How To Lose Visceral Fat

If you have been asking about how to lose visceral fat, you may be worried about more than just your looks but also your overall health. There is a lot of information about how much visceral fat can be detrimental to your health, which can cause you to feel alarmed and overwhelmed, but there’s no need to be. In this article, we will be discussing what visceral fat is, how it’s different from other fat, and some steps you can take to help get rid of it.

Many people are exploring dietary approaches like intermediate fasting for weight loss, which may also be helpful in reducing visceral fat.

If you’re interested in losing weight healthily and sustainably, you can consult with Australian medical practitioners via Mosh from the comfort of your home. Aside from teaching you about how to lose belly fat, they can assess your condition and recommend the appropriate medical treatments, over-the-counter products, or coaching solutions for your situation if needed.

Visceral fat is incredibly harmful and may increase your risk of chronic disease, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and even certain cancers.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/lose-visceral-fat

What is visceral fat?

There are two kinds of fat: subcutaneous and visceral. 

The former refers to the fat stored under the skin – the kind you can see, feel, and pinch. On the other hand, visceral fat is stored within the abdominal region and envelopes your liver and intestines. This type of fat is considered the more dangerous one out of the two because it releases more toxins into the body and poses more health risks.[1]

What are the common steps to lose weight?

If you’re interested in learning how to lose visceral fat, you should know that targeted fat loss, or ‘spot reduction’, has limited evidence to support it. Instead, most studies have shown that fat is reduced across different areas of the body despite focusing on a particular body part.[2]

As such, to reduce visceral fat, you should focus on overall weight loss. Here are some of the common steps to lose weight.

Food and diet

Eating a healthy, balanced diet is the key to successful weight loss and maintenance. Try to reduce your intake of processed foods and items with added sugars as much as possible. Your diet should focus on fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds instead of processed foods. What about onions for weight loss? Science says yes!

Exercise

Burning calories through exercise doesn’t have to feel dull or monotonous. You can explore and have fun with different workout activities that can help you maintain a healthy weight. 

Weight training, cardio, stretching, and yoga routines are all great, but you can also find pleasure in activities like dancing, surfing, and even riding your bike around the park. You can experiment with different options until you find the ones that you like and that you can do in the long run.

Evidence-based treatments

Diet and exercise alone are not the only factors that affect weight loss, so finding a solution that is appropriate for your needs is important. If needed, our health practitioners here at Mosh the men’s online health platform can provide bespoke treatments backed by evidence to help you reach your weight goals.

Can I lose visceral fat without exercise?

Technically, yes. When it comes to how to lose visceral fat, maintaining a caloric deficit increases the likelihood that you will lose weight and body fat overall, whether you do it by increasing your calorie expenditure or decreasing your calorie intake.

You can only get calories by consuming them, so your intake depends entirely on what you eat and drink. Consider swapping out sugary drinks or processed snacks for a shakes for weight loss – this can help you manage your calorie intake and feel satisfied throughout the day.

But when it comes to your output, your body does a lot of the work for you daily, expending energy to keep everything running as it should, from your breathing, blood circulation, cell growth and repair, and hormone regulation. In fact, your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is responsible for 50% to 80% of your daily energy use, while physical activity only contributes around 20%.[3]

A study revealed that when both methods were isolated, relying on dieting alone to help you lose weight was more effective than exercising on its own. However, the same study also recommends combining diet and exercise, as they yield the best results for reducing body weight and fat mass when done in tandem.[4]

How hard is it to lose visceral fat naturally?

While learning how to lose visceral fat can be challenging as it requires a commitment to lifestyle changes, you’ll be glad to know that visceral fat is easier to break down into fatty acids. Plus, it is easier to burn off through diet and exercise than subcutaneous fat located on your hips or legs. Lifestyle changes like breaking a smoking habit and getting the right amount of sleep can also reduce your risk of visceral fat storage.[5]

Even without necessarily changing your weight, you can still lose visceral fat and gain lean muscle mass through physical activity. Both aerobic exercise and strength training have been demonstrated to aid in reducing visceral fat and suppressing its build up.[6] 

When it comes to what exercise burns the most belly fat, there is no need to limit yourself to working out the area involved because fat loss occurs overall. Even if it is primarily stored in your belly, spot exercises like sit-ups and crunches can’t target visceral fat. However, you can still use them to tighten and strengthen your core muscles.

What diet should I follow to get rid of lower belly fat?

Here are some diet tips on how to get rid of visceral fat from your belly.

Cut back on added sugars and refined carbohydrates.

Foods high in added sugars and refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and sodas, can contribute to weight gain and increase your risk of developing belly fat. Cutting back on these can help you reduce your overall calorie intake and promote weight loss.

Increase your fibre intake.

Eating a diet that is high in fibre helps to fill you up and keep you full for longer, which can help you manage your appetite.[7] A five-year study on fibre intake and exercise found that for every ten grams of added soluble fibre added to the diet of their participants, the rate of visceral fat accumulation decreased by 3.7%.[8]

Increase your protein intake.

Eating a diet that is high in protein helps boost your metabolism through thermogenesis and helps you feel satiated without having to eat as much. Protein also helps to build and maintain muscle mass, which can help burn more calories.[9]

Factors like your genetics, medical history, and body type influence how your body distributes fat and your ability to lose it, so another person’s weight loss plan may not work the same for you. That is why Mosh has an online questionnaire that takes these into account. You can finish it in just a few minutes and get personalised advice from one of our health practitioners within twenty-four hours of completing it.

You don’t have to rely on the internet’s advice on how to help reduce visceral fat any longer. For all your weight loss or health problems or concerns, consult with a health practitioner through Mosh.

FAQs

What is visceral fat?

Visceral fat is a type of body fat that is located deep within the abdominal cavity, surrounding vital organs like the liver, pancreas, and intestines.

How does visceral fat differ from subcutaneous fat?

Visceral fat is different from subcutaneous fat, which is the fat that lies just beneath the skin. Visceral fat is considered more harmful as it can lead to various health risks.

How can I reduce visceral fat?

To reduce visceral fat, you can focus on incorporating aerobic exercise, implementing intermittent fasting, and making dietary changes to cut down on trans fats and overall body fat.

Why is visceral fat considered risky for health?

Excess visceral fat is associated with an increased risk of various health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.

Can losing belly fat help reduce visceral fat?

Yes, losing belly fat through methods like intermittent fasting and regular exercise can help you reduce visceral fat and improve your overall body fat percentage.

Are there specific ways to target visceral belly fat?

While you cannot spot-reduce fat in a specific area, following a healthy lifestyle with a focus on reducing overall body fat can help lower your visceral fat levels.

Does intermittent fasting help in losing visceral fat?

Intermittent fasting may help you lose excess visceral fat, as it can aid in reducing overall calorie intake and promoting fat loss.

How can reducing trans fats in my diet help with visceral fat loss?

Cutting down on trans fats, which are known to promote fat gain, can help in reducing the amount of visceral fat in your body and lower your risk of associated health issues.

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References

[1] https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/how-to-reduce-visceral-body-fat-hidden-fat#how-to-reduce

[2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23222084/ 

[3] https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/metabolism#metabolic-rate

[4] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25358395/

[5] https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/taking-aim-at-belly-fat

[6] https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/taking-aim-at-belly-fat

[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559033/

[8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3856431/

[9] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15466943/