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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There’s no way to specifically lose weight in a particular area, however, by watching what you eat and staying consistent with your workouts, you can develop a healthier body.
Image Credit: Carlina Teteris/Moment/GettyImages
Getting rid of your spare tire tummy can not only help your clothes fit better, it can also be great for your health! While you can't spot tone, the best overall approach to a healthier body is to focus on the tried and true approach: healthy diet and consistent exercise.
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There’s no way to specifically lose weight in a particular area, however, by watching what you eat and staying consistent with your workouts, you can develop a healthier body.
While the slang term is a spare tire belly, this colloquialism refers to a buildup of fat and excess weight around your abdomen. According to Mayo Clinic, this issue is most common as we get older. This is because we slowly lose muscle mass as we age, which decreases the number of calories we burn throughout the day. At the same time, the amount of fat increases, making it more difficult to maintain a proper weight.
Unfortunately, developing a middle-aged spare tire is more commonly seen in women than men. This occurs as a result of menopause, which causes a decrease in the hormone estrogen as women enter the middle of their lives. This hormonal fluctuation seems to cause the distribution of fat in the body to shift, with much more of it centering in the abdomen.
There may also be a familial link to developing a spare tire tummy. Mayo Clinic also reports that your body type and fat distribution, specifically whether it is more apple shaped or pear shaped, seems to be related to your individual genetic history.
While a spare tire tummy be seem like simply a cosmetic complaint, the truth is an increase in abdominal fat can have significant health effects. As reported by Harvard Health, this is because abdominal fat is visceral in nature.
Unlike subcutaneous (just beneath the skin) fat which can be easily grabbed and pinched, visceral fat is situated deeper within the abdomen and can be seen or measured, but not grabbed.
This type of fat fills the areas between our internal organs in your stomach.
The visceral type of fat can cause significant issues like cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes. It can also impact your overall metabolism and slow down the rate at which you burn calories. In addition, Harvard Health states that there is some association between increased abdominal fat and a higher risk of breast cancer in females. To add to this, women with a spare tire may also experience an increased rate of gallbladder surgery.
While it may not be particularly exciting, watching what you eat is a tried and true way to reduce your overall weight and get rid of a middle-aged spare tire. While every person's situation is unique, according to the Cleveland Clinic, the ketogenic diet seems to work particularly well for individuals who are trying to reduce the amount they weigh.
This diet focuses on restricting the overall amount of carbohydrates you consume.
At the same time, it strives to increase your overall protein intake. As a result of these caloric changes, individuals seem to drop pounds even with only a moderate amount of exercise.
Read more: How to Shrink Belly Fat Fast
Because the specific recommendations are unique from person to person, it is best to work with your doctor when developing a weight loss program. Not only will they be able to provide you with specifics, but they can also help you keep the weight off after you put in all the hard work to lose it.
In addition to cutting calories, regularly hitting the gym or working out at home is another crucial part of reducing your spare tire belly. Weight loss is all about tipping the scales between the number of calories you consume through your diet and the amount you burn off with activities and exercise throughout the day.
Read more: Does Rowing Burn Belly Fat
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the average adult should strive to get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity each week.
This could include things like brisk walking or outdoor biking.
You may also choose to do more vigorous exercises like running, swimming or using a stair stepper for a shorter duration (75 minutes per week). Organized sports like pick-up basketball or gym fitness classes such as step aerobics or Zumba may also fit into this category. Try finding an exercise buddy or an accountability partner to keep your workouts consistent and to maximize your chances of success.
Many different types of exercise can help reduce the size of your middle aged spare tire, and it is important to pick one that you like in order to stay consistent. That said, some types of workouts may be more beneficial than others. According to a February 2018 meta-analysis published in Sports Medicine, incorporating high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts into your exercise routine has been shown to effectively target visceral fat deposits in the abdominal area.
Read more: Do Crunches Reduce Belly Fat?
This type of workout mixes shorter periods of high-intensity movements or exercise with longer increments of lower intensity activities or complete rest. The journal found that HIIT-style running is more effective than biking at decreasing deposits of visceral abdominal fat in both normal weight and overweight individuals.
