Three Types of Belly Fat – How to Lose the Belly Pooch
3 Types of Stubborn Abdominal Fats – Intramuscular Fat, Subcutaneous Fat, and Visceral Fat
Three Types of Belly Fat – How to Lose the Belly Pooch. It’s the battle of the bulge ladies. Have you ever sat down and felt that little something resting on your legs? Or pulled up those nice sexy pair of pants only to reveal that infamous muffin top? Hello!! Speaking only for myself, that excess hangage has been the bane of my existence. I watch what I eat and my workout routine consists of numerous crunches; however I’ve discovered that you cannot spot reduce that excess flab around your stomach. Why? Because proof #1 – mine is still there. Can you relate to what I’m saying?
But alas – help is on the way. I’ve learned that its not only because I’ve been working my ab muscles wrong – its because I’m not only dealing with only 1 type of stomach fat – I’m dealing with 3 (as if one wasn’t enough). This is the main reasons that belly pouch is so darn tough to get rid of. How’s that for a wake up call?
So lets explore this situation. There are 3 types of stubborn abdominal fats. They are:
INTRAMUSCULAR FAT, SUBCUTANEOUS FAT, AND VISCERAL FAT.
INTRAMUSCULAR FAT resides between the muscle fibers, spreading within the muscles of your body. This type of fat is difficult to get rid of because its hidden, but it can be burned through a combination of healthy diet and a regular exercise program. Intramuscular fat is the least dangerous fat of the three. Reducing this fat can help lower your chances of heart disease, cancer and other illnesses like diabetes.
SUBCUTANEOUS FAT, or superficial fat, sits between the muscles and skin, and is what causes dimples and rolls in the skin; its that drooping, flabby bulge you’ve come to hate. It is the second most dangerous fat. For those with higher proportions of this fat , there is a risk for chronic health problems.
And then there is VISCERAL FAT, often referred to as ‘belly fat, beer belly, spare tire, muffin top’. It’s the fat that accumulates around your waistline and is more deeply set into your abdomen, packed between the organs. It is the most dangerous fat to have because an excess of this fat will lead to cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and other chronic health risks.
Three Types of Belly Fat – How to Lose the Belly Pooch
Over the next few days I will be posting about each type of fat, and what WE should be eating and how WE should be exercising to rid ourselves once and for all of this excess hangage. So stay with me and lets get busy.
LETS START WITH INTRAMUSCULAR FAT
Intramuscular Fat is the fat that resides inside of your muscle itself. Your body burns this type of fat at certain times during exercise, which provides your body with the energy it needs to keep moving and helps your muscles to contract properly and increase in mass. Although it is sometimes a confusing process, it is possible to burn intramuscular fat with just a couple of adjustments to your everyday fitness and nutrition routines.
DIET
- If you want to burn fat faster, eat a diet that is lower in calories than your current diet.
- Increase the amount of fiber in your diet such as vegetables, fruit, berries, and whole grains. By increasing your level of fiber, you will feel fuller and will therefore eat less calories.
- Eat a low-carbohydrate diet, focusing on the healthy carbohydrates found in vegetables, whole grains, fruits, lean proteins, healthy fats and low-fat dairy products, rather than high, refined carbohydrates found in foods like white rice and white bread. This way, instead of burning high carbohydrates, your body will naturally burn intramuscular fat during exercise.
- Reduce the amounts of sugar you consume every day, specifically refined sugars, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners like aspartame, as well as white, starchy foods such as refined white flour that turns quickly into sugar in your body.
- Drink 8-10 glasses of water per day.
- Get enough sleep and reduce as much stress as you can from your life.
EXERCISE
- Do a moderate intensity aerobic exercise at least three to four times a week. This will burn a greater amount of intramuscular fat stored than traditional-paced exercise. Set a goal of at least 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise at each session. Moderate intensity exercise includes swimming, jogging, cycling, or a dance class. You burn more calories, and therefore fat, when you use up a lot of energy. If you need to work at a lower intensity, increase the amount of time you spend on your exercise routine.
- Exercise in intervals. For example, do a minute of regular-paced exercise such as walking, then a minute of high-intensity exercise such as jogging. This will prevent lactic acid levels from elevating too high in your blood, which will help you exercise longer and effectively burn intramuscular fat.
- Lift weights or do another strength-training activity at least 2-3 days a week. Alternate between your upper and lower body so you don’t overwork your muscles. Strength-Training raises your body’s metabolism by creating larger muscles, which then uses more energy than fat.
- Rest for about 60 to 90 seconds in between each exercise set. This gives your muscles a chance to recover, which makes it easier to increase the intensity and endurance needed to burn intramuscular fat.
It is doable my friends – we can rid our belly’s of this excess flab. So what are we waiting for? Check back tomorrow for the next post on ” SUBCUTANEOUS FAT” Cheers 🙂
