3 Solutions to Belly Fat

 

I've been slowly gaining weight as I nurse my knee back to health. One of the things that most worries me and frankly disgusts me is belly fat. I've put on some of it around my middle.

Abdominal fat is made up of two kinds of fat: subcutaneous fat sits just below the skin, the type you can grab with skin callipers; and visceral fat builds up deep in your abdomen around your organs and has been found to cause health problems.

Numerous studies have uncovered scary facts about visceral fat. According to a 10-year study of Chinese adults published in the August 2006 American Journal of Hypertension, larger waist measurements can raise blood pressure, regardless of total body fat. Another study reported by the Harvard Medical School discusses ‘lipotoxicity’ where free fatty acids accumulate in the organs and affect the regulation of insulin, blood sugar and lead to coronary heart disease.

But there's an answer... Exercise... More important, Running.

Here are some solutions to the belly fat delimma.

1. RUN AT A HIGH INTENSITY

Running at a lower intensity means you use fat as fuel and so are in the ‘fat burning’ zone, however, carb-dependent interval training and high intense workouts will burn more calories overall, and therefore more calories from fat. Follow the HIIT training programme and include regular Speed and Interval Training in your schedule to burn fat fast.

2. RUN TO BEAT STRESS

The hormone cortisol known as the ‘stress hormone’ has been linked to abdominal fat. High levels of the hormone cortisol cause fat stores and excess circulating fat to be relocated and deposited deep in the abdomen. The good news is that running is the ultimate stress-buster, as it releases feel-good hormones, like seratonin. Add to that the boost you’ll get to your self-esteem as it keeps you in shape and feeling fit and healthy and there’s no excuse not to run.

3. RUN TO FEEL FULL UP

As well as burning calories, running will help curb your appetite. According to an Australian study published in the journal, Metabolism, aerobic exercise beats resistance exercise when it comes to feeling hungry. Three groups of overweight, inactive men were studied over a period of 12 weeks, and it was found that when it came to appetite related hormones like leptin, they all reported the same feedback and felt less hungry than before they started exercise, but hormone levels remained the same whether doing resistance work or aerobic exercise. However, those doing aerobic exercise, like running, felt fuller quicker, so ate less.

 

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Running While Overweight

Overweight people are less likely to stick with most training programs due to their inability to keep up during the early stages of the training. This is a fact. However following the right training strategies can help any overweight person to keep exercising without increasing the risk of injury or losing the enthusiasm for the training.

Running may not be the best option for obese people who want to get into a better shape without risking injury, since its high impact nature. Even a normal weight person will have 3 times their body weight impacting their ankles and knees simply WALKING down a flight of stairs. Now there are some strategies that can minimize running pain and help create stamina.

If you are an overweight person who wants to start a running program, here are few tricks that can help:

Make the Decision

Most overweight people don’t run just because they believe they can’t and shouldn’t. Still, if you want to run, you need to make the decision now, not later. Now it’s time to take some responsibility for your past actions and make the right choice. The best way to do this is by setting running goals. Grab a piece of paper and jot down what’s on your mind and heart.

Take it Slowly

Setting goals without taking action is a waste of time and energy, but you need to go slow. And a good way to take it slow is by forming the right training strategy.

If you are totally out of shape, then your body won’t be able to withstand the activity of running. Therefore, walking is in order. Yes, walking! The best training options for beginner runners is to apply the walk-run-walk method: you run straight for one minute, then take it down a notch and walk for the next minute and then run. And repeat. And as you get more comfortable, you can make the running intervals longer and shorten up the walking segments, until you can run straight for 30 minutes without grasping for a breath on each step.

Thirty minutes is the Golden Number. It's after that number when you begin burning fat. Every runner who is interested in getting into shape and not training for a race should be aware of this number. Running for a minimum of 30 minutes every day will go a long way, coupled with a good diet, to slimming you down.

Also one way you can keep it slow is the conversational test. If you can’t keep a conversation while running without much huffing and puffing, then you may be doing too much and need to slow down a bit. Even if you're running alone, don't be afraid to talk to yourself for a few minutes in order to test your pace. It will help you in the end. And, as runner, you're already crazy, so a little talking to yourself won't shock anyone.

Consistency is Key

Going for a run every now and then is not enough. Truth be told it will only add to the frustration and anger you may have started with in the first place. Furthermore, evidence shows less consistency leads to a great chance of injury. Consequently, achieving consistency with your running program should be a major part of your running program success. You need 21 days to create a habit. If you need help on this, please see my earlier entries on consistency.

Keeping these clues in mind will assist you in becoming a leaner stronger runner.


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America Gets FATTER

An annual report put out by two public health groups shows that
America is getting fatter. Adult obesity rates have increased in 16
states in the past year, with 12 states now reporting at least 30% of
their populations as obese.

Only one state in the nation, Colorado, long one of the slimmest, has
an adult obesity rate below 20% — but at 19.8%, just barely.
Mississippi ignominiously leads the fat pack with a 34.4% rate of
obesity. No states showed a decrease since the previous year.

The highest obesity rates are in the South, large swaths of which are
poor and rural, and where fried foods are eaten in abundance.
Following Mississippi, the most obese states are Alabama, West
Virginia, Tennessee and Louisiana. It's not until No. 10 on the list,
Michigan, that a state above the Mason-Dixon Line appears. The least
obese states continue to be in the West and Northeast.

In a foreword to the report, former Surgeon General David Satcher
presents a concrete number of Americans, 190 million, who are
overweight or obese. He outlines the most important facets of the
"epidemic" as he sees them: the associated health problems that are on
the rise, from Type 2 diabetes to cancer; bloated health-care costs;
and "food deserts" where largely poor communities have little access
to healthy food. As in previous years, the report showed that
lower-income groups and minorities tend to have more widespread
obesity.

Type 2 diabetes rates in 11 states and the District of Columbia have
risen in the past year, the report found, and all but four states have
seen increases in rates of high blood pressure in recent years. Today,
every state has hypertension rates over 20%, with nine over 30%.
Twenty years ago, 37 states had hypertension rates over 20%.

Satcher warns against viewing the problem as a series of personal failures. There needs to be a combination of opportunities that will make healthy choices easier, on the food front and the activity front. Now, there will always be an element of personal responsibility, but even with motivated people, if you live in a neighborhood where the only food that's available is fast food, it's going to be very hard to follow through on your personal
commitment."


Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2011/07/08/america-sees-its-obesity-rates-and-raises-them/#ixzz1RmsRs9XB


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