How to get rid of fat in the lower abdomen - the scientific method of losing weight
Scientific studies suggest that male fat on the sides, lower abdomen, and lower back is similar in physical and hormonal structure to female fat on the hips and buttocks¹. This fat of “problem areas” differs from any other fat in terms of both the deposition mechanism and the strategy for disposal.
In order to remove visceral fat and get rid of a large abdomen, it is necessary, first of all, regular cardio and the transition to proper nutrition. And in order to remove fat in the lower abdomen - high-intensity cardio 3-4 times a week and complete control over the level of hormones insulin and cortisol.
How to remove fat from the abdomen?
To remove fat from the abdomen, you must understand whether you are dealing with internal fat, or with subcutaneous fat. In the first case, we will talk about methods to combat obesity, and in the second, with fat burning workouts for relief. Pumping the abdominal muscles will be useful in the fight against fat in the lower press area, while visceral fat burns out quickly with regular cardio and switching to proper nutrition.
How to get rid of fat in the lower abdomen
As for the hormonal abdomen, then we will consider the effect of the hormones insulin, cortisol, leptin and testosterone on gaining excess weight and fat in the lower abdomen. The role is played by the fact that the hormonal abdomen in men goes away faster during physical training to strengthen muscles, while female fat on the abdomen burns best with a carbohydrate-free diet.
Abdominal Fat Loss Strategy
There are several types of fat in the human body, each of which is unique in its structure, functions and the required mechanism for burning¹. Even subcutaneous fat is not the same - fat in the lower abdomen becomes cold with cardio since adrenaline in its case blocks blood circulation. To remove such fat, you need to force the body to train with maximum acceleration.
The difference lies in the fact that in certain areas the body stores various types of nutrients. For example, saturated fatty acids are stored in the abdomen, making visceral fat hard to the touch - while subcutaneous fat is usually soft. In turn, fat in the lower abdomen is formed with a chronic excess of carbohydrates in the diet against a sedentary lifestyle.
Retroperitoneal Fat
- Reducing the daily calorie intake by 15-20%
- Cardio in the fat-burning zone of the pulse 2-4 times a week for 30-40 minutes
Normal body fat
- Abandoning simple carbohydrates and controlling saturated fats
- Cardio 3-4 times a week + exercises for abdominal muscles
Fat in the lower abdomen and the hips
- Low-carb, high-fiber diet
- Cardio according to Tabata method 3-4 times a week + exercises for abdominal muscles
Hormonal belly
One of the common causes of the hormonal abdomen is elevated levels of cortisol. Under normal conditions, this hormone is necessary for the body to respond quickly in stressful situations, but chronically high cortisol negatively affects the metabolism.
In particular, fat deposition in the lower abdomen is accelerated. Stretch marks and other skin density disorders may also occur. Since cortisol is a stress hormone, its high level is associated with nervousness, sleep disturbances, and poor mood. A typical “cure” in these conditions is fast carbohydrates - but it is they that lead to the accumulation of fat on the stomach.
If against the background of high cortisol, a person tries to go on a strict diet, this leads to an increase in leptin levels, further disturbing the metabolism.
In men, low testosterone also provokes a set of fat in the abdomen and a decrease in total muscle mass.
In turn, the smaller the muscles in the body, the lower the metabolic requirements for calories - even the usual diet, in this case, will cause weight gain. Plus, estrogen levels can increase - provoking female-type obesity, fat in the lower abdomen and gynecomastia.
How to remove the hormonal stomach:
- reduce stress - do meditation
- do cardio regularly
- observe sleep standards
Water removes on the hormonal stomach:
Subcutaneous fat in the lower abdomen and on the hips consist of about 2-3% triglycerides (fatty acids), and 90% of water and other intercellular fluids. A sedentary lifestyle and poor diet with salty, fatty and sweet foods can increase the percentage of water, making the stomach visually larger. In addition, gluten-free foods also cause fluid retention.
