No one wakes up one random day to find that they suddenly now have a belly, but after years of drinking beer at weekly pub crawls and late-night summer parties, their poor stomach has now been replaced by the dreaded one. beer belly.
Each beer you consume has approximately 150 calories, which add up quickly after several hours, days, weeks, and months of constant consumption. When you drink alcohol, your liver prioritizes burning alcohol over fat, leaving you with excess fat around the waist.
However, did you know that visceral fat, also known as beer belly fat, is more dangerous than other areas of fat accumulation?
Beer belly is more dangerous than other fats
Obesity or visceral fat is concentrated fat found among many critical internal organs, such as the liver, pancreas, and intestines. Storing higher amounts of visceral fat is associated with an increased risk of various health problems, including heart disease, breast cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and type 2 diabetes.
One way to know if you are storing excess visceral fat is to have an MRI scan. Another relatively good indicator of visceral fat is taking a waist measurement. Research has shown that our belly size is a relatively reliable indicator of the health risks associated with visceral fat.
4 steps to get rid of beer belly fat
The good news is that you don’t have to say goodbye to beer or your social life forever. Here are 4 steps you can take to get rid of your beer belly:
1. Evaluate your alcohol consumption (this is very important)
By not drinking, you will increase fat mobilization, improve insulin sensitivity, and increase natural hormone production. However, it is often difficult for most people to stop drinking completely.
Fortunately, researchers have found that moderate beer drinkers had a 42% lower risk of heart disease compared to non-drinkers. Try to pick one day a week to enjoy your beer. It’s a great way to motivate control of your intake while ensuring that you can enjoy it on a summer outing or party.
This also helps you mentally by having something to look forward to and reduces the need to cheat more often. Making an effort to record the number of drinks you have can also help you reduce or decrease your consumption. Some drinkers trying to cut back have had success measuring their drinks or drinking slowly.
2. Fix your diet
A healthy diet, full of fresh fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats (avocado and olive oil), is essential for a flat stomach.
Various fasting methods, such as intermittent fasting, can be beneficial when it comes to losing fat. By fasting for a period of time, you control your „hunger hormone,“ control your body’s insulin sensitivity, and reduce overall calories to help you lose fat. (Note: fasting is not the same as starving yourself – going without food will only slow down your metabolism and make it harder to lose fat.)
Beer is high in calories and carbohydrates, and consuming too much of both is sure to stop fat loss. By increasing your protein intake and decreasing your carbohydrate intake, you will help accelerate fat loss.
When you reduce your carbohydrates, you will help burn fat for fuel and reduce the amount of water you can retain from all your beer consumption. Increasing your protein intake will have a more thermal effect on your metabolism, helping you reduce hunger and improve your ability to build muscle, which in turn helps you lose fat.
3. Be active
Physical activity is so important to counteract the risks that visceral fat can bring. Engaging in some extra movement each day can add a lot of calorie burn and increased metabolism over time.
Taking 10 minutes each day to perform a mini cardio exercise (anytime of the day, be creative) or even just walking daily will help a lot. Contrary to popular belief, doing sit-ups will strengthen your stomach muscles, but it will NOT burn the belly fat that covers your abs.
4. Strengthens the core to lower the beer belly
Building core muscles in general is essential, and it’s a great addition to your exercise routine that doesn’t require a lot of time or equipment at all. Core strength exercises strengthen the core muscles, including the abdominal muscles, the back muscles, and the muscles that surround the pelvis.
You can do core strength exercises on a carpeted or rug floor. Breathe freely and deeply during each core strength exercise. Focus on tightening the transversus abdominis, the deepest abdominal muscle and the one that feels contracted when you cough.
The Plank is an excellent exercise for this purpose, and for that we invite you to read our article with all the information in the link below.
Final note
Losing your beer belly takes time and commitment, so be patient and don’t worry. Stress has been shown to lead to hormonal imbalances, especially cortisol, which stimulates fat storage around the abdomen and stomach.
Set realistic goals for yourself, and don’t panic if you don’t see changes right away. Any change, even small changes, can help you reduce the damage that alcohol can cause. Also, your belly will thank you.
