How to cut belly fat

Whether it’s hereditary, hormonal changes or age related weight gain, many women notice an increase in belly fat as they grow older –and especially after menopause.
Gaining fat in your abdomen is particularly unhealthy as it increases your risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and certain cancers. The good news is that a few lifestyle changes and some targeted abdominal exercises can help you battle your belly bulge.

As you age and your metabolism slows down, the amount of fat in your body slowly increases. Women experience an even greater fat percentage increases than men do. Then after menopause your body fat distribution tends to shift-less in your arms, legs and hips and more in your abdomen.
You may think belly fat is limited to the stuff out front you can grab with your hand – but it’s the fat you can’t see that’s the cause for concern. Visceral fat lies deeper inside the abdomen, surrounding the abdominal organs. Subcutaneous fat, located between the skin and the abdominal wall is more visible but less likely to be a health risk.

Some women experience a widening waist without gaining any weight. It means your abdominal fat is increasing as limb and hip fat decreases. Even in women of normal weight, too much fat concentrated in the midsection is unhealthy.

Gaining weight in your abdomen does more harm than simply making your waistband too tight.
Researchers have found that abdominal fat cells are not just dormant energy waiting to be burned up. The cells are active, producing hormones and other substances that can affect your health. For example, some fat-cell produced hormones can promote insulin resistance, a precursor to type 2 diabetes; others can produce estrogen after menopause, which may increase breast cancer risk. Researchers are still sorting out how the excess hormones affect overall health, but they know that too much visceral fat can disrupt the body’s normal hormonal balance.

You know you have gained some weight around your torso, but how do you tell it is an unhealthy amount? You can calculate your body mass index (BMI) or weight hip ratio, but researchers have found that simply measuring your waist can tell you whether you have an unhealthy amount of belly fat. In fact, BMI may not be an accurate measure of body fat percentage or fat distribution, especially after menopause.
To measure your waist, run a tape measure around your midsection at about the level of your navel. Breath normally, do not pull the tape so tight that it presses your skin down. In a woman of healthy weight, a waist measurement of 35 inches or more indicates an unhealthy concentration of abdominal fat.
Some research has shown that a measurement of 33 inches or more, no matter your weight, increases your health risks.
Since visceral fat is buried deep in your abdomen, it may seem like a difficult target for spot reduction. As it turns out, visceral fat responds well to a regular exercise routine and a healthy diet. Target tummy exercises can help to firm abdominal muscles and flatten the belly.

Tummy exercise: Daily, moderate-intensity exercise is the best way to lose belly fat-when you lose weight and tone your muscles; your belly fat begins shrinking too. In fact, you may notice that your tummy bulge is the first area to shrink when you start exercising. The amount and type of exercise you should get varies depending on your current activity level and your health goals. Talk to your doctor about the right programme to promote good health and specifically combat abdominal fat.
Strength training: Some research has shown that exercising with weights is effective in trimming tummy fat. Talk to your doctor about how to incorporate strength training in your exercise routine.

Health diet: Changing unhealthy eating habits can help fight belly fat. Read nutrition labels and replace saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats. Increase portions of complex carbohydrates such as fruits and vegetables and reduce simple carbohydrates like white bread and refined pasta. If you need to lose weight, reduce your portion sizes and daily calorie intake.
While you cannot ‘spot-burn’ belly fat, you can firm up your abdominal muscles and get a flatter belly. However traditional sit-ups are not the most effective way to firm your tummy. Instead, use these exercises to target both deeper and lower abdominal muscles.
Deeper abdominal muscles-target these muscles by doing ‘abdominal hollowing’ or ‘drawing in the bellybutton’ first get down on all fours. Let your tummy hang down as you take a deep breath. Let your breath out, and at the end of your exhalation, gently draw your bellybutton inward and upward toward your spine. You should feel a slight tightening around your waist-think of it as trying to squeeze through a partially closed door. Hold for ten seconds, and then rest another ten seconds. Work up to ten repetitions. During each effort, your spine position shouldn’t change and you should breathe freely. Eventually, you will be able to do this exercise standing up. It’s so subtle –no one will tell you are doing it
Lower abdominal muscles: tone these muscles by doing pelvic tilts and pelvic lifts. To do a pelvic tilt, lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent. Flatten your back against the floor by tightening your abdominal muscles and bending your pelvis up slightly. Hold for five to ten seconds. Repeat five times and work up to ten to twenty repetitions.
For pelvic lifts, lie on your back with your knees bent up toward your chest and your arms relaxed by your sides. Tighten your lower abdomen and lift your buttocks up off the floor, with your knees aimed toward the ceiling. Hold for five to ten seconds. Repeat five times and work up to ten to twenty repetitions.
Hormone therapy: although there are good reasons for some women to try hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after menopause, fending off belly fat is not one of them. It is true that some studies have demonstrated that postmenopausal women who take HRT are less likely to accumulate abdominal fat than are postmenopausal women who forgo HRT. Other studies however, found no difference. Meanwhile, questions about the risks and benefits of HRT persist. Talk to your doctor in detail about the risk and potential benefits of hormone therapy before trying.