Will a low carbohydrate diet help you lose belly fat?

There is a reason why so many people lose weight on a low carbohydrate diet, including losing stubborn belly fat. "Those who consume high-carbohydrate foods, particularly processed and simple carbohydrate foods, are prone to accumulating fat around the abdominal area," POPSUGAR head nurse Gabby Geerts told Green Chef. So, although you can not specifically target belly fat, reducing your carbohydrate intake can prevent you from taking more, while boosting your metabolism so that you can lose weight and keep it off. Here, experts explain the link and how to effectively reduce carbohydrates.

What are the Fat Belly causes?

A number of factors can contribute to belly fat, including stress and lack of sleep, but carbohydrates can also play a role, depending on your diet. "Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the body, they are broken down and used as glucose by our cells," Gabby said. "If you consume more carbohydrates than necessary, your body will convert glucose into glycogen, a form of energy storage.If you consume as much carbohydrates as even your glycogen stores are at their maximum capacity, the body will convert it then in fat. "

Insulin, the hormone that contributes to glucose transport in the body's cells, also loses its effectiveness if you consume too much carbohydrate. This means that if you continually follow a high carbohydrate diet, you will need more insulin to handle this workload, a condition known as insulin resistance. "As the effectiveness of insulin continues to decrease, more energy will be stored as fat," Gabby explained.

So, if you think your carbohydrate consumption might be to blame for having you overweight in the center, take a look at your diet, noting how often you eat carbohydrates, what types of carbohydrates you eat, size of your plate. "Adding a fat and protein will help slow down the absorption and maintain a more stable blood sugar level," Gabby said.

Does this mean that reducing carbohydrates reduces belly fat?

Although you can not reduce your fat intake, it is often helpful to reduce your carbohydrate intake to start losing weight. A low carb diet not only aims to reduce carbohydrate intake, but also to replace simple carbohydrates with complex or "good" carbohydrates, such as vegetables and whole grain cereals, high in fiber and starch and low in sugar. It takes longer for these polysaccharides to be broken down because several saccharide chains (in this case, starch and glucose chains) are bound together. "This longer metabolic process keeps insulin secretion and glucose levels in the bloodstream," said Gabby, which prevents excess glucose from being stored as fat.

This is compared to simple carbohydrates, such as processed or packaged foods, and refined grains, such as white bread, which contain less fiber, more sugar and digest more quickly.

What should you eat on a low carb diet?

The number of carbs you should consume with a low carbohydrate diet varies from one person to the other. "Most dietary recommendations recommend that 45 to 65 percent of your daily food intake comes from carbohydrates," said Phil Catudal, NASM Certified Trainer. Just your type: The ultimate guide to eat well and train according to your body type, told POPSUGAR. When reducing carbohydrates, Gabby recommends keeping this number below 40% and using a food diary to stay on track. "If you eat 1,800 calories a day, 720 calories or less should come from carbohydrates, which equals 180 grams of carbohydrate (four calories per gram)," she said. This formula can help you determine how many calories you should eat each day to lose weight.

Phil and Gabby both suggest focusing on healthy carbohydrates and reducing or eliminating simple carbohydrates and added sugars to start losing fat, increasing your energy level and stabilizing your blood sugar. You may find that you have to limit the most virtuous carbohydrates such as fruits and whole grains in order to keep that number of carbohydrates healthy. (Fruits, for example, have a high concentration of fructose, a natural sugar.) "Make sure you understand the portion sizes, so as not to overuse consumption," said Gabby. And because these two food groups are solid sources of fiber, "incorporate fresh vegetables and legumes into a low-carbohydrate diet to ensure adequate fiber intake and prevent gastrointestinal disorders," she added. .

Phil explained that reducing carbohydrates can simultaneously drop the number on the scale, but that the initial weight loss will probably be water and glycogen, the energy stored in the muscles after carbohydrate digestion. Reduce your carbohydrate intake slowly, starting with 45% of calories from carbohydrates, and then monitoring your body's reaction. You can lose weight at a slower rate, but you will lose more fat than water weight.