AARP recommends that beginners start by taking their normal cardio exercise and increasing the intensity high enough for you to become too winded to speak. Aim to do this for 20 seconds and then slow the pace down to your normal speed for 1 to 2 minutes. Next, return to the high intensity speed for another 20 seconds, rest for 2 minutes and then try to complete 20 more seconds at the faster pace. Finally, cool down at your normal speed for 2 more minutes.
Should your spare tire belly not diminish in size with the strategies listed above, you may want to contact your doctor to speak to them about further treatment options.
Initially, your physician may recommend a consultation with a nutritionist or personal trainer to give you more specific guidance on your diet and exercise regimen.
They may also want to take a closer look at any other health conditions you may have, some of which can affect your ability to lose weight. These can include having diabetes or having a thyroid issue. In some instances, they may even recommend prescription medication to assist in the fat burning process.
More extreme cases may even warrant bariatric surgery, which alters the amount of food that your stomach can contain or changes the way that nutrients are absorbed by the stomach in an effort to stimulate weight loss. Your doctor can give you proper guidance on which of these, if any, is right for you.
Health
How are extra pounds deposited at the waist? Most of us think that daily squats will help achieve a perfectly flat stomach.
But the celebrity expert has identified five key belly types that require a completely different approach.
London celebrity fitness trainer and nutrition expert, author of the super-popular wellness systems Clean and Lean and Bodyism
Personal website
How to identify this type
However, the "spare tire" is one of the simplest types of tummy to get rid of. According to the famous fitness trainer James Duigan, people with this type of stomach do not eat right and do not play sports.
Typical bad habits
“If you exercise very little, eat a lot of sugar, biscuits, cakes, white bread, cereals and pasta, you probably have extra weight not only on your stomach, but also on your legs and hips” ," James tells Western portal Daily Mail.
Plan to eliminate the "spare tire"
It is imperative to reduce the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol is like a time bomb, pure sugar, which is immediately deposited on the waist, so it must be abandoned forever. Remember that even a few glasses of wine a week lead to excess weight.
Nutrition experts do not advise to go on a strict diet, it is enough to eat right and move more. Do not snack on sandwiches and chocolates, try to add healthy diet snacks to your diet. Don't be afraid to start the day with eggs and smoked salmon or chicken and fresh vegetables. Nuts, avocados, and oily fish should all be included in your diet. These foods will help stimulate fat burning. It is not necessary to run for a fitness membership, long walks and, for example, the plank exercise, which takes a few minutes a day, will be enough for you.
And most importantly...
If you constantly reward yourself with a piece of cake for a hard day, remember how important it is to feel beautiful.
You are happy when you are comfortable, and if you do not have this feeling, deny yourself small weaknesses.
How to identify this type
People with this type of belly are more likely to be successful at work. And they don’t have time to eat properly, so people with a “stressed” stomach have problems with their intestines because of their busy schedules.
Stressed tummies are easy to notice, as all extra pounds are deposited on the part of the abdomen around the navel. When stressed, the body produces the hormone cortisol, which keeps fat around the belly. Such a stomach will not be soft, as in other cases, but firm and elastic.
Typical bad habits
Most likely you often skip meals, drink a lot of coffee and eat fast food due to lack of time.
Stress Belly Plan
Go to bed early. Yes Yes! Women who work all day, get up early and go to bed late, have a poor production of the hormone leptin, which helps regulate appetite and metabolism. That is why we eat a lot when we are very tired. The body requires sweets and fats for an instant burst of energy.
“It is important to eat every three to four hours and in small amounts so that there is no sharp rise in insulin and blood sugar. After all, with a sharp jump in sugar, the brain gives a signal to the pancreas to produce a large amount of insulin. Insulin is always produced more than sugar, so the brain, seeing insulin in the body, wants to get sugar and gives a signal of hunger and desire to eat. Therefore, a rare meal again leads to overeating, ”comments Ata Kelly, MD, LAC, NCCAOM, integrative medicine physician at the Remedy Lab clinic.
