Do you have a big belly? If so, watch out! Excess abdominal fat, very common in men, can be bad for your health. But don’t panic yet! Just follow these simple tips on how to get rid of those inches.
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Poor eating habits are one of the main causes of abdominal obesity. A good trick to help you cut inches off your waist is to fill three quarters of your plate with high-fiber foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. For the last quarter, choose protein sources with less fat, such as low-fat dairy products, lean meats, and fish. You should also limit your consumption of fast food, high-fat foods such as fried food and chips, and sweet items such as sodas, pastries, and cookies. But it’s just as important to watch your portion size! Measure your portions and compare them to those recommended in Canada’s Food Guide.
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Research has shown that regular physical activity can help reduce abdominal fat. It’s important to understand that excess weight is caused basically by consuming too many calories for the amount of energy you expend. To reduce the layer of belly fat, you need to burn more calories than you eat, through physical exercise for example. Studies have shown that cardiovascular exercises (walking, running, cycling, swimming, etc.) are the best way to get rid of abdominal fat because they activate large muscle masses, particularly in the thighs. Ideally, you should do 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic activity every day.
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More and more studies demonstrate that interval training is a very effective method to lose weight. It appears that interval training trims fat faster than continuous aerobic exercise of moderate intensity. Interval training, which involves short periods of intense effort followed by periods of less strenuous effort, burns more calories in 30 minutes than an hour of traditional cardiovascular training. It also causes your body to burn more calories and reduces your appetite for several hours after your exercise session. However, before starting this type of training, you should talk to a health professional or exercise specialist to make sure that you are in good enough physical condition.
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Strength exercises also have a role to play in weight loss because they maintain or increase muscle mass. We know that muscle mass increases your basal metabolic rate, i.e. the energy your body needs to carry out its vital functions when at rest. The more muscles you have, the more calories you burn. And it’s not just abdominal exercises that reduce belly fat. It is a myth that strength exercises can cause weight loss in particular parts of the body.
Talk to your pharmacist if you have questions or need advice on the subject.
If you have too many inches around your waist and have health problems related to excess weight, reducing your weight or your waistline by 5% to 10% will bring a whole raft of health benefits, including better control of conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and Type 2 diabetes.
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