With the number of books and exercises specifically targeted at slimming abs, you would think we wouldn’t have a problem in this country.  Abdominal fat is a big problem.  Millions of sit-ups are going on every second in this world to try to get rid of it.  But can you?

Abdominal fat is risky businesses. The more weight you carry around your middle, the higher risk you are for type 2 diabetes and heart disease.  Women should be no more than 30 inches around their waist, and men 35 inches.  Anything greater than 35 inches puts you in the high risk category for chronic disease. This fat can be especially dangerous if it is accumulating around vital organs, rather than just under the skin.  Adipose tissue gathering around the liver and stomach can cause problems such as fat induced cirrhosis of the liver and other health issues.

So can you get rid of it?  The short answer, maybe!

It is true overall weight loss is the best way to “target” abdominal fat.  You cannot do a million situps and expect to widdle your middle.  Spot training has never been effective.  Certainly you can build muscle around your middle by doing core work and spot training.  You cannot however lose body fat in a specific location by exercising that specific spot.  We are genetically programmed to lose weight in a specific order.  Some people during weight loss will lose upper body fat, before the fat starts leaving their hips and thighs.  Other people will get super skinny legs and use up all the fat stores in their lower body, before it starts to leave their middle.  Overall weight loss is the only way to start seeing your 6 pack.

You may be able to target abdominal fat if you are insulin sensitive.  For those people whose blood sugar goes crazy with even the smallest amount of carbs, you may be able to control the amount of fat accumulating around your middle.  A diet low in carbs, and high in healthy fats and lean proteins may reverse your sensitivity to insulin and reduce abdominal fat.  It is unclear if abdominal fat causes insulin sensitivity, or insulin sensitivity causes ab fat, but there is a relationship.

Getting rid of the muffin and getting your 6 pack.

DIET

• Losing weight through diet is 80% of the equation.  Eating lean protein such as grilled chicken breasts, eggs, or lean grass fed beef will help control your insulin and glucose.  Eating these proteins with loads of non-starchy vegetables to get in vitamins and minerals, as well as add bulk to your diet will help take those pounds off quickly.  Checking the glycemic load of foods is the key to keeping your insulin secretion under control.
• Keeping a food journal helps certain people to stay on target and prevents cheating on your diet.  Many people take little bites and nibbles of things unconsciously.  Walking passed a co-workers nut bowl, or tasting dinner as you prepare it, all adds up to calories consumed.
• Staying within appropriate calorie levels is important to overall weight loss.  Even too much healthy food will slow down weight loss if you aren’t careful.  Too many calories from nuts and seeds, foods with dense caloric loads, is dangerous for those trying to drop weight.  You can calculate your daily calorie need based on your weight times 11 if you are sedentary, 12 if you are mildly active, and 13 if you are very active.

EXERCISE

• Aerobic interval training is the best way to blast fat all over your body.  Short bouts of intense exercise, followed by moderate output increases the calorie burn not only during the workout, but for hours following a workout.
• Strength training is vital for fat loss.  Weight lifting among women has caught fire in the last decade or so.  Women are realizing they can lift heavy and hard, and they are getting smaller, not larger like men.  The more lean muscle women gain, the faster their metabolism is.
• Core exercises is the final component of exercise that will give you that six-pack, rather than the muffin top. Pilates, yoga, crunches, etc. are all exercises that focus on your core.  In addition, keeping your abs engaged during aerobic activity, and keeping your stomach pulled in and tight during the day also strengthens your ab muscles.

CONCLUSION

If you are tired of the extra flab spilling out of your tight jeans, you can do something about it. While it has been shown it impossible to target your abs specifically with exercises, you can lose weight by changing your diet and getting active, and that muffin top will be gone in no time.