If you have a chubby belly, do not believe anyone who says that it is only because you eat too much! Lack of exercise and genetics, both contribute to making your middle region thicker than the rest of your body. Though men are more susceptible to acquiring what is commonly known as a ‘beer belly’, women too tend to put on weight in the belly area after menopause.
The Mayo Clinic website warns that a chubby belly can increase your chances of a heart attack, insulin resistance and many more ailments. Ideally, if you are a man with a waist that measures more than 40 inches, or you are a woman with a waist measuring more than 35 inches, your chubby belly could expose you to plenty of health risks. Now the good news — even though the general perception is that belly fat is extremely hard to get rid of, it is actually easy.
Doctors at the University of Alabama, Birmingham Medical Center (UAB) have stated that the belly will be the first place that will show the benefits of any weight loss program. They claim that when a person loses 10 to 15 percent of body fat, he will lose as much as 30 percent of the fat stored in his belly. This means that if you are a 200-pound man, who has lost about 20 to 30 pounds, 30 percent of your belly fat will be gone too!
Now the question is, how do you go about achieving that? The UAB doctors recommend some kind of aerobic exercise daily for 30 minutes, plus two to three weight training sessions every week. As far as diet is concerned, they advise to stay away from fad diets and stick to one that is realistic and includes foods that you do not dislike eating, since this is the only way to make you stick to it. Reduce the number of calories you intake every day, work with smaller portion sizes and replace your usual meals with low-fat or fat-free alternatives. Slowly weave in plenty of leafy greens, whole grains, low-fat milk and cheeses in your daily meal plan, and go slow on the sodas and all the deep-fried stuff.
Losing all that belly fat is very much possible, if you get started on a regular exercise regime and a healthy diet plan. Start with baby steps, and gradually increase the intensity of your workouts. Keep at it steadily and your chubby belly will soon become history.