4 Myths about Belly Fat Busted

February 24, 2018 • By Penelope Torres
The estimated reading time is 3 minutes

Abdominal fat is perhaps one of the most fussed over things in nutrition and weight loss circles. Everyone has an idea about how to lose it, and as a result, there are so many myths and misconceptions about belly fat. It is, of course, important to lose excessive fat in the abdominal area. Belly fat, unlike excess fat deposit in other areas, is particularly dangerous to overall health. Too much abdominal fat is closely associated with chronic diseases like type II diabetes and heart disease. If you want to lose excess belly fat, you first have to understand it. Here are several prevalent common misconceptions about belly fat with factual explanations:

1. Abdominal Fat is Very Difficult to Lose

This is a very prevalent myth. A good number of people believe that belly fat is difficult to lose than fat deposits in other parts of the body like the thighs or upper arms. This isn’t actually true. In fact, the opposite is true. When you lose weight, belly fat is what gets burned off first. When you eat healthily and exercise, the body starts removing excess fat deposits starting from the midsection, not the other way around.

2. The Best Way to Lose Belly Fat is to Do Abdominal Spot Exercises

Spot exercises like crunches and sit-ups are immensely popular as surefire methods to burn off belly fat. When you perform most exercises targeting the abdominal area, it’s actually your core muscles that do the work. Abdominal spot exercises are great for strengthening your core but don’t really make you lose belly fat faster. You need to engage in aerobic exercises—exercises that increase your heart rate and makes you sweat—such as swimming or running to rapidly lose belly fat. If you truly want to lose the bulging midsection, control unhealthy calories and buy a cardio machine. You will definitely start shedding pounds if you have a cardio machine at home. You can read more about how cardio machines work at www.bestcheaptech.com.

3. Beer Belly Doesn’t Exist Because of Alcohol

Not all calories are created equally. Some calories really are worse for you than other types. Alcohol is one of the worst types of calories for belly fat. Studies have found a strong correlation between excessive abdominal fat and alcohol. The problem is, when you drink alcoholic beverages, it causes your liver to go into overdrive to process the alcohol. This limits the liver’s ability to process and burn fat as well. The result is a prominent beer belly. If you want a slim waist, then you should probably lay off the alcohol.

4. Green Tea Burns Belly Fat

While some scientific studies have shown that a chemical called catechins in green tea can be beneficial for shedding excess weight, you are unlikely to benefit from those green tea drinks found at the local café. If you want to benefit from green tea, you will have to brew your own using the genuine raw product. Green tea beverages and mixes sold at stores are so highly processed, they do not contain the necessary antioxidant compound.

If you truly want to lose belly fat, start doing cardio up to an hour a day and follow a healthy diet. And don’t believe pop-science.

Penelope Torres

She is a health blogger that knows exactly what readers expect from her writings on nutrition, health and wellness. She inspires them to act and educate them on nutrition and healthy living using real and scientifically-based facts that support her ideas.
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