Visceral fat can create hormones and chemicals that increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes in even thin people, increasing their chance of these conditions. Women who have waistlines greater than 35 inches and men with waistlines over 40 inches are at particular risk.
Visceral fat is often the first to go when eating healthily and exercising regularly.
Weight loss
An imaging test, like a CT or MRI scan, is the ideal way to identify visceral fat. Unfortunately, these can be costly and difficult to schedule; so in the meantime, try measuring your waist with a tape measure; if it measures larger than half your height — 35 inches for men and 30 inches for women — that could indicate excess belly fat.
Genetics play an integral part in where you store visceral fat, but eating a high-fat, sugary diet and getting too little sleep also play a significant role in its accumulation. Stress also prompts your body to store more visceral fat in its abdomen region – but the good news is that proven strategies exist that can help you eliminate visceral fat!
Visceral fat can be dangerous because it surrounds internal organs and puts you at greater risk for chronic health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance and heart disease. Furthermore, visceral fat produces inflammatory markers which clog blood vessels and stop oxygen-rich blood from flowing to your liver (11-12).
Visceral fat may not be visible in a mirror, but other measurements can help detect excess adiposity. You can measure your hip size by wrapping a tape measure around the widest part of your hips and dividing that number by your waist size – an acceptable ratio is less than 0.85 in women and 0.90 for men. You can also calculate your body mass index (BMI), which takes into account height and weight measurements.
Dieting to lose visceral fat involves eating fewer calories than you burn, so the key to visceral fat loss lies in choosing whole food options that are low in added sugars and processed fats; adding protein will make you feel full and reduce your caloric intake; furthermore limit trans fats, saturated fats, sodium intake by reading food labels for products containing artificial trans fats or more than one type of sugar; while low-calorie activities like running or cycling will help target belly fat more effectively while working large muscle groups in such as legs/back/shoulders to target more caloric loss while simultaneously burning more caloric intake than is consumed by this lifestyle change alone.
Exercise
Visceral fat, the type that sits deep within your abdominal cavity and encases internal organs, is one of the leading causes of obesity. It produces chemicals which increase your risk for diabetes, heart disease, stroke and certain cancers while contributing to inflammation and other health complications. Thankfully, proven strategies exist that can help you safely lose visceral fat over time.
Some individuals tend to store excess fat in their abdomens more readily than others; as we get older this often changes. You can get an approximate idea of your visceral fat by taking your waist size with a tape measure and noting its reading – generally anything over 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men is considered unhealthy, although your specific number may differ.
To reduce visceral fat, exercise is the ideal way to do this. Regular aerobic activities such as walking, jogging, swimming and cycling elevate your heart rate to burn more calories and metabolize visceral fat efficiently. Strength training may also prove effective because it builds lean muscle that burns additional calories.
Sleep is also essential in helping you shed visceral fat. Studies show that people who sleep for less than six hours a night tend to accumulate more belly fat; to ensure you get sufficient restful rest every night, try getting to bed earlier or making sure you get at least seven hours’ shuteye every night.
Visceral fat can be easier to manage than subcutaneous fat, the kind you can pinch beneath your skin. Diet and exercise are effective ways of eliminating belly fat; when combined they make keeping it off easier. You can track your progress using My Fitness Pal’s measurement feature that lets you monitor waist, hip and neck circumference measurements accurately so as to monitor and adapt diet and exercise plans more precisely.
Diet
Visceral belly fat poses a unique danger to our health. It releases chemicals that increase the risk of serious conditions like heart disease and Type 2 diabetes; furthermore, these same chemicals raise your chances for Alzheimer’s disease or dementia later on in life. A protruding belly and large waistline are indicators that you may have too much visceral fat stored away inside your abdomen.
Your diet can assist in losing visceral fat by restricting high-sugar foods and processed carb-rich meals like pasta and bread, in favor of eating more low-sugar fruits, lean proteins and non-starchy vegetables containing no starches; while also adding healthy fat sources like nuts, seeds or avocados.
Visceral fat can also contribute to weight gain by making it harder for your body to use insulin properly, leading to high blood sugar and diabetes. Furthermore, visceral fat cells produce inflammatory compounds which narrow blood vessels and increase your risk for high blood pressure.
To combat visceral fat, try getting at least seven hours of sleep a night and cutting back on stress. Over time, this may help lower waistlines while decreasing risk factors for serious medical conditions like diabetes and heart disease.
Visceral fat differs from subcutaneous in that it covers your abdominal muscles and organs rather than lying beneath your skin (subcutaneous fat). Although visceral fat may be harder to detect than subcutaneous, you can still gauge its presence by measuring your waist – generally men should aim for waistlines less than 40 inches while women should aim to have one no higher than 35 inches.
A great way to monitor visceral fat is through regular measurements at home using either a tape measure or smartphone app, then consulting with a doctor or health professional about any associated diseases associated with excess belly fat. Your physician can recommend dietary strategies designed to help you shed belly fat as well as exercise plans and other strategies to combat risk factors linked to having too much belly fat.
MyFitnessPal is an invaluable free app designed to track both visceral and subcutaneous fat. Beyond helping to manage weight, MyFitnessPal can motivate users towards reaching fitness goals and overall improving health.
Sleep
Lack of sleep increases cortisol levels, which increases visceral fat and shifts it toward your midsection. Aim for at least seven to eight hours of restful sleep per night in order to help shed visceral fat more effectively; meditation and yoga, nature walks and hot baths may help if sleeping is an issue. Stress also triggers hormones ghrelin which makes you hungry, while leptin makes you feel full – therefore keeping stress at a manageable level is also key in maintaining optimal metabolism within your body metabolism.
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