A bulging belly can make anyone feel insecure and uncomfortable. Most people trying to lose weight, first try to get rid of their belly fat. Turns out, belly fat is not all about your looks, but it is also harmful to your health. Not only obese or overweight people have belly fat, even thin people with flat belly have some belly fat. Some of the fat is right under your skin, which is visible, but at times it is deep inside around your lungs, liver, kidneys, and heart.
The fat which lies deep within is called "visceral" fat, which is a problem for all, even for thin people.
We tell you the main difference between hard and soft belly fat and ways you can reduce them:
Soft vs. Hard Belly Fat
Soft belly fat: This is the type of fat that you can easily see with your open eyes like when you hold your belly. As per a study, almost 90 percent of body fat in most people is soft and the remaining 10 percent if hard fat. This type of fat is located just below your skin and keeps you warm and is a source of energy for your body. They are not as harmful as hard belly fat and are considerably easy to lose. When you start exercising and following a healthy diet, soft belly fat melt on its own.
Hard belly fat: Hard belly fat is known as visceral fat, which is located around your organs and it is more harmful then soft belly fat. Unlike soft belly fat, you cannot see hard belly fat as they are located deep under the skin. Visceral fat produces hormones and inflammatory substances, which over time can cause inflammation in the body and can increase the risk of chronic disease. More visceral fat deposition in the body is harmful as it linked to
insulin resistance, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other several health issues.
How to lose belly fat
The first thing to do is to change your diet. Keep a tab on the quantity and types of food you are eating. Eat less refined carbs, sugar, saturated and trans fat. You can increase the intake of lean protein, fruits, veggies, whole grains, and polyunsaturated fats.
Apart from eating healthy, you should cut down your calorie intake. Consume 500 fewer calories every day to lose 500 grams of fat in a week.
Third, move more throughout the day. Moderate-intensity activity for at least 30 to 60 minutes in a day can be quite beneficial. Walking, running, biking or aerobic activity ae some excellent workout to reduce both subcutaneous and visceral fat.
