08 May 2019
While often termed differently, muffin top, belly fat and spare tire are all essentially the same thing – excess abdominal fat. No matter what it’s called, it can be a frustration for many men. One of the most difficult areas to slim, the abdomen contains two types of fat which each require different tactics to tone the area. We asked Brent Wilson, a registered dietitian at INTEGRIS, Health to share his advice on how the spare tire affects men and what can be done to get rid of it once and for all.
Fat around the stomach and waist can be caused by a variety of factors. “The spare tire is excess body fat stored around the midsection when our calorie balance is off,” Wilson explains. Caused by an imbalance between calorie intake and output, poor diet and insufficient activity are the main culprits of belly fat.
Inactivity during the day, worsened by sitting at a desk or in front of the television for long periods of time, is also a large contributor to one’s spare tire. Even stress can be a factor as it can impact the hormones that create fat.
Visceral Fat “Subcutaneous fat hibernates just beneath your skin and you can grasp it with your fingers,” Wilson says. “Visceral fat stows away deep in your abdomen around your organs.” These organs can include your intestines and stomach. Visceral fat is more dangerous than its subcutaneous counterpart as it can produce cytokines, or inflammation, that can damage those organs.
Health risks commonly go hand-in-hand with the spare tire. “Excess belly fat increases your risk for high blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides and metabolic syndrome,” Wilson explains. The chemicals created by excess visceral fat can increase the risk for heart disease or diabetes. As men age, it becomes more important to exercise regularly as their bodies tend to lose muscle mass more easily.
When it comes to shedding the spare tire, lifestyle changes must be made. “Ultimately, it comes down to the decisions we have to make on a daily basis,” Wilson says.
He explains these decisions become increasingly more difficult to make due to the convenience of highly processed foods that include substantial amounts of fat, sugar and calories. Combined with the typical low level of activity required by many jobs, it becomes more important to make conscious decisions to be physically active.
The first step toward eliminating the spare tire is to set healthy and reasonable goals. Shedding abdominal fat takes time and should not be treated as a race. So, how do you track your progress? The number on the scale doesn’t always represent the amount of fat and muscle mass a person carries, making it a less than optimal choice for measurement. Many people prefer to track their Body Mass Index (BMI), although Wilson advises against this. Instead, he opts for a more specific source of measurement.
“The BMI will ultimately give you a general idea of where your weight should be; however, it can be misleading as it doesn’t take muscle mass into account,” he says.
“The best thing would be to have your body fat percentage tested and retested after a few months of implementing physical activity and healthy eating.” The INTEGRIS Health Weight Loss Center provides several options for both surgical and non-surgical weight loss services, including seminars and assistance with nutrition.
It is also important to set a healthy daily calorie goal. “Ultimately, we need to lower our calorie intake,” Wilson says. “I would encourage keeping a food log to identify where the most calories are coming from in your diet. Then, try replacing high calorie food and beverages with lower calorie options.” He suggests the app MyFitnessPal as a way to track your dietary choices.
When exercising to burn belly fat, it’s important to create a healthy mix of cardio and strength training. When targeting the spare tire, especially if you don’t go to the gym on a regular basis, you should start slowly. Wilson suggests beginning by walking or cycling and slowly increasing the duration and intensity of cardio.
Make sure to include stretches in your routine to keep your muscles limber and limit soreness. He advises setting a goal of 150 minutes of physical activity per week.
When it comes to choosing between cardio and weights, he says “both can be effective if used properly. The key is to get your heart pumping, so you can start burning the fat stored around the belly. Cardio is great at this. Weights can also work well, as long as you are keeping your heart rate elevated. Rather than resting in between sets of weight lifting, try using your rest time to keep your heart rate up with things like rowing, walking, or cycling.”
Stay committed to your exercise goals by creating a workout calendar or setting a joint fitness goal with your friends or family. For those who need to set a specific time to work out or thrive on extroverted activities, try joining a group fitness or boot camp style workout.
