Visceral Fat: Why It’s Dangerous and 10 Ways to Get Rid of it

Visceral fat is a type of fat tissue that accumulates around your organs in the midsection of your body. It’s also known as belly fat, and while it’s essential to have some fat surrounding your organs to protect them, too much of it can lead to serious health problems. Visceral fat raises your risk of conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, inflammation and fatty liver disease, so it’s important to know how to get rid of visceral fat quickly and safely if you’re carrying too much weight around the middle section of your body.

What is Visceral Fat?

The term visceral fat is used often, but what does it actually mean? Essentially, visceral fat is body fat that has accumulated around your internal organs. Although most people don’t like it when they look in a mirror and see a bulging belly or love handles, most won’t realize that these deposits are actually filled with potentially harmful toxins. These toxins increase your risk for heart disease and diabetes. 

In fact, if you have high levels of visceral fat, you could be 30% more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than someone who doesn’t have any visceral fat at all! But how do you get rid of these dangerous fats? 

One of the ways to get rid of visceral fact is by getting active! For many Nigerians, exercise isn’t even an option due to their work schedule or childcare needs. If either is true for you, make sure to take every opportunity to sneak exercise into your day—even if that means breaking out your workout gear during commercial breaks while everyone else watches TV. There are plenty of easy exercises that don’t require any equipment–like simple squats, push-ups or wall sits. You should also take advantage of corporate wellness programs offered by your employer, which can help you access discount rates on health clubs or gym memberships so you never need an excuse not to work out again. 

A recent study from Northwestern University found that those who exercised as little as two days per week lost an average of 5 pounds more over time than participants who didn’t work out regularly. 

Eat Less

If you’re overweight, it may be because you’re eating too much. Try a few days on a very-low-calorie diet and see how it feels. But don’t do anything extreme, like 500 calories a day—it should be enough that you lose a pound or two per week. It might take some willpower at first, but soon enough your body will adjust to your new weight and you won’t have to watch what you eat as closely anymore. You know, waistline may vary from person to person, but one thing is clear: If you want to slim down, there’s no way around it: You’ll need to eat less food overall and cut back on processed foods and empty calories throughout your day. Small changes, such as using smaller plates and glasses, will help you feel full sooner so you’re less tempted to overeat later on. Stop eating before you feel too full; you don’t want to give yourself indigestion. 

Measure Body Fat Percentage.

If you’re trying to get rid of visceral fat, having a number in mind is crucial. Visceral fat is dangerous because it lies deep within your abdomen and surrounds many important organs; in fact, it lies deeper than subcutaneous fat (the kind that sticks out and gives you love handles). Measuring around your midsection is one way to see if you have too much fat in that area. Using measuring tape, measure at your natural waistline—right above your hip bones, about two inches below where your rib cage ends. Keep track of these measurements for several weeks or months to make sure they are going down over time. For women, a measurement over 35 inches indicates an unhealthy amount of abdominal fat, while for men it’s 40 inches. Ideally, you should aim for less than 30 inches in women and 36 inches for men.

Drink Enough Water

Water is often overlooked as a weight-loss aid, but a study published in Nutrition Journal revealed that people who drank two cups of water 30 minutes before meals for three months dropped nearly three more pounds than those who didn’t pre-hydrate before eating. ) Drink enough water. Most of us already know we need to consume eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily to maintain good health. However, studies show that people who fail to meet this goal tend to weigh slightly more than those who consistently drink enough H2O each day. Scientists aren’t completely sure why increased water intake helps you shed pounds, but some speculate that staying well hydrated keeps our metabolisms humming along efficiently. Why? It may reduce appetite and make you feel fuller, Largeman-Roth says. Make sure you aren’t chugging calorie-loaded beverages like soda and fruit juices: They can easily add hundreds of extra calories and hundreds of unnecessary grams of sugar—without filling you up. 

Exercise Every Day

Research shows that daily exercise is one of the best ways to lose visceral fat. Find something you like—whether it’s taking a walk, hitting a punching bag or biking—and do it every day. When you make exercise part of your routine, your body will crave those endorphins, making it easier for you to stay consistent and do it daily. Also try high-intensity interval training, which can burn even more calories per workout. For example, try 5 x 5 sprint training: Sprint for 60 seconds then rest until you catch your breath, then repeat four more times. This workout can be done in less than 20 minutes.

Lift Weights and Do Cardio (Aerobic exercise)

Exercise is key for burning visceral fat. If you’re trying to get rid of your beer belly, strength training and aerobic exercise are great ways to burn fat and keep it off long-term. Mixing cardio and strength training workouts will maximize your weight loss results. For example, if you walk every day, mix in a few days of sprints and pushups at least twice a week.

Eat Enough Fruits and Vegetables

Certain types of produce have been shown to help with weight loss, including those rich in vitamins A and C. If you have a hard time getting your fill from food alone, try a multivitamin, which also comes in liquid form and can be a good way to give yourself a vitamin boost when your schedule doesn’t allow for it. But don’t take any supplements without speaking with your doctor first—some can make it harder for your body to absorb nutrients if taken in excess.

Lose Weight by Eating Healthier Snacks

If you’re struggling with belly fat, snack on foods that can help you shed those pounds. Try reaching for an apple instead of a bag of potato chips, or grab some blueberries and put them in your yogurt. While nuts are high in calories, they are also packed with protein, fiber and heart-healthy fats. Lean meat is another smart choice when trying to lose weight; nuts, seeds and beans can also be added to meals or snacks for additional protein (just watch your portion sizes). Avoid trans fats found in processed meats—they promote inflammation throughout your body—and instead look for unsaturated fatty acids found in salmon, avocados and nuts.

Balance your Diet (Calories, Carbs, Protein and Fats/Oils).

When trying to lose weight, most people automatically start cutting back on foods high in fat or carbs. But dieters often fail to look at how many calories they are consuming. A person trying to lose 10 pounds who is eating 2,000 calories a day is unlikely to reach his goal if his diet consists of nothing but celery sticks. Instead, he should focus on balance—having foods from all four food groups while making sure he keeps his daily calorie count at 1,800 calories per day for example. This may mean swapping high-calorie dishes like meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy for lean meats like chicken with broccoli. He could also opt for healthy low-calorie substitutes like skim milk instead of whole milk and fruit juice instead of soda. Dieters should eat breakfast every morning to keep their energy levels up throughout the day and because it jumpstarts their metabolism so that they burn more calories throughout each day than those who skip breakfast do.