How many times did you go crazy because you couldn’t lose weight around
your belly in spite of training hard and eating healthy? Well, the reason belly
fat can be so stubborn is that it is as much a hormonal phenomenon as it is a
caloric one. Therefore, if you want to shred those extra pounds around your
waistline, it is important to address some hormonal issues.
Types of Belly Fat
There are three different types of belly fat in the body. Deep fat,
called visceral belly fat, lies around the organs under the abdominal
muscles. Superficial subcutaneous belly fat hangs over
the waistline. Deep subcutaneous belly fat is the hybrid of the previous two
types. Visceral belly fat has greater blood supply and it is less sensitive to
insulin, which means it is harder to store and easier to burn (Ibrahim 2010). On the other hand,
subcutaneous belly fat is less responsive to fat burning and has less blood
supply.
In order for fat to be burned, it needs to be released from a fat cell.
This process is called lipolysis. Fat then has to travel
through the blood to a cell that will burn it. The process of fat being burned
by the destination cell is called lipid oxidation.
The Influence of Hormones on Belly
Fat
Insulin
The primary functions of insulin in muscle cells are to aid muscle
growth and get fuel into muscle cells. If muscles become resistant to insulin,
it leads to muscle loss, fatigue and poor performance. However, the effect of
insulin on fat cells is quite the opposite, meaning that a fat cell resistant
to insulin is a good thing. A fat cell that is more insulin resistant will be
more likely to release fat and less likely to store it.
Cortisol
Cortisol, sometimes called the stress hormone, can impact belly fat in
different ways. For instance, high amounts of cortisol present for long periods
of time make people especially prone to accumulating belly fat. This is because
cortisol impacts hormones that regulate appetite and is therefore associated
with cravings for the wrong foods, making it far more likely to achieve a
calorie surplus and gain fat. In addition, cortisol makes smaller fat cells become
larger, mature fat cells, which is definitely not a good thing if you are
trying to lose belly fat.
Sex hormones
Sex hormones, which include estrogen, progesterone and testosterone,
also have a big impact on fat metabolism. Estrogen and progesterone both have
anti-insulin and anti-cortisol effects on the belly (Yematani et al. 2013; Pallottini et al. 2008), which makes this
hormone combination very effective at controlling belly fat. This is part of
the reason why young women can maintain a slim figure more easily than their
older counterparts. Testosterone is interesting, because in women higher levels
of this hormone are associated with more belly fat, whereas in men lower level
are a risk factor for more belly fat.
The Ultimate Six Pack Formula
First of all, it is
important to know that standard dieting does not work for belly fat! Burning
this type of fat requires both a calorie deficit and balanced hormones. If you
eat less and exercise more, you will achieve the calorie deficit, but it will
create a hormonal imbalance, making it impossible to lose belly fat.
Since insulin and
cortisol have the greatest negative impact on belly fat, they must be
controlled. For the purpose of this
formula, let’s call insulin the “starch and sugar” hormone and cortisol the
“sleep and stress” hormone.
The natural inclination when dealing with belly fat is
simply to focus on eating fewer carbohydrates instead of lowering calories
overall. Reducing carbs is a better strategy for belly fat reduction than
traditional low-fat dieting (Volek et al.
2004). However, low blood sugar stresses the body and raises cortisol
levels (Ebbeling et al. 2012);
therefore, you do not want to eat a diet that is too low in carbohydrates,
either. The idea is to modify starch/sugar intake to provide energy and
stabilize blood sugar, while at the same time lowering insulin slowly over time
and keeping cortisol stable. Choosing carbohydrates that are lower in glycemic
load can do this, and this approach has been shown to reduce the chance of
weight regain (Gross et al. 2013).
Increasing protein intake also decreases the potential
for weight regain. Higher protein, along with a lower-carbohydrate diet, has a
favorable impact on belly fat as well (Volek
et al. 2004; Ebbeling et al. 2012; Soenen et al. 2013).
For instance, protein and vegetables create a hunger
suppressing combo with minimal insulin production. The result is fewer calories
consumed and a good hormone balance. Regular sleep and stress management also
help lower cortisol levels
The six-pack formula focuses on managing stress and
consuming protein and fiber over starch and sugar. All types of belly fat will
positively respond to this approach.
Two
Different Plans
The
3:2:1 Plan
The “eat less, exercise less” approach can be thought of
as a 3:2:1 plan. The “3” stands for three meals per day. The “2” means two of
those meals should be mostly protein and fiber with less starch. Healthy starch
sources include brown rice, quinoa, beans/legumes, sweet potatoes with the skin
on, and oats. The “1” means one meal per day should have heavier starch. This
meal is best consumed after workout. Another way to look at the 3:2:1
designation is to visualize a plate. Three parts should be vegetables, two
parts protein and one part starch. This approach works well for people who are
not heavy exercisers. Daily walking and a few weight training sessions are
recommended with this plan.
The
3:2:2 Plan
The “eat more, exercise more” approach is for people who
exercise regularly. It can be summed up with a 3:2:2 designation. The “3”
stands for three meals per day. The first “2” means two snacks per day. The
second “2” means you should double the starch intake once per day, after
workout as well. You can visualize a plate for this approach as well. The meals
and snacks should be half vegetables and then equal parts protein and starch.
Exercises
That Help Burn Belly Fat
Short, intense exercise and slow, long duration and
relaxing exercise may be the best for burning belly fat. Short, intense
exercise elevates testosterone and growth hormone levels, which is favorable
for belly fat reduction. On the other hand, slow, long duration and relaxing exercise
lowers cortisol levels, which also helps burn belly fat.
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