Can The 1: 8 Diet Help You Lose Weight
It might. When 23 obese adults restricted their eating from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for 12 weeks, they ate around 350 fewer calories per day compared to the control group, according to a recent Nutrition and Healthy Aging study. They also lost a few pounds and saw a drop in their systolic blood pressure . However, that study was very small, and more research will be needed to confirm the results.
Going for longish periods without eating seems to send the body into fat-burning mode and limit blood sugar spikes. Those two factors combined mean that youre reducing the blood sugar highs and lows that make you hungrier, Peterson says. Time-restricted eating also keeps your appetite in check by lowering the hunger hormone ghrelin, she adds.
Theres another reason why 16:8 dieters might end up eating less. I think participants found it difficult to eat all of their regular meals and snacks within the 8-hour timeframe, says Kristina Varady, PhD, associate professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois Chicago and a co-author of the Nutrition and Healthy Aging study. If trying to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. seems like a squeeze, youll likely end up cutting out a meal or shrinking your portions.
Adjust Your Coping Strategies And Address Your Stress Levels To Help Reduce Weight Gain
If your fat is making you feel stressed or vice versa for that matter dont disregard that link. There is a stress-fat connection, Peeke says. If you walk around completely stressed all the time, your cortisol levels will increase, and that will make it easy for you to deposit fat deep inside the belly.
Cortisol, known as the stress hormone, stimulates the liver to increase production and release of blood sugar and helps the body convert fats, proteins, and carbohydrates into usable energy. As part of the bodys fight or flight response, cortisol is released during stressful times to give your body a natural energy boost, but when cortisol levels are constantly high because of chronic stress, these same effects may result in insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
To reduce stress and belly fat, employ quick and simple techniques to help calm you down.
Shift To Resistant Starches
Women need carbohydrates to be happy. Carbs support sleep. If your mood and energy tank while youre on a diet its not likely youre going to see sustained weight loss. You need to identify the right carbohydrates and the right time to eat them. Its not intuitive! Your exercise will be so much more effective if youve got the right fuel.
There are details you want to be aware of when it comes to carbohydrates weve been led to believe are healthy. They may contribute to belly fat.
Eating too much lectin could interfere molecules bind to leptin receptors, inhibiting leptins ability to signal that youre full. Beyond that lectins can cause digestive issues after long time exposure, but can go undetected except for the inability to lose weight. Removing high lectin foods like the 6-11 servings of grain a day recommended by the USDA food pyramid is a good start. Dried beans, legumes, soy and peanuts, even quinoa and nightshades contain them.
I learned that my DNA predisposes me to gluten sensitivity so I have a stronger commitment to eliminating them now. More about testing your DNA.
Leptin resistance develops when inflammation is present. Reduce inflammation by supplementing with Omega 3 and or eating omega-3 rich foods like salmon and sardines regularly. I do both, as well as avoiding lectin-containing foods whenever possible.
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What Is Visceral Body Fat
Visceral body fat, also known as ‘hidden’ fat, is fat stored deep inside the belly, wrapped around the organs, including the liver and intestines. It makes up about one tenth of all the fat stored in the body.
Most fat is stored underneath the skin and is known as subcutaneous fat. That is the fat that is visible and that you can feel. The rest of the fat in the body is hidden. That is visceral fat.
Visceral fat makes the belly stick out or gives a person an ‘apple’ shape. It also produces chemicals and hormones that can be toxic to the body.
Visceral fat produces more toxic substances than subcutaneous fat, so it is more dangerous. Even in thin people, having visceral fat carries a range of health risks.
Visceral fat is more common in men than in women.
The Female Belly Fat Formula
The female formula for belly fat looks something like this: Estrogen= belly fat
This means insulin & cortisol combined along with excess testosterone & low estrogen = belly fat
And we could even take it a step further to X ST = Belly Fat.
Where F= fat, SS= sugar/starch, ST= stress.
The most significant impact on the hormone insulin is excess calories in the context of starch/sugar. Foods that combine fat and sugar have the greatest number of calories and the most negative impact on fat-storing hormones.
Add stress, and you have cortisol added to the mix. Cortisol added to insulin is a bad combination and is the most problematic hormonal combination for belly fat. But when stress becomes chronic or extreme in a female, the hypothalamus & pituitary becomes irritated , and you get downstream effects on the thyroid, adrenal, and ovarian hormone production. Chronic stress in women leads to increased testosterone and lower estrogen and progesterone.
The other aspects of stress are more hidden. Not only does stress raise testosterone, lower estrogen, and negatively impact insulin in women, it also causes increased hunger, constant cravings, and a physiology that is more likely to lose muscle.