A healthy diet is the perfect complement to your new exercise regime.
It can also be the most difficult part of the process. Essentially, it’s important to choose lower calorie options, skip processed foods, limit sugar and practice portion control.
“Choose lean protein sources such as eggs, nuts, fish and chicken,” Wilson recommends. “Increase your intake of fruit and vegetables, which contain fewer calories per cup than most other foods. The fiber in them will keep you feeling full for longer so you take in fewer calories throughout the day.”
It is vital that men strive to achieve a healthy lifestyle as they age. Eliminating the spare tire is a crucial factor in the process of lowering health risks and staying in good physical shape. Contact an INTEGRIS Health physician today to assess your health needs.
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21 March 2017
Let's be honest… there is nothing 'lovable' about 'love handles'! It's the worst when you're trying to fit into those new skinny jeans, or a cute little crop top.
They're one of the hardest things to get rid of… much to our dismay. And no amount of ab workouts and crunches is going to help – because love handles lie in a very specific group of abdominal muscles that make it really hard to get rid of them.
So apart from eating clean (no, no more late night pizza orders), here are 5 exercises you can do to target your love handles.
Cardio
The thought of 'cardio' is enough to make everyone weep. But don't worry, you don't need to do too much. Just a 30 minute cardio every other day or even six days a week is an effective way to get rid of that extra fat around your belly. It doesn't matter how intense the workout is. Even walking for 30 minutes, 6 days a week makes a big difference.
Woodchoppers
Stand with your feet apart and rest your weight on your left leg. Hold a dumbbell or a medicine ball in both hands and lift it up towards your left shoulder.
Then, twist downwards towards your right hip, and pivot your feet and knees with the twist. Raise the weight back to your left shoulder and repeat for 20 reps. Then work your right side for another 20 reps.
Image courtesy: Your Fitnessity.
Russian Twists
Begin in a seated position, with your body in a C shape – so keep your knees bent, feet on the floor and your torso leaning back at a 45 degree angle. Remember to keep your back straight. Hold a dumbbell or a medicine ball with both hands and lift your feet off the ground, balancing on your butt. Then twist your body from the left to the right and back to the left with the dumbbell touching the ground on each side. Repeat back and forth about 50 times.
Bicycle Crunches
Yes, you still need to do some crunches, and it's not going to be easy, but worth it.
Start in a standard crunch position – lie on a mat with your knees bent and your hands behind your head. Then, lift your upper body up and raise your left leg, connecting it with your right elbow somewhere in the middle of your body. Without resting your body back on the floor, connect your right leg to your left elbow. Continue this as fast as possible for 30 reps.
Side Plank Hip- lifts
This is probably the hardest one, and requires balance – It's the bane of all exercises, at least for us. Rest on your side, with your elbow, legs and hips on the ground. While keeping your body in a straight line raise it off the ground in a side-plank position. Hold it for a few seconds and lower your body. Repeat for 15 reps and then work on your other side.
Key to get your heart racing so you can start burning fat around your belly.
Cardio is great for this. Weights can also work well if you maintain an elevated heart rate.
Subsequently, which exercise gets rid of the spare tire? 5 easy ways to get rid of the spare tire on your waist
Then what is the fastest way to lose a spare tire?
Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Bending your hips and knees, squat down and lower your body until you can rest your hands on the floor. Step your legs back into a push-up position and then immediately reverse and quickly get up from the squat.
Besides, why am I carrying belly fat? There are many reasons why people accumulate belly fat, including poor diet, lack of exercise, and stress.
Improved nutrition, increased activity, and other lifestyle changes can help. Belly fat refers to fat around the abdomen.
What 5 foods burn belly fat? Foods that burn belly fat
Contents
Fat cells in the stomach area contain more alpha receptors, making them harder to get rid of. That's why when you start a weight loss program, you see results on your face, arms, and chest before you lose belly fat. Another reason could be the food you eat.
