You know how it’s like when you’re in a crop top or snug-fitting outfit: you suck in, hold your breath, and you think you can keep this stance for as long as you’re in this getup… until you had to sit down.
THAT BULGING BELLY FAT THAT COMES OUT WHEN WE SIT, PFFT
The sitting position is unflattering – even people who look very trim and fit can have a bulging tummy when they sit down. Known as a muffin top, the belly fat around your waist isn’t just a problem of aesthetic; fat in the abdominal area (also known as visceral fat) has a strong link to diseases like Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. This is why doctors ask their patients to lose excess fat around their waistline for health reasons.
Generally, anything above 40 inches (or 102cm) in men and 35 inches (or 88cm) in women are considered abdominal obesity. What this means is that even if you have a healthy BMI but have a thick waistline, you’re medically still at risk for certain diseases.
Causes of Belly Fat
Lack of exercise, poor dietary habits, stress and less-than-desirable lifestyle habits are some causes of belly fat. To address the issue of belly fat, let’s first understand what it is.
Belly fat refers to fat around the abdomen, and this is of two types:
Visceral fat
This type of fat is stored deep inside the abdomen and wraps around internal organs such as the liver and intestines. Visceral fat makes up about TEN percent of all fat stored in the body.
Subcutaneous Fat
This type of is fat that can be found underneath the skin.
Undoubtedly and as apparent from the above, visceral fat poses more potential harm to a person compared to subcutaneous fat.
Health risks of developing Belly Fat
Visceral fat can lead to several and likely severe health issues such as heart disease, liver problems, diabetes and some types of cancer. The potential risk of sudden death is also higher.
5 EFFECTIVE WAYS TO GET RID OF BELLY FAT
If you’re looking self-consciously at your own muffin top now – hey, stop staring and start doing something to get rid of it! There are several tried and tested ways that will definitely help reduce that annoying belly roll. Take down notes!
1. CUT THAT SUGAR
Going for a cup of bubble tea today after lunch? Well, hold off that thought for a while.
You probably don’t know this: added sugar is made up of 50% fructose, a substance that can only be metabolised by the liver. This means that each time you consume large amounts of added sugar, you’re overloading your liver. And when your liver is unable to metabolise fructose, it is forced to turn that into fat, which accumulates in the belly and liver.
Thankfully, the solution is simple: go for low-sugar options and if you still want to indulge in these sugary treats, do it less frequently.
Important note: Don’t let less obvious sugary beverages like fruit juices and sports drinks be your pitfall. They may sound like they’re good for your body, but contain plenty of added sugar too.
2. CONSUME MORE PROTEIN AND AVOID CARBS
Most people who prepare their own meals in a bid to lose weight will know that including proteins in the meal plan can help them feel fuller for longer. Consuming protein doesn’t just boost your metabolism, there’s also evidence that it is effective in reducing belly fat. In fact, a study even shows that eating more high-protein foods can help reduce the risk of belly fat gain over five years.
While proteins are an ally to belly-fat-busting, refined carbs and oils are the biggest culprits for adding to your muffin top.
What are refined carbs? We’re talking about foods like white bread, white rice, bee hoon, and kway teow. To keep yourself feeling full without refined carbs, swap carbs with protein (see point #2). But if you really can’t live without carbs, consider unrefined carbs like brown rice and wholemeal bread. Low-carb diets are great for preventing Type 2 diabetes, so there’s definitely a good motivation to stick to it.
DV Tip: When you plan your meals, try to make sure 25-30% of calories consumed come from protein. Great high-protein foods include whole eggs, fish, seafood, legumes, nuts, meat, and dairy products. Get creative, and you can create lots of delicious meals with these ingredients!
3. GO FOR FIBRE-RICH FOODS
You probably already know that fibrous foods can help with your bowel movement. But did you know that it can also help you feel fuller and suppress your appetite?
This is why: viscous and soluble fibres bind with water to form a thick gel that “sits” in the gut, which slows the movement of food through your digestive system, moderating the speed of digestion and absorption of nutrients. On top of this, studies are also suggesting that soluble fibres are great at reducing belly fat.
Now that you know how important it is to have fibre in your diet, go ahead and add great fibrous food sources like leafy vegetables, legumes, and whole oats into your meal plan!
4. PLAN WORKOUT INTO YOUR SCHEDULE
Keeping active is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and definitely has a strong link to reducing belly fat.
The key obstacle that prevents most people from working out? Ill-discipline and lack of time.
For the former, consider finding a workout buddy who has similar fitness objectives so you can encourage each other to exercise together. To resolve the latter problem, find opportunities to work out during lunch or at home; signing up for a gym that’s near your workplace or home certainly helps too!
Since belly fat is a combination of visceral fat and subcutaneous fat accumulation, adding cardio workouts like swimming and running to your workout routine may help to trim you down overall and improve fitness overall BUT there is no specific or targeted exercises that can help to remove SUBCUTANEOUS FAT.
5. CONSIDER TARGETED FAT LOSS TREATMENT
We know that general aerobic exercises like jogging and swimming help with overall fat loss and reduction in belly fat. But here’s something few people know: doing sit-ups can’t help eliminate that dreaded muffin top.
This is because spot reduction is impossible with exercise. No matter how many sit-ups or crunches you do to train the muscles around your abs, you simply can’t specifically shed belly roll with them.
If that muffin top is annoying you and you want to eliminate it effectively and quickly, you can consider 4D Liposuction (Hi-Definition Lipo), a fat removal surgery that sculpts your body shape.
This procedure creates a more sculpted appearance, and defines underlying abdominal muscles. In women, the commonly targeted areas include the serratus, obliques and rectus muscles in the abdominal area. The most desired physical trait for men is the washboard abs.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING 4D LIPOSUCTION (HI-DEFINITION LIPO)?
During the procedure, the targeted body part will be marked out, and fat will be removed to create a frame around the muscles to be enhanced. Careful sculpting follows where a small amount of fat will be left to amplify the underlying muscle tone.
This procedure is performed in an accredited Day Surgery, with the patient under twilight sedation (not GA). The anaesthetist will monitor the patient's vital stats while Dr Ivan Puah carries out the procedure.
ACCREDITED LIPOSUCTION DOCTOR IN SINGAPORE
In Singapore, liposuction can only be performed by doctors accredited by the Ministry of Health.
If you’re looking for a trusted doctor for a procedure like 4D Liposuction (Hi-Definition Lipo), you can find out more about Dr. Ivan Puah from Amaris B. Clinic, who is known for performing body sculpting treatments and one of the doctors in Singapore who is accredited to perform liposuction.