This drives home the point that belly fat is not a simple matter of gaining or losing fat. Calories matter, but hormones matter more when it comes to where we store fat and how to attack stubborn areas of body fat unique to us.
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Menopause Weight Gain: How To Get Rid Of It
Exercise Physiologist, Carol Espel explains that Things shift when you start to go through menopause, but your ability to shape that is in your hands. Theres something you can do about it! Carol is the Fitness and Program Director at Pritikin Longevity Center who works with many guests, men and women, struggling with belly fat, and knows exactly what works. Newer science says going through menopause doesnt have to involve weight gain.
Shrink Belly Fat With Tai Chi Or Quigong
Maybe youve never tried it or perhaps youve seen a group of people practicing tai chi together in a public park but a recent research study from Hong Kong showed that this Chinese discipline of low-impact meditative movements could help trim waistlines in middle aged and older adults. This study, published in the June 2021 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, found that people age 50 and older with central obesity who practiced tai chi for 12 weeks shrunk their bellies as successfully as those who participated in aerobic exercise and strength training for the same amount of time. The study authors wrote that tai chi health benefits similar to those of conventional exercise and thus provides an alternative and more amenable exercise modality for middle-aged and older adults to manage central obesity.
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Trouble Getting Motivated Feed Yourself Fiber First
Eating 30 grams of fiber each day even if you do nothing else could improve weight loss significantly. Subjects in a study followed either a more complex diet and increased fiber or only increased fiber. Both groups lost weight. The group that followed all changes did best, but only by a marginal increase.
Keep Emotional Eating In Check
Its tempting to want to deal with changing hormones through emotional eating. Fluctuating emotions make that late-night nosedive into the ice cream even more appealing than normal.
Trying to shed extra weight in menopause doesnt mean you have to deprive yourself of everything, but you should monitor when you get the urge to binge on junk food and try to regulate your emotions in healthier ways.
Distract yourself, practice self-care, and become aware of whether or not your body is actually hungry.
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Move More Once You Hit Midlife Say Experts
Weight gain may feel like its inevitable once youve entered your fourth decade, but the truth is, it doesnt have to be. Natural hormonal changes mean you may start to notice symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings, but you dont need to idly accept that the number on the bathroom scale will steadily creep up, too.
RELATED: Weight Gain Around Menopause Is Linked to Lack of Sleep
Heres whats going on with your body if elastic-waist pants are now your go-to fashion staple: Weight distribution changes as you hit menopause, with the added pounds accumulating right around your belly. I named the extra fat that collects around your middle the menopot, says Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, author of Body for Life for Women.
RELATED: Women Who Reach Menopause Before Age 40 Face Higher Risk for Future Heart Disease
What we did when we were 30 and what we do when were 60 is very different, says Kathryn A. Boling, MD, a family medicine physician at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore. We have to adjust our exercise some as we get older. If youve lost some gusto, create incentives for yourself to stay moving. I have an Apple Watch, and I like to see that circle closed, she says. Peeke says you dont have to go to a gym, but you do need to do enough strength training to keep your muscles strong and your metabolism revved. Try activities that have you lifting, pushing, and pulling, she says.
Keep Portions In Check And Time Your Meals Right
Your metabolism has slowed down by the time you hit menopause with some research suggesting it burns a couple hundred calories fewer a day. You can very quickly avoid 200 calories, but that can also very quickly add up if you dont reduce the number of calories you consume, says Christine Palumbo, RD, a nutrition expert in Chicago.
Its also this time in your life, Palumbo notes, when you may be easing up from the daily duties of preparing meals for your family, and you just want to take a break from the kitchen. She has cooked for 25 years, and is sick of it, and she just wants to go out to eat, says Palumbo. What happens then is that you will inevitably eat twice as many calories as you need at that meal, and its often accompanied by alcohol, which is also associated with abdominal weight gain. Order appetizers as entrees and ask for a to-go container for leftovers when you do indulge in a large main course.
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Eat Plenty Of Soluble Fiber
Soluble fiber absorbs water and forms a gel that helps slow down food as it passes through your digestive system.
Studies show that this type of fiber promotes weight loss by helping you feel full, so you naturally eat less. It may also decrease the number of calories your body absorbs from food .
Whats more, soluble fiber may help fight belly fat.
An observational study in over 1,100 adults found that for every 10-gram increase in soluble fiber intake, belly fat gain decreased by 3.7% over a 5-year period (
Make an effort to consume high fiber foods every day. Excellent include:
- flax seeds
- blackberries
SUMMARY
Soluble fiber may help you to lose weight by increasing fullness and reducing calorie absorption. Try to include plenty of high fiber foods in your weight loss diet.
