What is it about when you look in the mirror? Do you get to your belly and stop?

It just doesn’t look like you want it to. Too big, too round, too saggy and not flat enough?

Or are you having trouble losing that extra weight around your belly after child birth?

Some people imagine a six pack or a really lean and athletic, sports body, but just having a low fat body percentage and a healthy lifestyle can tone and strengthen your inner core muscle, along with your stomach.

For loosing Belly Fat there are so many myths, exercise equipment advertised on television, amazingly turning average people in to six pack machines. These may work, and give results but not as quickly and easily as indicated.

The good news is there are ways to solve your Belly Fat issues so you can look yourself up and down in the mirror and feel great about yourself.

Exercise and a healthy diet and lifestyle is a sure way to increase your bodies natural toning and strengthening abilities. In trying these exercises  and healthy diet tips, your whole body strength will benefit.

The old cliché exercises, like sit ups and other exercises centred on the abs, can be left alone. Refocus on toning and strengthening all of your body.

 Leg Raises (hanging)

• On a pull up bar, hang with your hands at shoulder width apart.
• Bending your knees slightly, raise your legs, far enough up to almost reach the bar, pulling your pelvis up and in, curving your back as you pull up.
• Try not to arch your back as this is bad for your back.

Lower Body Crunches

• Lying on your back, on the floor (exercise mat is best), feet flat on the floor and at 90 degrees. Your palms should be on the floor by your hips. Raise your head and shoulders slightly off the floor.
• By curving your pelvis back toward your upper body and slowly lifting your lower body off the ground toward your head. Try not to use momentum to lift your body, try to use the abdominal strength in your belly muscles.

Abdominal Crunches

• Remain on your floor mat and lying on your back, keep your legs  bent at about a 45 degree angle and your arms straight over your head
• Lifting your legs and hips off the ground, at the same time raise your arms  forward and shoulders off the ground and just crossing with your legs

Diet meal plan: Foods you should include in your daily food intake for a typical well balanced diet.

Morning: Skim/ low fat milk, cottage cheese, almonds, berries, yoghurt, high fibre cereal, eggs and ice tea

Midday: Chicken breast, salad (avocado, lettuce.), bread, berries, fruit, skim milk

Night: Steamed vegetables, organic meat, sweet potatoes, virgin olive oil and mixed greens.

If you follow these exercises along with leading an active lifestyle and healthy diet, you will achieve the strengthened and toned body you want to achieve.

You’ll also lose weight and fat content for better health and Get Rid of Your Belly Fat once and for all!

What is VAT?

VAT (Visceral Adipose Tissue) is fat that is deposited around the organs in the abdominal cavity. VAT is different than subcutaneous fat (fat just under the skin) in that you cannot pinch it. VAT is far more dangerous than subcutaneous fat and more metabolically active. Accumulation of VAT is associated with insulin resistance and results in a complex of symptoms (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides and high fasting glucose) known as the metabolic disorder (or Syndrome X). VAT occurs in both sexes, but is more prevalent in men and postmenopausal women.

How can we measure VAT?

The waist to hip ratio (WHR) is a common way to determine the severity of VAT accumulation. Higher ratios indicate more VAT accumulation. Ratios above 0.8 for a woman and 0.95 for a man indicate an unhealthy level of VAT.

What causes VAT?

Insulin resistance appears to be the strongest primary cause of excess VAT. In fact, a high WHR is strongly associated with fasting insulin, total whole-body glucose disposal and glucose oxidation. Also, other factors associated with insulin resistance are also positively correlated with a high WHR, including triglycerides, hepatic lipase (HL) and HL/LPL ratio. Likewise, factors negatively correlated with insulin resistance are also negatively correlated with WHR including HDL.

Many hormone systems are also involved. Androgen levels appear to be involved, but the research is conflicting. For instance, some studies have found that DHEA-S levels are associated with abdominal obesity, while other have found a reverse correlation. A decline in growth hormone levels appears to be a contributor, along with increases in cortisol.

What can be done to reduce VAT?

The same things that improve insulin sensitivity will also reduce VAT. Weight loss is the number one thing here. Minimizing dietary intake of saturated fats, trans fats and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids is also hugely important. Monounsaturated fats (like olive oil) and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (like fish and flax oil) improve insulin sensitivity. Fiber intake is negatively correlated with WHR. Pectin appears to be the most effective fiber for reducing WHR. Increasing protein while reducing carbohydrate intake also improves WHR.

Exercise is extremely effective for improving insulin resistance and eliminating VAT. Walking works well for this. But higher intensity exercise works better.

Some supplements that show promise for reducing VAT include pantethine, taurine, calcium and tea. Stimulants should be avoided due to their direct effect on cortisol levels and indirect effect on insulin sensitivity.

HowOMG.com