In people whose fat tissue accumulates in excess above all in the abdominal area, there is obesity, also referred to as visceral obesity.

The most common motivation to reduce excessive body fat is the aesthetic problem. However, it should be known that the phenomenon of abdominal obesity is also associated with high risk to health. This is due to the fact that fat produces many chemicals that regulate the metabolism of the whole body, and fatty tissue localized within the abdominal cavity is particularly metabolically active. These compounds affect, among others on: sensitivity of tissues to insulin, blood pressure, occurrence of inflammation. Therefore, waist circumference reduction is one of the actions taken to reduce the risk of diseases such as diabetes, atherosclerosis, hypertension or some types of cancer. (e.g., large intestine or breast).

It should be remembered that excess fat around the abdomen is also associated with excessive strain on the joints and spine. The risk of liver and gallbladder problems increases. Women with this type of obesity are more likely to have problems with getting pregnant and are more vulnerable to psychological problems, such as depression associated with reduced self-esteem.

The lack of calories in the diet – slowing down the metabolism
The basic error (which may hinder effective burning of abdominal fat) is the inadequate caloric value of the reduction diet. Lowering the energy of the diet is one of the conditions for the success of the slimming diet. However, if the caloric limitations are too high, the metabolic rate decreases. Excessive deficit is read by the body as a state of hunger resulting from the lack of access to food, as a result of which the system begins to manage the reserves in the form of adipose tissue very wisely. The rate of fat burning decreases like the volume of muscle mass (often incorrectly interpreted as a positive effect of the diet), which further adversely affects the metabolism and leads to the yo-yo effect.

It is important to know that caloric demand depends on many individual factors, such as body weight, sex, age, health status, level of physical activity and even genetic predisposition. Therefore, to assess how much energy should be provided by the reduction diet that facilitates the burning of body fat, it is worth going to a dietitian who, based on the data obtained, will help you choose the calorie of the menu. It is worth remembering that the use of diets of 1000, 1200 or even 1500 kcal (coupled not infrequently with intense physical activity) will in practice prevent the reduction of abdominal fat and lead to serious nutritional deficiencies and hormonal disorders.

Not healthy fats – important vitamins carriers
The importance of effective abdominal fat reduction is not only the amount of energy in the diet, but also the quality of its components. It is a serious mistake to focus only on the calorie content of the menu. You can provide the body with 500 kcal in the form of a reasonable dinner containing only healthy components or in the form of a large hamburger rich in: saturated fatty acids, trans fat, a large amount of sodium and refined flour.

To effectively burn body fat from the waist, you need energy provided in the form of all nutrients: protein (effectively accelerating metabolism), carbohydrates (which are an excellent source of energy) and fats. The last of these ingredients is usually significantly reduced or completely excluded from the diet by people who want to lose weight from the stomach, which is a big mistake. Elimination of this nutrient not only does not accelerate the process of reducing body fat, but even makes it difficult, exposing you to deficiencies of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K), which appropriate level is necessary during a healthy weight loss.

However, their quantity should be strictly controlled. Food fat carries a large load of energy. Of burning one gram of this ingredient, you get 9 kcal. This value is more than twice as high as for other nutrients. Therefore, if you consume nuts, seeds, you should plan their portions wisely.

A small amount of sleep – no control over appetite
An important factor increasing the risk of overweight and obesity is too little sleep. Ineffective rest at night results in physiological disorders, also in the hormonal economy. It turns out that people who notoriously do not sleep come to:

• reducing the level of leptin, a hormone responsible for suppressing appetite,
• increase in the level of ghrelin, i.e. the hormone responsible for increasing appetite.

Changes of this type translate into a stronger feeling of hunger and a problem with the control of appetite. Therefore, a very long sleep in the right conditions will be very important in building a shapely figure. The room should be: quiet, darkened and cool. The optimal length of night rest is an individual matter. The average amount of sleep is estimated at around eight hours a day.

Intense exercise – loss of muscle mass
A frequent mistake made by people who want to burn adipose tissue from the abdominal area is taking excessive physical activity. This action, correlated with low energy diet, leads to a slowdown in the rate of loss of pounds and causes a loss of lean body mass. The loss of muscle tissue results in a decrease in the metabolic rate.

Burning fat from the belly occurs slower when we exercise too long. Errors of this type not only negatively affect the metabolic rate, but in addition can result in overtraining and painful injuries that discourage the next training.

