Unlike women who tend to gain fat in their hips and thighs, men tend to naturally store fat in their stomach and abdomen.
With age, this abdominal and subcutaneous fat becomes more and more difficult to lose.
Here are some nutritional and sporting tips to lose weight and thus lose belly fat and regain a flat stomach.
Why do men store more in their stomach?
Scientific studies are fairly unanimous in saying that the person responsible for this storage in the stomach in a man is Testosterone. This hormone, which is much more present in men, directs the accumulation of fat on the abdominal area. In women, it is estrogen which acts and promotes storage in the hips and thighs.
Although hormones define where your body stores excess fat, they are not responsible for this overstorage. Genetics may be a factor, but excess energy and sugar intake, poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle play a major role in the abnormal accumulation of weight and fat.
What are the risks ?
For men as much as women, storing belly fat can cause problems for your health. It is a scientifically proven risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Indeed, this abdominal fat is not stored only between the muscles and the skin, as is the case in other parts of the body. Abdominal fat is stored mainly between the organs, called visceral fat; in the long term, it disrupts the functioning of the hormonal system. Thus, a high waist circumference is very often associated with high blood pressure and too high a level of bad cholesterol. These two elements contribute to increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart attack and stroke.
Additionally, when lying down, abdominal fat can trigger sleep apnea.
In Europe, a waist circumference is considered to be at risk in men beyond 94cm in perimeter (cumulative with a ratio of waist circumference to hip circumference). The higher the waist circumference, the greater the associated risks.
It is therefore important to monitor belly fat and weight in order to maintain good health.
How to lose belly fat ? Our advices
Here are tips to apply in your daily life and in the long term in order to find a flat stomach.
Physical activity
Whether you are a man or a woman, doing abs will not allow you to lose belly fat quickly and find a flat stomach. No one has ever lost belly fat just by doing ab exercises. It is best to do a sport that involves several muscle groups. Indeed, to lose your stomach, you have to seek out a high energy expenditure, with a series of burpees rather than a series of crunches for example.
We are not saying that strengthening your abs is useless, but that it is not the primary objective sought. Before you can highlight a protruding abdomen and obliques, you will have to lose the layer of fat that covers them in order to find a flat stomach.
For this, it is necessary to have a high energy expenditure. Several sports and exercises to lose belly fat exist:
Doing cardio sports:
- High-intensity exercises over a moderate duration that mobilize the whole body such as circuit training, HIIT, interval exercises, skipping rope, burpees, jumping jacks, etc.
- Endurance exercises and sports, at low to moderate intensity over a long period of time such as running, brisk walking, rowing, elliptical bike, swimming, cycling, etc.
Do muscle strengthening to gain muscle:
- Working the muscles with loads increases energy expenditure during exercise as well as throughout recovery. This means that when you do a weight training session you burn calories during the workout, but also up to 72 hours afterwards! In addition to losing fat mass, you will gain muscle mass.
Doing at least 30 minutes of sport per day is recommended to optimize the effects.
Abdominal sheathing can also prove to be useful in addition, it specifically targets the transversus abdominis muscle and strengthens it. In this way, the organs present in the stomach remain compressed inside the abdominal cavity. It won't burn calories or make you lose belly fat but will help you get a flat stomach.
You can seek advice from a sports professional in order to develop a sports program adapted to your needs.
Food
Eating better is undoubtedly the most effective lever in addition to physical activity to lose your belly. Whatever your age and your level of physical activity, man or woman, a healthy and balanced diet in line with your daily needs protects you against belly gain and helps you lose belly fat. A balanced diet is also very important to maintain good health.
To do this, you simply need to review your (bad) eating habits. Concretely, you must eat essential foods for the body: proteins (legumes, white meats, fish, eggs) at lunch and dinner, accompanied by green vegetables and a small portion of whole grains (brown rice, whole-wheat pasta). ), a natural dairy product and a seasonal fruit. Meals high in fiber and protein greatly increase satiety and control your blood sugar, helping you reduce your calorie intake. The consumption of prepared and industrial meals should be avoided as much as possible.
To lose belly fat and regain a flat stomach, it is strongly recommended not to eat sugary foods without fiber or protein: cakes, candies, sodas, fruit juices, ice creams, chocolates, etc. These foods have a negative impact on blood sugar levels. and greatly promote the storage of unnecessary fats. Plus, they're bad for your overall health. Favor foods with a low glycemic index.
To lose belly fat and have a flat stomach, you should have an energy intake lower than your energy expenditure. This is called creating a calorie deficit.
A calorie deficit will allow your body to draw on its fat reserves to function. After a certain time you will lose weight and lose belly fat too. For both men and women, it is not possible to target weight loss on a specific part of the body, you will lose belly but also on the rest of your body.
There are many slimming diets and slimming programs that are effective in helping you lose weight and therefore regain a flat stomach.
Following our slimming program , for example, is effective for losing belly fat and weight and rebalancing your diet. Replace 2 meals of your day with a meal bar from the slimming treatment / meal and keep one traditional meal per day.
Not every diet plan is suitable for your needs, which is why it is important to seek advice from a health and nutrition professional before embarking on a diet.
Hydration
Drink enough water, dehydration can contribute to weight gain and water retention. Drink at least eight glasses of water a day to help flush toxins from your body and lose fat.
What about alcohol? Alcohol is twice as caloric as sugar and its conversion into fatty acids (body fats) is very easy in the body. It is the number 1 enemy of abdominal fat. On a daily basis, only water is essential to hydrate yourself.
It is recommended not to exceed one glass of wine per day for women and two glasses of wine for men. We advise you to limit your alcohol consumption as much as possible.
The stress
Stress can increase the production of cortisol, a hormone that can promote weight gain. Try relaxation techniques like meditation, yoga, or deep breathing to reduce your stress.
The sleep
Get enough sleep, lack of sleep can disrupt hormones that regulate hunger and metabolism, which can contribute to weight gain. Try to sleep at least seven hours a night to promote weight loss.
In summary.
To lose belly fat you need to create a calorie deficit in order to lose weight. A healthy and balanced diet, combined with high-calorie sports exercises, is essential for losing weight. Limiting belly fat as much as possible is certainly aesthetic but above all a significant health benefit. Whether you are a man or a woman, it is not possible to lose weight in a specific part of your body, but thanks to a diet and sports activity adapted to your needs then you will see results, even on your stomach. .
