How to Lose Belly Fat Safely

The most important thing you MUST understand about how to lose belly fat is this very simple biological fact. Fat loss can not be isolated by body area. If you want to lose belly fat you must lose fat period. Depending on your body type the way you look as you lose fat deposits on your body is genetically coded. You can not simply isolate one area of the body though diet or exercise to remove fat from that area of the body.

"There is no magic bullet, diet plan, specific food, or type of exercise that specifically targets belly fat. But the good news is belly fat is the first kind of fat you tend to lose when you lose weight," says Michael Jensen, MD, a Mayo Clinic endocrinology specialist and obesity researcher.

There are 3 body types based on the Research of Dr. William Herbert Sheldon called somatotypes.

Ectomorph: characterized by long and thin muscles/limbs and low fat storage; receding chin, usually referred to as slim.

Mesomorph: characterized by medium bones, solid torso, low fat levels, wide shoulders with a narrow waist; usually referred to as muscular.

Endomorph: characterized by increased fat storage, a wide waist and a large bone structure, usually referred to as fat..

Different body types are genetically predisposed to store fat in different ratios and parts of the body. Simply put some people have an easier time of discarding unwanted fat deposits than others. This is not something you can changes it’s genetically coded.

"Ninety-nine percent of people who lose weight will lose it in the abdominal region before anywhere else -- and will lose proportionately more weight from the upper body," says Jensen, also a professor of medicine.

Simple Nutrition – Understanding the 3 Macronutrients Fats, Proteins, CarboHydrates

A nutrient is a chemical that an organism needs to live and grow or a substance used in an organism's metabolism which must be taken in from its environment. Nutrients are the substances that enrich the body. They build and repair tissues, give heat and energy, and regulate body processes.

The chemical elements humans consume in the largest quantities are carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur. The classes of chemical compounds humans consume in the largest quantities and which provide bulk energy are carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

• Carbohydrates are simple organic compounds that are aldehydes or ketones with many hydroxyl groups added, usually one on each carbon atom that is not part of the aldehyde or ketone functional group. The basic carbohydrate units are called monosaccharides; examples are glucose, galactose, and fructose. For the average person the science behind the classification of Carbohydrates is overwhelming but not that important… what you need to know is Carbohydrates are “Sugars” or convert to Sugars once consumed.

• Proteins (also known as polypeptides) are organic compounds made of amino acids arranged in a linear chain and folded into a globular form. The amino acids in a polymer chain are joined together by the peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of adjacent amino acid residues. Proteins are absorbed and processed much differently in the body than carbohydrates. Proteins are required to build lean tissue. Most microorganisms and plants can biosynthesize all 20 standard amino acids, while animals (including humans) must obtain some of the amino acids from the diet. The amino acids that an organism cannot synthesize on its own are referred to as essential amino acids.

• Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and largely insoluble in water. Chemically, fats are generally triesters of glycerol and fatty acids. One might thing that cutting back on fat consumption is the key to losing weight. That would be an incorrect assumption. Fats are required for the body to regulate the intake of Micronutrients (Vitamins and Minerals). While it’s important to consume the “correct type” of fats (which goes beyond the scope of this article) simply cutting fats from your diet will not result in weight loss, and might actually be dangerous to your health.

And why is that? "Visceral fat, the kind tucked deep inside your waistline, is more metabolically active and easier to lose than subcutaneous fat under the skin, especially if you have plenty of it," explains Penn State researcher Penny Kris-Etherton, PhD, RD.

Calories:

Carbohydrates: 4.5 Calories per gram

Proteins: 4.5 Calories per gram

Fats: 9 Calories per gram

What is a calorie? A calorie is just a way to measure the “Energy Potential” of a food in the body. In the same way that a “Degree” is how we measure the temperature of the air outside. Cutting calories in and of itself is the key to weight loss. A body must only consume the amount of calories it will burn in a day in order to maintain a balance of weight. Simply put if you burn too many calories your body will drop weight (Unfortunately fat doesn’t always come off first!). If you consume too many calories the body will store those calories as weight… if you are not exercising or building muscle excess calories are stored as fat!

MicroNutrients: These are the vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that our bodies need to operate. Micronutrients are not assigned a caloric value because they do not create energy in the body in and of themselves but they initiate and sustain the biological processes that allow our cells to function.

To Lose Belly Fat You Need to Balance your Macro and Micro Nutrient Intake

People think they can “Diet” and lose weight. But what is a diet? A diet is nothing more than manipulating the foods we eat in order to create an environment that allows our bodies to come into natural harmonic balance. In short a diet manipulates our caloric intake. But the real key to dieting is bringing into Balance Macro and Micronutrients so that we not only lose weight but we provide our bodies with the Nutrition they need to operate at optimum levels.

If you choose to consume to much or too little of any substance the corresponding result is a body that is out of balance with it’s needs and this results in disease. Determining the “Perfect Diet” is science and art. We know when we “feel good” so we can use this as an indicator of what were are eating is “working”. When our bodies gain weigh we are doing something wrong… we are consuming too many calories and not enough nutrition. When our bodies get what they want and need they are self regulating and our desire to eat will coincide perfectly with our bodies needs.

Hundreds of crunches each day won't flatten your belly if you need to lose weight. If your abdominal muscles aren't covered with excess fat, strengthening them can help you look tighter and thinner. But spot exercises won't banish belly fat.

Most scientific evidence suggests that a calorie-controlled diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, beans, nuts, seeds, lean meat, fish, eggs, and poultry is the foundation for a diet that provides all the nutrients you need while helping to whittle your waistline.

If you want to lose the Belly Fat you must consume the correct balance of nutrients for your body. That is the magic secret… it’s called being healthy and when one is healthy they can enjoy the benefits of life!