Fortunately, adipose tissue is similar to a sponge - it literally absorbs water, maintaining an increased volume. With the right mechanical action, the sponge “squeezes out” - due to which the tissues become more elastic. Local therapy works on this principle, allowing you to remove the stomach - in particular, lymph massage. However, we note that we are not talking about real fat loss.
How to remove the lower abdomen?
The first rule to remove belly fat is to give up sugar, sweets and starchy foods. Carbohydrates increase the level of the hormone insulin, opening up the ability of cells to take energy and an excessive amount of calories present in food becomes the building material for the formation of fat stores on the body - and, in particular, the hormonal abdomen.
Regular consumption of large amounts of fast carbohydrates disrupts the body's ability to properly respond to insulin and hormones that form a feeling of fullness (for example, to leptin). That is why type 2 diabetes is often associated with obesity, and the diet for diabetics is based on complete control of products that cause insulin spikes.
Nutrition and fat in the lower abdomen
To get rid of belly fat, you need to carefully study the theory of the glycemic index. The problem with “harmful” carbohydrate products is not at all their high-calorie content, but the fact that they increase the level of glucose (and insulin) in the blood too quickly - however, with a decrease, a feeling similar to hunger is formed. Ultimately, this leads to overeating.
For weight loss, you need to limit fast carbohydrates in the diet to the maximum, while at the same time increasing the number of complex carbohydrates and fiber foods - scientific evidence suggests that this normalizes the secretion of insulin in the body. Plus, vegetable dietary fiber helps the intestinal microflora to work more correctly, acting as probiotics.
Diets to combat belly fat:
- Carbohydrate-free diet
- Keto diet - an example of a menu by day
- Diet 16/8
Workouts to clean your stomach
Although abdominal exercises strengthen your abdominal muscles, they are not capable of burning fat. To get rid of fat reserves, you need long cardio with an average heart rate of about 30-45 minutes with a heart rate of 130-145 beats. Such training not only reduces blood glucose but also accelerates blood circulation in adipose tissue.
The key hormone produced by the body during cardio is adrenaline. This hormone activates the release of free fatty acids from the fat cell, and a low level of insulin further enhances the processes of fat burning. Under the influence of adrenaline, internal fat literally melts - however, fat in the lower abdomen has a different nature and reacts differently to hormones.
Sports supplements to combat fat:
- Fat burners - to increase the activity of the central nervous system
- BCAA amino acids - to optimize metabolism
Cold belly during cardio
Receptors in male fat in the lower abdomen (exactly like in female fat on the hips and buttocks) do not work like internal fat receptors. By acting on fat in the lower abdomen, adrenaline lowers blood circulation, blocking fat burning - that is why the stomach becomes cold during cardio. Ultimately, this greatly complicates the processes of fat burning.
To facilitate the work on getting rid of fat in the lower abdomen, it is necessary to start training with low blood sugar. In practice, this means cardio on an empty stomach or morning workouts while dieting 16/8. Working in conditions of a lack of “fast” energy forces the body to spend readily available reserves - and they are located just in the fat on the stomach.
Exercises for abdominal muscles
The key problem of pumping abdominal muscles for overweight people is that many of them do not feel the work of the abdominal muscles. The abdominal muscles themselves can be extremely stretched, which complicates the training.
In the material on how to pump the press correctly, we examined in detail the best exercises and the strategy for enhancing neuromuscular communication.
In turn, the oblique muscles of the press are responsible for the development of the muscles of the lower abdomen - it is they who form the characteristic V-shaped line.
Performing exercises such as a bicycle perfectly develop the lateral press. Without regular training for the press, although you remove your stomach, you will not reach a taut figure at all.
Best exercises for the abdomen:
The strategy to combat male fat in the lower abdomen and female fat on the thighs is to reject carbohydrates with a high glycemic index and cardio workout on an empty stomach to increase insulin resistance. However, to remove internal fat on the abdomen, just switching to proper nutrition and regular cardio is enough - such fat leaves extremely quickly.
Scientific sources:
2. Changes in abdominal subcutaneous fat water content with rapid weight loss and long-term weight maintenance in abdominally obese men and women.
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