If you’re trying to lose weight, there are a few things you can do that will help target specific areas of your body – and it all starts with your diet, according to one expert
Shifting those stubborn pounds can often feel like an uphill struggle – but what if a single diet tweak could make all the difference?
We’re told time and again that certain grub just isn’t good for our waistline, yet achieving a healthy food balance is easier said than done amidst the hustle and bustle of daily life where cooking up wholesome meals doesn’t always fit into the schedule.
But don’t worry, says weight loss whizz Lucy Jones, dietician and chief clinical officer at Oviva. Lucy suggests a straightforward dietary switcheroo that ditches certain belly-bloating foodstuffs in favour of options that give overall health a big thumbs-up – and no, it doesn’t mean giving whole food groups the boot.
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Focussing on trimming tummy fat can seem like a chore; however, Lucy highlights that this type of flab isn’t just annoying fashion-wise – it’s also ensnaring vital organs in a risky grip that increases chances of dire health conditions, including heart ailments, diabetes, and liver issues.
Lucy said: “Targeting particular body areas is hard, but there is some evidence from studies like the Framlingham Heart Study, that eating less sugar and refined carbs – and instead replacing these with wholegrain foods – can help to reduce more abdominal fat.”
Lucy’s advice to reduce sugar and refined carbs is echoed by other experts, including family and preventive medicine physician Brenda Rea. She suggests that sugar can trigger an “inflammatory response in the body, putting the body in a stressed-out state”, leading to fat storage in the belly.
However, this doesn’t mean you have to completely eliminate pasta and bread from your diet – just opt for healthier alternatives. Swap white bread and pasta for their wholegrain counterparts.
Not only are these better for your health, but they could also aid in losing belly fat. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition examined 50 obese adults with metabolic syndrome.
They were divided into two groups and instructed to reduce calories for 12 weeks. One group was told to consume only wholegrain products, while the other was asked to avoid them.
At the end of the study, both groups had lost weight, with the wholegrain group shedding an average of 8 pounds and the refined-grain group losing 11 pounds. Both groups saw a decrease in body fat, but the wholegrain group lost significantly more abdominal fat than the refined-grain group.
