Who wants to lose weight today, can use one of the countless diet offers from the popular media. Nevertheless, this is no guarantee that even the annoying belly fat disappears. Often the dieter only loses a lot of water and muscle before actually reducing the belly fat. In the following, we will take a closer look at the subject of abdominal fat and especially point out what belly fat actually is and what causes the formation of a fat belly.
What is belly fat?
Before we inform about the causes of the so-called abdominal body fat, let's first examine the individual types of fat in the body closer.
visceral fat
The visceral fat or intraabdominal fat is mainly in the free abdominal cavity. This fat surrounds various internal organs and the digestive system. It is assigned to the actual abdominal fat and is not visible, but increases the abdominal volume from the inside out. The visceral fat serves as an energy depot in case of nutritional deficiency.
Subcutaneous fat
Subcutis is the lowest layer of the skin. This loose connective tissue connects the upper layers of the skin with the underlying periosteum and fascia. The fatty tissue of the subcutaneous tissue lies between the connective tissue septa. The hypodermic fat is responsible as a heat insulator and energy storage in the organism. Since the fat layer can be several centimeters thick, the subcutaneous fat is responsible for the voluminous appearance of the body regions abdomen, buttocks, hips and thighs.
Intramuscular fat
The so-called intramuscular fat is located within the muscles and is there in an amount between 200 and 600g available, which is very low for the entire body.
How and where is the fat burned?
Adipocytes are called the fat cells that are broken down by the body and constantly replaced by new ones. All major body organs except the brain derive their energy mainly from fat. The so-called fat metabolism is thus the largest source of energy in humans. The fat deposits are thus the actual battery of humans, which allow us to be able to move actively over a longer period of time without food intake. The following fats are absorbed through the diet:
- Triglycerides (vegetable oils, animal fats, etc.)
- Cholesterol (eggs, meat)
- saturated or unsaturated fatty acids.
These absorbed fats are then partially dissected in the digestive tract, until finally through the bile juice, the small fat droplets arise. Then the fats are transported in the blood with the help of lipoproteins. About 80 percent of the digestive triglycerides are absorbed by the muscle and fat tissues. The so-called fat burning is an ongoing process in the body, which depends mainly on the physical activity and the associated energy needs.
Five factors that can hinder or block fat burning.
1. stress
Certain hormones can also influence the development of fat cells. In stress, the so-called stress hormone cortisol is released. This hormone often causes uncontrolled eating but also affects the development of the fat cell.
2. Wrong workout
Many people still believe that abdominal exercises such as crunches or sit-ups can make the belly fat disappear. Unfortunately, this opinion does not correspond to reality. It is true that abdominal exercises train the abdominal muscles. Nevertheless, the belly fat on the muscles continues to exist. Often these people then look even thicker, as the newly trained abdominal muscles push the belly fat even further forward. The ideal combination for the reduction of the abdominal fat consists of a combination of cardio and strength training. Both types of training ensure the burning of fat cells and effectively accelerate weight loss.
3. No change in the training program
If you want to burn your belly fat with a special exercise program, you should make sure that you regularly change your exercise plan. Your body is smart and gets used to the rigors of an intense workout very quickly, which means that the combustion effect disappears very quickly from the beginning. Although good HIIT training often lasts only 20 minutes, it can make sure that your belly fat burns very quickly. A HIIT training can be combined with many different exercises, so you always have the opportunity to complete a new training session.
4. Not enough sleep
The importance of adequate sleep is often ridiculed, but should not be underestimated. During sleep, growth hormones are formed, which in the end are important for you to burn your annoying belly fat. Muscle growth is also stimulated and the regeneration of the body promoted. Anyone who knows about the important functions of a productive sleep for the body, will very quickly pay attention to a healthy sleep rhythm.
5. Too much salt
Normally, this should not be a problem if you are on a good and healthy diet. Nevertheless, too much salt can cause significant health problems and also block fat burning.
