An inability to get rid of belly fat is a national health problem that seems to be becoming more acute every day in this country. “Super-sizing” our meal portions has become de rigueur at many fast food restaurants, and when you apply that trend to a population that is becoming even more sedentary in lifestyle, the stage is set for you to develop your own “love handles” or “spare tire”.
For most people, keeping their weight within healthy boundaries takes conscious work and effort. Following the proper diet practices and getting enough exercise help people achieve their optimal weight goals. Maintaining the right weight for you means making the correct choices much more frequently than making the wrong dietary choices.
Many people, though, unrealistically expect to be able to lose weight quickly, safely, and sometimes only in certain spots. That wishful thinking is false. The best kind of weight loss is at a gradual and consistent rate, and so-called spot reducing is simply a myth. Just as you can’t pick where you’re going to store your belly fat, neither can you choose where you’re going to lose it. You must reduce your overall body fat percentage to lose weight, which means running a calorie deficit.
To run a calorie deficit, you must burn more calories off than the number of calories you consume. It’s common knowledge that we all burn calories when we exercise, but did you know that calories also burn off when your body is completely at rest? To determine your own calorie baseline for running a calorie deficit, you need to know what your basic metabolic rate (BMR) is. Your BMR is the number of calories you need to intake daily in order to maintain your existing weight without any kind of exercise or movement.
One of the most common methods for determining BMR is the Harris-Benedict formula:
For men: 66 + (6.3 x body weight in lbs.) + (12.9 x height in inches) – (6.8 x age in years) = BMR
For women: 655 + (4.3 x weight in lbs.) + (4.7 x height in inches) – (4.7 x age in years) = BMR
Once you’ve calculated your BMR, you need to consider the inherent thermodynamic nature of food. Your digestive process alone will account for roughly 10% of all calories burned daily. So, for example, if your daily caloric intake is around 2,200 calories, the energy your system expends during digestion will burn off about 10%, or 220 calories, of the total number of calories you consumed that day.
The final factor we’ll need to know, in addition to your BMR and the general number of calories you burn off thermodynamically, is some number to reflect your usual level of daily activity. Since this can be a difficult calculation to make precisely, just multiply your BMR by the most appropriate rough guideline below:
– 1.2 if your average day is sedentary
– 1.375 if you are slightly active (you participate in activity 1-3 times a week)
– 1.55 if you are moderately active (your participation is 3-5 times a week)
– 1.725 if you are highly active (participating 6-7 times a week)
– 1.9 if you’re highly active in a physically demanding job
One you have this new BMR number, add it to your daily thermodynamic burn number, and this new sum will show you how many calories you need to consume daily just to maintain your present weight. Since you want to run a calorie deficit to get rid of belly fat, you can either 1) have a lower daily caloric intake, 2) ramp up your daily activity levels to burn more calories, or 3) a combination of the two. The trick is to burn only fat calories while still allowing your body the calories it needs to build lean muscle mass. Once you put this plan into motion, you, too, will be well on your way to losing that unsightly and unhealthy beer belly that was so easy to put on.
Monica Limpasas regularly reads and evaluates different health-related information products that are available online, including those that claim they can help you get rid of belly fat or get rid of love handles. You can read Monica’s critical reviews and recommendations at GetRidOf.biz.