Processed meat is not only bad for the stomach, but also linked to heart disease and stroke.
No, bananas in moderation do not cause or increase belly fat. Bananas are a versatile fruit that can be eaten in limited portions to help you lose or maintain weight. Eat it as a snack instead of sweets like cookies or pastries. The natural sugars in bananas make them a great pre-workout snack.
Research shows that people who eat eggs in the morning lose more weight and belly fat than those who choose high-carbohydrate foods like bagels or cereal. (These products also help fight belly fat.)
Also, check out these tips on how to burn belly fat in less than a week.
Your muscles hold water.
Newly strengthened muscles hold water, and for good reason. Strength training puts stress on the muscles to strengthen them, and the resulting soreness causes the surrounding tissues to swell until everything subsides.
Water can be very helpful for weight loss. It is 100% calorie-free, helps you burn more calories, and can even suppress your appetite if taken before meals. The benefits are even greater if you replace sugary drinks with water.
The type of workout, your diet and lifestyle factors can all affect how successful you are at losing fat.
And what's even more difficult is that you can't accurately reduce fat - meaning that when you lose fat, it tends to come from everywhere, not just your belly.
Top 9 Foods to Burn Belly Fat
Apple. Fresh and crunchy, apples are rich in healthy flavonoids and fiber that help burn belly fat. They are especially rich in pectin fiber, which breaks down slowly. The fibers present in the apple promote satiety.
10 foods that help fight belly fat
We all need sweet things from time to time. 1. Lemon. While you might think that lemons are sour due to their pungent and sour taste, this citrus fruit actually has an incredible alkalizing effect on the body. This is good for the health of our liver, which in turn aids digestion, boosts metabolism and burns fat while we sleep.
Fresh and crunchy apples are rich in healthy flavonoids and fiber that help burn belly fat. They are especially rich in pectin fiber, which is slowly destroyed. The fibers present in the apple promote satiety. If you feel full, you will naturally overeat less.
This concept can help you lose weight because you end up eating fewer calories throughout the day. Whole grain toast is high in energy and fiber, making it a healthy calorie-cutting diet option.
Oatmeal is rich in nutrients such as magnesium, zinc, and fiber, which may help lower cholesterol levels, aid in weight loss, and improve gut health. “Oats help people feel full, reduce sugar spikes, and lower insulin levels.
If you are looking to lose weight, canned tuna is a good option because it is low in calories but high in protein. High-protein diets have been associated with weight loss benefits, including increased satiety and reduced food cravings (7, 8).
The most effective exercise for burning belly fat is crunches.
When we talk about fat burning exercises, crunches come first. You can start by lying flat with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. Raise your hands and put them behind your head.
10 signs that you are losing weight
Running for 25 minutes every day and following a healthy diet is an effective strategy for getting rid of belly fat quickly. A diet low in calories, fats and sugars will allow the body to burn fat more easily.
5 best exercises for weight loss on the stomach
Lemon water can promote satiety, keep you hydrated, boost your metabolism, and aid in weight loss. However, lemon water is no better than plain water when it comes to burning fat. It's tasty, easy to prepare, and can be used as a low-calorie replacement for high-calorie drinks.
So if you find yourself weighing more at night, it's normal: body weight is usually slightly lower in the morning because you eat less food and fluids at night and lose water through sweat and respiration, according to the American Physiological Society.
Sufficient water intake helps to remove toxins from the body and speeds up the metabolism. And drinking a glass or two of warm water in the morning can help you lose weight and get rid of belly fat.
01 June 2022 Viktor Bodrov Articles 10022
Fat is quickly deposited in the waist, folds and sides appear. And this problem is hard to get rid of. Physical exercise is not enough to correct the figure. Therefore, an integrated approach is needed, which will consist of a well-designed training program and proper nutrition. In the article we will talk about typical mistakes, effective exercises and the secrets of a slender waist.
