Beer BellyAre Crunches a "Waist" of Time?
Beer belly, beer gut, or spare tire… It really doesn’t matter what you call it, because I’m sure you know what I am talking about. The belly bulge that hangs over the belt loops of many men. Carrying extra weight in the mid-section is a problem that is increasing drastically over the last few years. Believe it, or not, two-thirds of American men are either obese or overweight. Excess belly fat is unsightly to be sure, but more importantly, it can be extremely dangerous. Losing belly fat is extremely important but it is a difficult task because as you may or may not know, all fat is created equal, and spot reduction doesn’t work. The only way to see smaller numbers on the tape measure is through the combination of a healthy diet and exercise. You have probably all heard of pear and apple shaped bodies. Pears tend to carry excess fat in their hips, bottoms, and thighs. Where as apple shaped bodies, tend to carry their extra weight in their mid-section, and many over weight men fit into this category. The human body is “extremely intelligent” by design. It protects itself when it perceives danger—hunger and starvation—by storing extra body fat. This is the body’s way of rescuing itself in times of need. Unfortunately, when there is too much fat, it interferes with the body’s metabolism and the production of insulin, which can lead to severe health risks. Diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, some types of cancer, and sleep problems have all been scientifically linked to obesity. A general rule of thumb for men is that a waist size of over 40 inches should immediately begin an exercise and diet regime to lose excess belly fat. If you fall into this category, please make an appointment with your family physician to discuss your health and weight loss. One of the easiest ways to start losing weight is to add movement to your daily routine. When this becomes a natural part of your life, you can increase your activity by adding aerobic exercise. You need to get your heart rate up to burn fat. Schedule exercise into your life just like you schedule meetings at work. Jot it on the calendar or program it into your Blackberry, and as Nike says, “Just Do It!” Ideas for adding movement: Ideas for aerobic exercise that will get rid of your beer belly: Will crunches do the trick to get rid of a beer gut? Sit ups and crunches will firm the abdominal muscles but the fat layer that sits on top remains unchanged. They aren’t a “waist” of time, but it’s important to understand why you are doing them, which is tone muscles, not burn fat. Men do tend to be “lucky” in their weight loss and many report that with increased exercise and improved eating habits, they lose weight in their mid-sections first. Women tend to lose belly fat later in the weight loss process. As far as diet, you need to burn more calories than you take in. You should avoid eating foods with too much sugar, high in carbohydrates, and high in fat. Eat smaller portions several times a day. Strive for 5-6 small meals rather than the traditional three meals a day that most of us are accustomed to eating. Is a beer belly really caused by drinking too much beer?
|
