Try high-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) – HIIE involves all-out efforts in rapid sets of sprints or other exercises, followed by brief rests, and then more short but intense exercise. A study in the Journal of Obesity suggests that HIIE is more effective at burning fat and accelerating weight loss than many other forms of exercise.
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Can beer belly go away?
The Truth About Beer and Your Belly What really causes that potbelly, and how can you get rid of it? Have years of too many beers morphed your six-pack abs into a keg? If you have a “beer belly,” you are not alone. It seems beer drinkers across the globe have a tendency to grow bellies, especially as they get older, and especially if they are men.
But is it really beer that causes a “beer belly”? Not all beer drinkers have them – some teetotalers sport large ones. So what really causes men, and some women, to develop the infamous paunch? It’s not necessarily beer but too many calories that can turn your trim waistline into a belly that protrudes over your pants.
Any kind of calories – whether from alcohol, sugary beverages, or oversized portions of food – can increase belly fat. However, alcohol does seem to have a particular association with fat in the midsection. “In general, alcohol intake is associated with bigger waists, because when you drink alcohol, the burns alcohol instead of fat,” says Michael Jensen, MD, an endocrine expert and obesity researcher with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Beer also gets the blame because alcohol calories are so easy to overdo. A typical beer has 150 calories – and if you down several in one sitting, you can end up with serious calorie overload. And don’t forget calories from the foods you wash down with those beers. Alcohol can increase your appetite. Further, when you’re drinking beer at a bar or party, the food on hand is often fattening fare like pizza, wings, and other fried foods.
When you take in more calories than you burn, the excess calories are stored as fat. Where your body stores that fat is determined in part by your age, sex, and hormones. Boys and girls start out with similar fat storage patterns, but puberty changes that.
- Women have more subcutaneous fat (the kind under the ) than men, so those extra fat calories tend to be deposited in their arms, thighs, and buttocks, as well as their bellies.
- Because men have less subcutaneous fat, they store more in their bellies.
- Beer bellies tend to be more prominent in older people because as you get older, your calorie needs go down, you often become less active, and gaining weight gets easier.
As hormone levels decline in men and women as they age, they’re more likely to store fat around the middle. Menopausal women who take tend to have less of a shift toward more belly fat than those who do not. Studies suggest that smokers may also deposit more fat in their bellies, Jensen says.
Belly fat in the midsection does more than reduce your chances of winning the swimsuit competition. It’s linked to a variety of health problems, from to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Carrying extra pounds in your thighs or hips is less risky than carrying them in the abdominal region.
Further, subcutaneous fat that you can grab around your waist and on your thighs, hips, and buttocks is not as dangerous as the visceral fat that’s found deep within the abdominal cavity surrounding your organs. Visceral fat within the abdominal wall is frequently measured by waist circumference.
- When waist circumference exceeds 35 inches for women and 40 for men, it is associated with an increased risk of, metabolic syndrome, and overall mortality,” Jensen says.
- He cautions that these numbers are simply guidelines, and recommends keeping your waist size below these numbers.
- There is no magical way to tackle belly fat other than the tried-and-true method of cutting calories and getting more physical activity.
Monounsaturated fats and so-called “belly fat” diets won’t trim your belly faster than any healthy, low-calorie diet, Jensen says. Because of the link between alcohol calories and belly fat, drinking less alcohol is a good place to start. Avoid binge drinking, which puts you at risk for damage and other serious health problems.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’ s 2010 D ietary Guidelines recommend limiting alcohol to one serving per day for women and two for men. Beer lovers should opt for light beers with 100 calorie or less, and limit the number they drink per day. Another option is to drink alcohol only on weekends, and to alternate drinks with low-calorie, non-alcohol beverages.
Don’t forget to have a healthy meal before or with your drinks to help you resist the temptation of high-calorie bar food. Doing sit-ups, crunches, or other will strengthen your core muscles and help you hold in your belly fat, but won’t eliminate it.
The only way to lose belly fat (or any kind of fat) is to lose weight. Aerobic exercises like running,, cycling, and tennis are some of the best to help reduce body fat. But “any kind of will help you keep the weight off more effectively than diet alone,” Jensen says. The good news is that when you start losing weight, you tend to lose it in the midsection first.
“Visceral fat is more metabolically active and can be broken down quicker than other fat,” Jensen says, “so it is usually the first to go, especially when you have a lot to lose.” Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, is director of for WebMD. Her opinions and conclusions are her own.
How did I get a beer belly so fast?
Q: How does a so-called “beer belly” form? – A: Too many of any kind of calories, whether they’re from alcohol or sugary foods or just from eating too much food, can increase belly fat. Since an average beer can be more than 150 calories, it doesn’t take long for the calories (and the belly) to build.
Is beer belly harder to lose?
You don’t have to completely give up hops and barley to lose a beer belly. Drinking beer in moderation along with other diet and lifestyle changes can help you lose that weight. A beer belly may be the result of some fun times, good food, and tasty suds, but it may also be making it harder to move around or fit into your clothes.
Why do guys get beer bellies?
Does Beer Cause Beer Belly? – While alcohol can play a role in excess belly fat, other lifestyle choices contribute to additional body fat even more. In general, it is too many calories that cause the waistline to expand, not calories from a specific source such as beer.
- Whether they come from alcohol, sugary drinks, fried foods, desserts or oversized portions, any type of calories have the potential to increase belly fat.
- Although alcohol is not the only culprit, there is good reasoning behind the association between beer and belly fat.
- Alcohol has earned its reputation as a contributor to stomach fat because when alcohol is consumed, the liver works to burn off the alcohol instead of fat.
While the liver is busy burning off the empty alcohol calories, fat can more easily accumulate in the midsection. It is also easy to overdo calories when drinking beer or another alcoholic beverage. When sipping on a beverage, it can be difficult to keep track of or limit calories because the beverages go down smoothly.
Especially for those who can drink a considerable number of beers in one sitting, the calories from alcohol can add up quickly. Of course, drinking beer usually includes eating some unhealthy foods with it. Most often, alcohol is consumed at a bar or a party, both of which tend to serve foods like pizza, wings, burgers, onion rings or other fried foods.
Additionally, alcohol can increase your appetite, causing you to consume more unnecessary calories. Age also has a large impact on stomach size. As people get older, their beer bellies typically become more prominent because they are less active and have decreased calorie needs.
This lack of exercise and core strengthening mixed with a high caloric diet makes gaining weight easier. Additionally, hormone levels decline in both men and women as they age, making them more likely to store excess fat in the stomach area. As men get older, their abdominal muscles start to weaken and lose mass, which causes their intestines and other organs to push outward.
Because men have a large omentum — the protective layer of fat wrapped around the intestines — they tend to gain weight more rapidly in their midsection than anywhere else. Weak abdominal muscles combined with extra mass within the abdomen pushing outward results in the rotund beer belly look for men.
What happens after 1 day of no alcohol?
After your first 12-24 hours without alcohol, you may begin to start feeling the preliminary effects of alcohol withdrawal. Some common symptoms include: anxiety, insomnia, nausea, and abdominal pain. Also, because alcohol has a diuretic effect on the body, you may be feeling more dehydrated than you normally should.
How long does a beer belly take to lose?
How Long Will It Take to Lose My Beer Belly? – Ultimately, your timeline for losing a beer belly will depend on your starting weight, and the adjustments you make. For example, let’s say your goal is to lose 10 pounds. If you cut out 3,500 extra calories (or one pound) each week, you’ll be on track to reach your goal in two and a half months.