In order to effectively burn fat from the abdominal area, in addition to properly arranged menu, a sensibly prepared training plan is needed, taking into account not only energy balance, but also: health status, fitness level and lifestyle of a slimming person.

Picture Credit: mohamed_hassan

The post Mistakes Stopping You From Losing Belly Fat appeared first on John Barry Miller.

The truth and fiction about fitness classes

Many people believe that the term “fitness” was invented by the Americans. In fact, the history of sports for maintaining a good physical shape is thousands of years old. Of course, the ancient people did not need additional loads – hunting, gathering and later farming and so supported the muscle tone. The desire to have a beautiful body appeared a little later. Most often the emergence of fitness as a separate sporting trend is attributed to Ancient Greece. It was in those early times that the desire for physical perfection became a common philosophy.

The relevance of fitness increases under certain conditions. Most often, a deterioration in health or overweight is caused by a change in your body. Such factors and caused a surge in the popularity of sports in the US in the 50’s. The growth of well-being allowed people to relax, and this led to a sharp jump in the incidence of obesity. According to statistics, in the 60-70s more than 50% of American schoolchildren were unable to pass school sports standards, as they suffered from extra pounds.

Today, there are several dozen types of general physical training. The most popular currents are step, qigong, bosu, half-dance, crossfit, pilates and fitness yoga. The main advantage of such sets of exercises is their availability. Many people study at home at a convenient time for themselves, using techniques that are allowed for free use.

Indications for physical training

Most often, people choose fitness to improve the state of the cardiovascular system, develop flexibility, build muscle mass or lose excess pounds. And a uniform constant load allows you to quickly achieve your goal.

Contraindications to exercise can be many pathologies of the body. In order not to provoke the emergence or aggravation of a dangerous ailment, it is first necessary to consult a specialized specialist (qualified trainer, medical worker).

Most likely, we will have to give up fitness by people suffering from varicose veins, hypertension, tachycardia, stomach ulcers, pathologies of bone tissue or the musculoskeletal system. It is also better to refrain from physical exertion in certain disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and respiratory diseases.

Myths about fitness
The main enemy of the ideal body is laziness. Absence or lack of diligence often forces a person to seek an excuse for his bad physical form. Such excuses were also sinned by many well-known personalities.

Often untrue information prevents you from achieving the desired result. Therefore, you need to learn to separate the truth from fiction.

1. Fitness classes allow you to eat any food. A similar stereotype was created by the media. Famous actresses and models rarely confess in their interviews that they are on a diet. They tell stories about natural data or the healing power of exercise. But qualified trainers recommend not to get involved in fatty foods or flour dishes, even during intensive loads. It is quite permissible to occasionally indulge yourself with not very useful products, but do it better not more often than once a week. Otherwise, all efforts will come to naught.

2. Without pain, there is no result. There is a popular theory that the next day after doing the exercises must be present discomfort in the body. And the stronger the pain syndrome, the better the training. This is a very dangerous myth. Requirements for the load should be based on individual characteristics of the body. Often the feeling of stiffness or fossil of muscles is a symptom of damage to nerve fibers, and not an indicator of muscle mass growth. You do not need to endure the pain. The optimal solution in the fight against painful manifestations can be a warm bath or sauna.

3. Protein powder and fitness drinks accelerate the build-up of muscle mass. Indeed, many special fluids can increase the intensity of training. They include ingredients that increase endurance and compensate for the loss of electrolytes. But to overestimate their importance is not necessary. Muscles grow by working. Achieve a beautiful relief only with the help of sports nutrition just will not work.

4. To lose weight, do not have to strain too much. Many people for some reason think that excess body weight intensively goes away while practicing at an easy pace. Where did this theory come from? It’s unclear. Doctors say that long, but weak physical exertion will not allow the effective use of fat burning mechanisms. Lose weight can only be changed the balance between consumed and spent calories. Therefore, the load must be noticeably high.

5. Developed musculature is a guarantee of good health. This is not entirely true. Indeed, athletes are in better physical shape than their lazy opponents. But sports can not protect against all possible ailments. Fitness – helping the body on the way to balance, and not a panacea for any disease.

Do not believe everything that you read in the press or on the pages of Internet resources about sports. Often such articles are conceived as advertising of a certain product. If you really want to improve your body, go to the question in detail. The best solution is to consult doctors.

Image credit: skeeze

The post 5 Fitness Myths-Busted! appeared first on John Barry Miller.