How to lose belly fat in Ghana….
People tend to carry fat in two distinct ways: either under the skin (as subcutaneous fat) or in the abdomen and surrounding internal organs (as visceral fat). The latter is what is often referred to as “belly fat”.
How you carry fat is based on several factors: genetics, age, gender, and lifestyle all play a role. But the good news is that you can take control and lose unnecessary belly fat.
Now how can you lose belly fat as a Ghanaian?
Low-carb nutrition
Low-carb nutrition lowers insulin, improves metabolic syndrome, and can reverse type 2 diabetes. It can also help people lose belly fat.
In 2019, researchers from Virta health published a two-year study on the keto diet and reported a 15% reduction in abdominal fat.
Other studies show a low-carb diet leads to greater loss of abdominal fat than a low-fat diet.
In one study, low-carb dieters lost 22.8% of their abdominal fat, compared to only 1% for the low-fat dieters.
Calorie restriction
Other methods of weight loss may also help people lose belly fat. One randomized trial reported that 12 weeks of calorie restriction reduced fat mass by 11 pounds (5kg) and visceral fat by 16%.
However, other studies question the sustainability of these diets and results. One randomized trial using a low-fat, calorie-restricted diet reported that at eight years, the dieters lost only 4.4 pounds (2 kilos), almost all from lean mass rather than fat mass.
An interesting randomized trial revealed that after one year, exercise without calorie restriction led to the same reduction in belly fat as a diet with 20% fewer calories.
Vegan diets – eat plenty of high fibre vegetable
In a recent 16-week trial, 122 overweight adults who ate a low-fat vegan diet lost an average of nearly 14 pounds (6.4 kilos), reduced their body fat by 10%, and became more insulin sensitive. The control group continued their standard diet and did not see any significant changes.
Another 16-week trial reported those following a vegan diet lost 9.5 pounds (4.3 kilos) of fat mass, some of it from visceral fat, whereas those on the control diet did not lose any.
Vegan diets do not provide all the essential nutrients that humans need, therefore they require ongoing supplementation. The needed supplements are usually widely available making supplementation a fairly easy process for most.
Some may also find it challenging to meet adequate protein needs on a vegan diet. Protein intake is especially important during weight loss to ensure that the weight lost is fat mass, not muscle mass
Exercise
One common misconception is that doing stomach strengthening exercises, like crunches or sit-ups, helps people lose belly fat. But studies show that sit-ups alone are not effective at reducing belly fat.
Other types of exercise, especially when combined with an effective diet, may reduce belly fat. For instance, two trials reported high-resistance training and moderate-cardio programs had a greater impact on belly fat loss than lower-intensity exercise.
And a study from Spain reported a more significant loss of fat mass when the investigators added intense exercise to a low-calorie diet.
Aerobic training alone may also be effective for visceral fat loss, but the key seems to be the intensity. Only studies of moderate and high-intensity aerobic exercise find a meaningful impact on belly fat.
Green tea ? Don’t waste your time.
One randomized trial reported a small benefit in abdominal-fat loss for a group randomized to a green tea extract when compared to a caffeine control group. Since the difference was small and this was just one study, you shouldn’t expect green tea to be a magic potion for belly-fat loss. But it may be an added bonus when combined with nutrition, exercise, and other lifestyle improvements.
What about sleep?
One randomized trial reported that insufficient sleep reduced fat loss.
And another study reported that better sleep correlated with greater fat-mass loss.46 Plus, given all the other health benefits of better sleep, there are plenty of reasons to make it a priority.
Culled by www.nimedhealth.com.ng from dietdoctor.com
