What Ails You: Conquering — or at least controlling — belly fat

Let’s talk today about belly fat. I heard that groan. C’mon! You know you need to hear this. Just keep reading. The lecture will be over in a minute.

The fat on your extremities, which is stored between the muscles and the skin, pretty much just lies there. While you may have fat under the skin of your belly, the fat which we are talking about today is that which lies deep in your belly wrapped around your organs (visceral fat). Gentlemen, this is where you store fat as a rule. Ladies, before menopause, we are more likely to store fat in our extremities. After menopause, though, we start making up for lost time and gaining on our husbands and brothers.

Visceral fat is metabolically active. It produces hormones which can have devastating effects. Belly fat contributes to insulin resistance and makes you more prone to developing Type II Diabetes and then, returning the favor, the diabetes makes you more likely to deposit belly fat. Belly fat also produces estrogen which can contribute to increased cancer risk. Visceral fat contributes to high blood pressure and heart disease. It is even implicated in gallbladder problems.

Being normal weight doesn’t necessarily exclude you from the belly fat club. Even if your weight has stayed the same, you may have noticed that your waist is expanding as you get older. You have belly fat.

You may have heard about various measures to assess body fat. There are calculations ranging from simple to mind boggling complex to determine whether or not you have too much fat. The most effective measure turns out to be the simplest: a tape measure. Ladies, your waist should be less than 32 inches. Gentlemen, you’re aiming for less than 35 inches. Beyond those measurements, you run increasing risk for disease related to an unhealthy accumulation of belly fat.

Now that we know where the fat is, how do we get rid of it?

To manage belly fat, you need a three pronged approach. Eat less, move more and manage your stress.

Eating to lose fat isn’t simply a matter of cutting calories. You must manage your nutrients so the body has enough of what it needs to get you through the day. A healthy diet includes the dread carbohydrates and limits high-fat animal proteins. Substitute white pastas for the whole wheat variety. A caveat here: not all whole wheat pastas are created equal. You may need to sample a variety before you find one to your liking. My favorite is the Ronzoni brand, but don’t trust my taste buds. The same goes for breads: the darker the better.

Beware of dieting rules which exclude any one food group. It really isn’t as simple as cutting out all white foods. It turns out the much maligned white potato is actually a “resistant” carbohydrate that does not readily convert to fat. Don’t load it down with fatty butter and sour cream and you’ll be fine eating that baked potato with your chicken breast.

Try to limit your animal protein to one meal per day or limit your serving size to three ounces or less. It’s fine to have a couple of ounces of chicken breast or salmon on your salad at lunch. By all means, enjoy a lean cut of meat at dinner with steamed veggies, but remember that a three ounce serving of protein is roughly the size of a deck of cards. No one needs to indulge in those 8, 12 or 16 ounce cuts of prime, fat laden beef.

When you dish up your plate at the dinner table, fill half the plate with veggies and divide the other half between your protein and starchy carb serving. You may need to use a measuring cup for awhile to get an idea what 1/2 c. of rice looks like, but a good start is to think about the size of your computer mouse.

You can still have dessert, but remember portion control. Buy an ice cream scoop and try the popular “double churned” brands with no added sugars. A single scoop of ice cream eaten slowly is just as satisfying especially since it comes without the guilt and self retribution of eating a big old cereal bowl full of the stuff. A favorite dessert around my house is low-fat extra vanilla yogurt topped with sliced peaches in their own juice rather than heavy syrup. To make it extra special, crumble a low-fat graham cracker over the top and you’re tummy won’t know you aren’t eating a decadent peach pie.

Exercise is imperative. You should be getting 30-45 minutes each day of exercise which keeps your pulse elevated. Three times each week you should be doing some form of resistance exercise for at least 20 minutes. There are any number of exercise videos out there that can help you get started, but if you have health concerns or really don’t know how to begin, see your physical therapist for guidance. If you have chronic diseases which limit your activity, talk with your doctor about your restrictions before you begin any exercise program.

Cortisol is the stress hormone which wreaks havoc on our systems. If you are going to conquer belly fat, you must conquer stress. The two go hand in hand. Your daily walk has the double benefit of cardiovascular fitness and stress reduction. You should be setting aside 20 minutes each day for meditation and/ or prayer. If you can’t manage 20 minutes at a sitting, then try two 10 minute sessions. Whichever you choose, don’t use the time to dwell on your curses, but instead count your blessings. Live your life with an air of gratitude. Whether you believe in a higher power or not, it is important to acknowledge daily that life is full of good things. Our problem is that we tend to pay much more attention to the negative than the positive. Make it your habit to seek the good in life and acknowledge it daily. This simple adjustment can change your life at the same time that it reduces your waist.

ABOUT THE WRITER:
Jackie Randa is a physical therapist who owns Back on Track in Barstow. She can be contacted at jranda@aol.com