with age. In a young male body, testosterone levels range from 10 to 40 nmol/l, but after 45 years it is three times less. Hormone levels begin to decline after age 30.

Male hormone deficiency will guarantee you a round belly, and visceral belly fat will ensure low testosterone levels. Vicious circle.

Thus, a beer belly may not wait until retirement age, but will appear in a young person.

What to do? Monitor your hormonal levels, it is advisable to take tests once a year, monitor your diet, and at an older age consider the option of hormonal replacement, but this should be discussed with your doctor.

Beer

Each glass of beer contains 150 calories, which adds up to a lot because if you're a beer drinker, you won't be limited to just one glass. When you drink, your liver puts alcohol before fat: it digests alcohol instead of other food, so you get energy from alcohol and all other food is stored away. This leads to fat deposits in the abdominal area, since in men it is concentrated mainly in this area.

Get rid of stress

Surprisingly, your stress levels also have a big impact on your success in losing a flat belly. When you experience stress, levels of the stress hormone cortisol rise. It increases your appetite and causes you to crave fatty or high-calorie foods that you should avoid. Also, “nerves” will prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep, thereby slowing down your metabolism.

Try meditating for ten minutes every day. This will help you get your thoughts in order and reduce stress, otherwise too long and difficult days at the office may contribute to you not being able to see your toes.

Proper nutrition or diet

Undoubtedly, while on a diet, your stomach will go away faster. But you also need to choose it wisely. Diets associated with protein-carbon alternation are very popular now. They do not act very quickly, but reliably, and most importantly, they include all the necessary substances.

In the process of losing weight, in order to preserve (and increase!) health, you cannot rush. It’s better to just switch to a normal healthy diet - then your stomach will inevitably come into good shape.

Basic principles for both a healthy diet and any diet:

you need to eat at least 5-6 times a day;
avoid feeling hungry;
portions should be small;
We steam, boil, bake food - but no frying;
you cannot eat food 4 hours before bedtime (yes, not after six, but 4 hours before - since people can go to bed at completely different times, and fasting, as already mentioned, is not allowed);
as few simple carbohydrates as possible – usually sweets;
correct distribution of foods by time of day: in the morning - complex carbohydrates, in the evening - proteins;
more foods that help your metabolism go fast;
We drink as much water as possible - not everyone can drink 2 liters of it a day, but we need to strive for this. Yes, and you can get it from juicy vegetables and soups, for example.

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Belly fat: consequences

Fat interferes with the functioning of organs located in the abdominal cavity due to a decrease in the intensity of blood flow. It also weighs a lot, which can change your center of gravity and cause back pain.

The British Heart Foundation says that when a person's waist expands beyond 92cm, their chances of developing diabetes, heart disease and cancer increase.

Other studies have linked belly fat in men to osteoporosis, low sex drive, poor sleep and low-motility sperm. So not having a contract with a modeling agency is the least of your worries.

The dangers of excess fat

For men the situation is different. In them, fat accumulation occurs around the internal organs, causing a radical restructuring of body systems. This fat, called abdominal fat, is hormonally active and increases the need for food, which stimulates even greater growth, compression of internal organs, and disruption of their functioning.

How to remove belly fat for a man

Thousands of men have overcome beer belly. So can you.

Of course, belly fat isn't going to go away without a fight. But even this can be burned off by applying a few methods backed by science and adopting a few basic exercises.

You can get a flat, toned stomach, and you can do it at home. After all, everyone has long known that abs are created in the kitchen. Let’s figure out how fat “burns” in general.

Burning fat cells consists of two steps: lipolysis and oxidation.

During lipolysis, fat cells release stored fat molecules into the blood, and oxidation is the process of cells obtaining energy from these molecules.

Lipolysis is stimulated by the release of adrenaline.

These chemicals enter the bloodstream and travel to and attach to fat cells. They stimulate the release of stored fatty acids from these cells. Cells use these acids as fuel.

But not all fat cells are equal. Some respond immediately to hormonal stimulation, while others are resistant to them. Some areas of your body, such as the face and arms, immediately lose fat, but others, such as the stomach and sides, do not shrink at all.

And here's the reason: fat cells have two types of receptors: alpha and beta. They function differently. They work something like this: alpha receptors slow down lipolysis, and beta receptors stimulate it.

So, beta cells are easily mobilized, but those with many alpha receptors are not.

So when you exercise to try to lose weight, you immediately notice results in some areas of your body, such as your face, when others remain untouched.

One of the most important reasons why it is so difficult to remove excess fat from the sides is that the cells in this area have a large number of alpha receptors.

Now it’s clear why fat tries so hard to stay on the sides and stomach, despite all your attempts to remove it. Let's look at some ways to help overcome his defense mechanisms.

You need to keep in mind only two facts to get rid of belly fat forever:

1. It is necessary to minimize the percentage of body fat

And that's all that's required of you.

The fat content should be reduced to 10% to remove most of the visceral layer. And the less fatty tissue you have in general, the less there is on your stomach.

2. Proper nutrition, exercise and supplements will help a man get rid of his belly and sides more effectively.

This implies that anything you do to lose subcutaneous fat will speed up the loss of belly fat, but there are a couple of tips specific to visceral fat.

You should combine two techniques - rapid fat burning and fat cell mobilization to completely get rid of the belly and sides.

So let's talk about it.

What foods help you lose belly fat?

Quinoa

Quinoa is a slow-digesting carbohydrate that does not have a high glycemic index, so it does not cause an insulin response like natural sugar. Carbohydrates provide energy to your body and help you perform tough workouts. Quinoa, in particular, contains all the essential amino acids needed to support muscle development and weight loss. By swapping fast carbs like white rice or pasta for quinoa, you will increase your belly fat burning.

Broccoli

Your diet should contain plenty of vegetables if you want to melt fat. Broccoli is a great choice. Broccoli is low in calories and high in fiber, which means it will fill you up and keep you full. One cup of broccoli contains about 3 grams of fiber per 30 calories. It is also an excellent source of iron, calcium and vitamin C, which will stimulate increased blood flow to muscles, maintain healthy bones and boost immunity.

Salmon

Salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids and is a good source of protein. It has a little more fat than other protein foods, but it's exactly what we need in our diet. For a 150g serving you get about 30g of protein. Choose wild salmon as it contains higher levels of beneficial omega acids.