Muffin top, spare tire or love handles. Whatever you call it, carrying excess weight around your middle isn’t just a matter of clothes not fitting properly or a fear of putting on a bathing suit; it’s also a health hazard.
There are three types of fat: triglycerides (the fat that circulates in your blood), subcutaneous fat (the layer directly below the skin’s surface) and visceral fat (dangerous belly fat). Visceral fat is located beneath the muscles in your stomach and poses many dangers to your health when there is too much of it. It produces excess hormones and chemicals, which negatively impacts almost every organ in your body, and increases your risk for health issues such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer.
How do you know if you have too much belly fat? It’s a simple as grabbing a measuring tape. A waist measuring more than 40 inches puts men at risk; for women, it’s anything over 35 inches.
Losing that stubborn belly fat doesn’t happen over night, but it’s possible. Just ask all the people who have successfully transformed their bodies by following the Atkins Diet. And research showing that low-carb diets help people lose that unhealthy visceral fat (as well as body fat everywhere else) continues to back up these real-life examples.
The evidence is clear: hands down, the best way to burn body fat is to switch to a fat-burning metabolism by controlling your carb intake. The best way to whittle your waist is to combine the Atkins Diet and regular exercise, which will enable you to achieve a healthy weight, reduce fat and build muscle. An hour of exercise a day is ideal (research suggests a combination of weight-training and cardio), but even if you can’t work out that much, a regular fitness program will speed your results.
Following a low-carb diet and consistent exercise program to cut down on belly fat not only will help you look good in your favorite pair of jeans or swimsuit; it improves your health and your quality of life!