Fat is quickly deposited in the waist, folds and sides appear. And this problem is hard to get rid of. Physical exercise is not enough to correct the figure. Therefore, an integrated approach is needed, which will consist of a well-designed training program and proper nutrition. In the article we will talk about typical mistakes, effective exercises and the secrets of a slender waist.
It is necessary to know that as soon as the percentage of fat in the body increases, it begins to be deposited in the abdomen.
And your first task is to reduce body fat. You should give up junk food, increase physical activity and monitor daily calorie consumption.
Your body is supposed to use fat, not store it. The effect of weight loss will be observed throughout the body. One zone will lose weight more slowly, the other faster. Forcing the body to lose weight only in the abdomen is impossible.
Important. There are no miracle cures for losing weight. It is impossible to reduce the waist by 7 cm in a week with a miracle corset or hula hoop. A healthy, slender body is a daily work that requires effort and patience.
The safest and most effective way to visually reduce the waist is underwear for correction. It will not help to lose extra pounds, but hide the flaws. All other methods described are useless, ineffective or even dangerous to health.
PP and training do not always help to reduce the waist. The reasons are different:
The situation is faced by women during pregnancy and after childbirth. To solve the problem, they practice special exercises for correction and exclude any weight loads and overloads. It requires a doctor's consultation and diagnosis. Important. Each person is individual, has its own characteristics of the structure of the body. When it is not possible to achieve a thin waist due to the structure of the figure, adjust the overall proportions: shoulders, buttocks, hips.
Your goal is not only to strengthen your core muscles, but also to lose weight. And you need to train regularly with the intensity that is optimal for you. Only such an approach will help to achieve a good result.
The workout must include cardio exercises that start the overall process of burning fat. Do not forget about low-calorie proper nutrition.
Cardio exercises should be alternated with core exercises. You need to pump oblique muscles and back, pay attention to other problem areas.
Waist workouts should be done 2-3 times a week. To make the classes comfortable and safe, you must:
Muscles, joints and ligaments should be warmed up. The main cardio exercise is running. It speeds up metabolic processes in the body, improves blood circulation, stimulates the burning of subcutaneous fat and helps to lose weight.
Outdoor running can be replaced with indoor running. The technique is simple - the usual run, but only in place. For additional load, you need to overwhelm the shins back more strongly.
This exercise helps to achieve a small waist and strengthens the lower muscles of the abdomen and thighs.
To perform the movement, they become a half-side. The leg should be put back and slowly pulled up to a level below the chest. Here you can help with your hands.
This exercise combines twisting and tilting. It helps to work out the oblique muscles and abs well, as well as the muscles responsible for stabilization.
To perform a turn to the side, lie on your back. The arms are extended along the body, the legs are raised and bent at the knee joint. The thighs should be perpendicular to the floor. From this position, raise your head slightly and begin to lean to the left and right.
Movement has a positive effect on the slimness of the waist and strengthens the abdominal muscles, develops stabilizing muscles. You need to sit on the floor and stretch your legs. Close the palms in the lock on the back of the head. The elbows should be straight and the body slightly tilted back. From this position, the knees begin to rise to the level of the solar plexus.
In this case, it is necessary to turn the body - twist left and right.
Exercise helps to burn fat effectively. Its action is aimed at pumping the muscles of the press, arms and legs.
To perform the exercise, become straight. Each subsequent movement will resemble the action of scissors. It is necessary to alternately step over the legs in the jump. Hands at this moment move in the opposite direction. On one jump, the left hand rises, on the other, the right.
Movement pumps well the lateral muscles, accelerates metabolic processes and promotes weight loss in the waist area.
To perform the exercise, stand straight, bring your arms together in front of you, turn your elbows to your sides. From the starting position, they begin to jump. Pushing out occurs with the help of calf strength. At the time of the jump, you also need to turn the body alternately to the left and right.
Workout helps to strengthen the back muscles, correct posture, tighten the press, buttocks and thighs.