And you shouldn't overload yourself with physical activity when you're tired. Buy magnesium in vitamins, eat more dark green leafy vegetables and seeds.
And the most important thing…
Chamomile decoctions will help to cope with stress.
. But if you do it wrong, then the fat will not go away from the lower abdomen.
Typical bad habits
You probably have chosen the wrong training program and do not notice how you arrange small snacks while finishing your child.
Small Problem Plan
Good nutrition and fiber improves digestion, inflammation and bloating. Don't forget to add green leafy vegetables and whole grains to your diet. Do exercises for different muscle groups daily, develop a training plan with a trainer.
And most importantly...
Drink plenty of water and include foods that are easy to digest.
Help your body process food better with green vegetables and light proteins like fish and chicken.
has time for himself. After childbirth, the uterus descends and becomes heavier than it was before pregnancy, so it will take at least 6-7 weeks to return to its usual size.
Typical bad habits
Throw yourself headlong into the pool of physical activity. Many experts recommend waiting at least two to three months after giving birth before starting to exercise. Give yourself a break.
Plan to get rid of "mom's tummy"
Fish oil will help turn on fat-burning and turn off fat-storing hormones. Start with three capsules a day and then increase to five. Eat foods rich in healthy fats: Nuts, oils and olives should be included in your daily diet.
These products will help in the fight against fatigue. After giving birth, use a special corset and do Kegel exercises 15-20 times up to 5 times a day. You should not do squats: you should allow the muscles that go down in the middle of the abdomen to recover.
And most importantly…
Stretch before bed to slowly stimulate fat burning.
Typical bad habits
You eat common foods that you have eaten all your life, but do not realize that you have an intolerance to them.
Bloating Plan
Wheat and gluten intolerances, alcohol, yeast, and dairy products are the most common in people.
These foods irritate the intestines and make the stomach bigger. If you're not ready to do an expensive food intolerance test, try eliminating this list from your diet first. Choose a sparing diet with plenty of fresh vegetables, meat, chicken, and fish.
You need to eat according to the rules: you need to have a hearty breakfast, and you can have lunch and dinner with light products, you need to eat every 3-4 hours, but no later than 4 hours before bedtime. Chew your food thoroughly and drink plenty of mineral water. A flat stomach can only be achieved with a healthy gut.
And most importantly…
Breathing exercises will help to get rid of such a tummy. Lie on your back every morning, relax and breathe deeply.
Vasilisa Kakorina
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November 5, 2015 9003 Comments
How we all want to be healthy and live longer! But how much information needs to be reviewed in order to find the very right tips that will effectively help keep your body and body in order.
We invite you to start your path to health with information about what spoils it so much for us - fat in the abdomen. This is one of the most dangerous types of fat, which significantly reduces all chances for longevity. Before you remove the stomach, you need to determine exactly what type of fat is shamelessly located on your stomach.
Office workers carry this cross. If you work a lot, you may not notice how your stomach starts to grow. Even on the most slender body, this very “tummy” can appear. One of the reasons for its appearance may be tension in the lumbar region, which occurs during sedentary work.
How to get rid of the "tummy"
Do not rush to write a letter of resignation. To solve the problem, simply include more protein and fiber-rich foods in your diet.
Stress is a deadly thing for our health, the most dangerous disease we suffer from.
Unfortunately, most often people ignore this and continue to live in a stressful state. And this killer is not to be ignored at all. It all usually starts with the "tummy", which (in the absence of proper measures) turns into a stressful type of abdomen.
How to get rid of the “stress belly”
Exercise will be the solution to the problem. Are you horrified? Do you think that you will have to study until you, as they say, “do not drop the skates”? But no! Has your belly grown due to stress? So, you need to get rid of stress in the first place. Hiking is a great way to help you. Replace trips by car or public transport with walking (at least part of the way, if you are going to go that far), and the result will soon please you.
This is the type of belly that the “tummy” goes into if you consume sugar and alcohol in addition to sedentary work. If you do not urgently take action, then the spare tire hanging over your hips will sooner or later just kill you.
