People ask so many questions about a beer belly. What causes beer belly? Is beer belly permanent? How long does it take a beer belly to form? Does it take so long for one to get rid of a beer belly? In this article, I will be answering these questions about beer belly and offering you tips on how to get rid of yours.
What Causes Beer Belly?
The abdomen is one of the areas in the body with more than one layer of fat. This means it is a target area for the storage of excess calories since the body stores unused calories as fat.
The type of fat around the abdomen is believed to be a particularly dangerous kind. It is called visceral fat. It does not just lie dormant there. It is metabolic and can cause problems such as Type II Diabetes. Type II diabetes is caused by insulin resistance, which is linked to obesity.
Beer is one of the culprits known to increase the amount of belly fat, making the tummy bigger and more protruded. The mechanism by which it does this is not so difficult to understand:
1. Beer Contains a Lot of Calories
It may or may not come off as surprising to know that beer contains just as many calories as a regular soft drink or energy drink. For people who barely use up the calories they ingest, this is somewhat a lot and can start the process of fat buildup.
Read: 10 Yoga Poses For Weight Loss And Balance
2. It Has an Impact on Your Appetite
A finding published in 2003 shows that alcohol has an impact on your appetite. Even though this effect does not last long, it is capable of causing some problems. After you have had a cold bottle of beer, you may be tempted to eat more.
This isn’t much of a problem if you are careful to eat only low-calorie foods so as not to heap up even more fat. But the thing is, people don’t quite eat low-calorie foods after drinking beer. A study suggests that a diet that follows after intake of beer usually does not compensate for the effect of alcohol’s many calories. There is a belief that alcohol intake is related to BMI.
3. Beer Has an Effect to Prevent Using Up of Fat
Fat is one of the preferred energy sources of the body. When the body needs more energy, it breaks fat down in a process called lipolysis.
But alcohol is also an energy source, and coincidentally, the body is more comfortable with breaking down alcohol to release energy than it is with breaking down fat. So, when you drink alcohol, your body turns to using the alcohol as fuel, ignoring the already built-up fat.
Drinking large amounts of alcohol can cause you to gain a lot of weight.
Men might be more likely to develop belly fat than women because it is believed that men drink more than women. Also, men are more likely to store fat around the belly; women most store fat in their butts, thighs, and breasts. The fact that alcohol reduces the levels of testosterone may be another culprit. According to studies, 52 percent of overweight men have lower than normal levels of testosterone.
Related: 5 Exercises to Lose Beer Belly Fast
How Long Does it Take Beer Belly to Form?
The time it takes for a beer belly to form depends on the amount of beer you take, your diet, and your lifestyle. It can take a couple of months to form in some individuals whilst taking significantly longer in others.
Is Beer Belly Permanent?
The short answer is: no. Beer belly is not permanent. With the proper approach, anyone can get rid of a beer belly and get their form back.
How to Get Rid of Beer Belly?
1. Reduce the Beer Intake
The first thing to do when you are trying to get rid of your beer belly is to get rid of excess beer. There is evidence that weight gain associated with alcohol is a result of too much alcohol over a period of time. Just a little alcohol might not do so much to make you gain weight.
Reduce your beer intake as much as you can. Be gradual with the reduction so it does not go on to have an impact on your mental health. If you find that you seem addicted to drinking beer, you can get some help from therapy.
Read: 5 Breakfast Foods for Belly Fat Loss
2. Diet
The thing with calories is that they come from everything that our bodies can digest. That is, everything we eat. It does not necessarily have to be beer. A high-calorie diet, in combination with beer, is going to make your belly a lot bigger.
So, as you reduce the beer, also reduce the number of calories you consume. Eat more low-carb foods, and try as much as you can to limit your intake of processed sugar.
Some diet plans, such as the keto diet plan, can help you shred excess fat. Eat more vegetables. And eat less than you naturally would. Stay away from energy drinks as well. Eat lots of protein; protein helps build muscle.
3. Exercise
I don’t think it is quite possible to get rid of beer belly without some exercise. You just have to go out there and work your body. The idea behind the exercise is that it helps you get to burn calories.
A particular class of exercise called cardio is quite helpful in burning calories. This exercise follows a series of repeated actions that increase the heart rate and, subsequently, metabolism.
Cardio can be anything from riding a bike for long distances, running up and down a flight of stairs, or even taking jogs around your house.
If you do them as often as you can, in addition to keeping the bottles down and eating proper meals, you will notice a reduction in not only your beer belly but in other areas of your body.
Cardio exercises are helpful in reducing overall body fat. There are a number of target exercises to reduce belly fat. Check out a number of them here.
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