The Skinny About Belly Fat

Men and women alike struggle to shed belly fat—and with good reason. Unlike fat that accumulates on legs, buttocks and arms, fat that settles around the middle is difficult to shed and dangerous to your health. Most of us can pinch more than an inch from our midsection, and while certain body types are definitely more prone to belly fat than others—lifestyle and diet have an enormous impact as well. Here are four ways you can turn around and help control belly fat.

1. Dial down stress.
Besides making you frustrated, upset and restless (all great reasons to find a relaxing, stress-relieving past-time), Claire Wheeler, M.D., Ph.D. explains that "stress spikes cortisol levels, which enhances appetite and makes high-calorie, high-fat foods even more appealing. It then shuttles these calories to your belly for storage." If you do succumb to high-fat foods in a stressful moment, you can turn the situation around by taking a fat binder supplement such as bmiSMART I-REMOVE immediately after eating fatty foods.

2. Don’t skip meals.
Skipping meals (and yes that includes breakfast--the meal skipped most often), triggers messenger molecules in your body, activating starvation signals. It may also cause you to overeat at the next meal. If you do forget to eat breakfast, or if you absentmindedly work straight through lunch, take an appetite reducer like bmiSMART I-CONTROL as soon as you realize it. It will help fill your stomach and stop the brain from sending those starvation signals. It will also help you not overeat at the next meal, which Diane Wellend R.D., suggests can, "cause insulin levels to spike and promt your body to lay down belly fat."

3. Help your hormones.
If you’re a woman in your late 40s or early 50s, you know the effect of dropping estrogen levels on belly fat. The body attempts to restore declining levels of estrogen by packing pounds on around the middle. Still, a fat belly is not inevitable. Supplement your healthy diet with I-BLOCK Carb & Sugar Blocker to keep the pounds from creeping up and to maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

4. Get a move on.
According to Wheeler, sitting all day is a major contributor to belly fat. "Not only do you burn fewer calories, but you also promote insulin resistance," says Wheeler. And when blood sugar levels remain elevated, your brain sends the message to store the glucose as belly fat. Still aerobic exercise can be intimidating for someone carrying a lot of extra weight (let’s face it, even walking a mile with 60 extra pounds can destroy your feet). In this case, swimming and stationary bikes are great ways to move your body.

No matter your current situation, you can take action to curb the accumulation of belly fat, and each action you take will help make every day after this one a healthier, happier one. Click here for $15 off the entire bmiSMART system, including I-REMOVE Fat Binder, I-CONTROL Appetite Reducer and I-BLOCK Car & Sugar Blocker.