The Link Between Cortisol And Belly Fat
Lets face it: its a pretty stressful time to be alive . That means we should all be aware of how the hormone cortisol is impacting our lives and bodies. Cortisol, often referred to as the stress hormone, is produced by the adrenal glands. It puts your body into a fight-or-flight state, flooding your bloodstream with glucose and enhancing the brains ability to use it. It also stops or slows down any non-essential bodily functions, like digestion.
This was all well and good when we were living in caves and being hunted by tigers: your body would be flooded by cortisol when it saw a threat, then once the threat passed, cortisol levels would drop and your body could get back to functioning normally. The issue today is that many of us go around with chronically elevated cortisol levels, which can also mean high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and impaired digestion. All of that often means bad news for your weight and waistline.
Besides the biological relationship between cortisol and belly fat, there are also behavioral factors at play. We can probably all relate to reaching for unhealthy food when were stressed out , and so high cortisol levels can lead to weight gain in this manner. Plus, stress can cause digestive issues like constipation, diarrhea, and IBS, all of which can cause gas and belly bloating.
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Beer Bellies & Low Testosterone
As men age their levels of testosterone are also going to go down and down . Now, this is considered to be a normal response to the aging process. But diet, lack of exercise and other lifestyle factors can drive testosterone levels down into the dumps.
Studies have found men with lower testosterone levels are more likely to develop belly fat . Then this excess belly fat can be converted into estrogen if theyre under high-stress levels. Then next thing you know theyre fighting belly fat caused by both low testosterone and high estrogen levels. But studies have also found belly fat to go down when testosterone was increased .
Many men also like to drink a lot of beer but unfortunately, the hops in beer also contain phytoestrogens . These phytoestrogens are similar to estrogen. This can cause men to have increases in estrogen which leads to belly fat and man boobs. Plus drinking alcohol itself has been linked in studies to cause increases in abdominal fat as well .
Some natural ways to increase your testosterone is to lift weights, lower stress, get enough sleep, take vitamin D3, and get enough minerals such as zinc and magnesium . If none of these are getting your testosterone levels up high enough then consider talking to your doctor about testosterone replacement therapy as well.
Focus On The Way Your Clothes Fit More Than Reading A Scale
As you add muscle mass and lose fat, the reading on your bathroom scale maynot change much, but your pants will be looser. Thats a better mark ofprogress. Measured around, your waistline should be less than 35 inches ifyoure a woman or less than 40 inches if youre a man to reduce heart anddiabetes risks.
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When Belly Fat Wont Budge After 50
Im pulling back the curtain on Flipping 50 programs in this post. Every single belly fat solution here is included in the 28-Day Kickstart and the After 50 Fitness Formula for Women.
Whether you want or need to lose weight OR, its just that the belly fat wont budge, OR you want to get your energy and mojo back, these are the pieces. Each one I present is tied to research specifically targeting women 50+ .
Want help kicking belly fat to the curb? Start seeing results fast with a
Eat Protein In Every Meal
Eating more protein can help you lose PCOS belly fat in several ways.
For one thing, protein helps control hunger. In this study, people ate 441 fewer calories when they got 30 percent of their daily calories from protein foods.
Secondly, protein promotes muscle growth. And as you may know, increasing muscle mass is the most effective way to boost your metabolism.
Make sure your protein comes from solid foods since liquid protein is not as filling. Here are the best protein sources according to nutrition experts.
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Reduce Your Carbohydrates Intake
High carb intake can worsen insulin resistance and increase your total daily caloric intake.
Replace high-carb foods with high-fiber low-carb foods.
Some of the foods you should eliminate from your diet include cookies, cakes, candies, sodas, and other processed foods.
Eat lots of veggies, fruits, brown rice, oats, legumes, whole grains, and low-carb snacks.
How Long Does It Take To See Results
Within 6 weeks of starting to include some exercises that increase lean muscle mass, you might see some shifting and definition, but youll already notice your strength has increased. Its so empowering it feels great! says Carol. Youll get faster results than youll get on your own. Its a kick start that involves all sorts of changes , including a shift in upper body posture, and more defined muscles.
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Push Yourself During Your Work Intervals
If you’re giving 50 percent effort when you’re supposed to be giving 80, then your HIIT workout is not going to be the calorie-burning tool that you want it to be. Don’t be afraid to go hard during those work intervals not necessarily “all out”. You want to maintain a challenging pace while keeping good form. Push yourself. See if you can get one more rep than you did the last round. Let the anticipation of that rest period motivate you to do the best you can. You can do it because relief is soon on the way.