A beer belly is usually something that many men develop once they hit middle age, sometimes even in their early 30s. ‘Beer belly’ refers to a large gut that is obtained with large quantities of beer. This term is used to refer to anyone who has developed abdominal obesity.
But before we go into more detail on beer bellies, we wanted to point out the fact that a large stomach isn’t just down to pints of beer; it’s also to do with the amount of fizzy drinks that you are consuming in your diet. Read more on causes of beer belly…
What are the top common causes of a beer belly?
Drinking an excessive amount of alcohol
Alcoholic drinks can contain too many calories with no real nutritional value. If your body is unable to burn these extra calories as fuel, they will be stored in the body as fat. The problem with beer in particular is that it not only means consuming more calories, but it also makes you feel hungry quicker. You may also crave unhealthy foods high in fat and salt.
Fizzy drinks and comfort eating
Comfort eating is usually described as ‘eating your feelings’ or taking comfort in food when you aren’t feeling so good. How many of us eat an apple when we are feeling sad? Didn’t think so… Most of us will look for sweets or other junk food to give us a bit of a ‘pick me up’.
You may also find that you reach for a can of coke or sprite mid afternoon when your energy levels are low to get you through the rest o the day.
These little habits aren’t great for your health or your waistband in the long run.
Lack of exercise
We aren’t as active as we used to. A lot of us have jobs that require us to sit down for long periods of time. Our body was made to move and it’s important that we take the time to look after it! Even half an hour of daily exercise is probably not enough activity for somebody who has a sedentary job.
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Solutions to get rid of my beer belly
Pump iron
Strengthening muscles by lifting weights is the number one way to boost metabolism. Muscles burn more calories than fat whether they are being used or not.
Even avid fitness enthusiasts often make the critical mistake of focusing on aerobic activities such as running when their goal is fat loss. When stretched for time, many of us have to choose between cardio and lifting weights. What we don’t realise is that for better results you would be best not to skip weight lifting.
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Eat breakfast
A very popular mistake to make is thinking that you are saving calories for later on, when in fact you are not. When you eat breakfast, it signals your metabolism to keep running. But when you don’t eat breakfast, your metabolism drops, and the calories you eat later are now more difficult to burn.
Take the stairs
Rather than take the time to exercise or overhaul your lifestyle, you can incorporate metabolism-chargers into your everyday routine. Something as simple as quitting the elevators or escalators can add up to significant calorie-burn over the course of a year.
Some estimate that if all you did was take the stairs, instead of the escalator, you could lose up to 6 pounds in a year.
Ride your bike to work. Walk rather than taking the bus or get off of the bus one stop before your destination. All these little changes can add up and make a big difference to your body and physique.
Get your good fats
Essential fatty acids are fats considered essential to life because the body can’t produce them on its own. These fats are sometimes referred to as omega 3s and are essential to producing many hormones, some of which work to maintain the body’s metabolic rate.
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Most typical diets fall short of adequate essential fatty acids. A deficiency, in theory, is likely to increase cravings for high-fat foods while simultaneously slowing down your metabolism, which is a bad combination.
Good sources of essential fatty acids include; nuts, canola oil, and fish, especially cold water fish such as salmon. Opt for salad dressings in a canola oil base to get your omega 3s, which contain enough fat to turn off your hunger cravings.
