There is no better time to lose belly fat - health risks

By Hamish Shephard
Fact: a great percentage of the western population need to lose abdominal fat. Most folks see their spare tire as simply unsightly, a heavy and uncomfortable veil over their midsection that offers nothing more than embarrassment at the thought of others seeing it.

But there's more to it; that spare tire is not just ugly it's downright dangerous to your health. While the health risks of obesity have been widely publicized, several studies reveal extra abdominal fat adds an even greater risk and may decrease life expectancy.

The abdomen stores two varieties of fat. Subcutaneous fat is the jelly wobble between your skin and your six pack. Visceral fat is the stuff the causes your gut to stick out and is actually held in the muscles around your organs - it's less wobbly.

The two types offer major health risks, with visceral fat being the most dangerous. Both of them greatly increase the your risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, type I and type II diabetes, sleep apnea, cancer, stroke, and other degenerative illnesses. Visceral fat is also a recognized as a major contributor of inflammation - which is linked to a variety of diseases.

You have to make the decision to lose abdominal fat now if you care for your family and want to maintain quality of life. Besides, if you do lose that unhealthy abdominal fat you could end up with an incredible midsection and even "ripped" abs.

"How do I do it Hamish, how do I lose abdominal fat" I hear you ask. Well, first thing you need to do is get real. There's no magical pill or powder or gimmick or gadget to take the place of a smart exercise program and good nutrition.

That means a whole body workout made up of multi-joint "compound" movements several times a week. Think squat, lunge, dead lift and different types press and pull exercises. Add some interval cardio training on off days and you have the beginnings of a great program that will kick your metabolism into gear and create the best hormonal environment for fat loss.

As far as diet goes, avoid processed food and refined sugars, eat a good mix of protein, carbs and fats, ensure plenty of water and stay away from high calorie soda, chocolate and so on. You need to get food intake and training program right to lose abdominal fat quickly and safely.

In fact research shows people who exercise this way and have a healthy diet lose abdominal fat musch faster than people who simply eat right or who only exercise regularly. It's the smart combination of both that can skyrocket your fat loss.

Remember, not just any old routine will get the job done. Every time I hit the gym I see people grinding away on hours of useless cardio and choosing the worst exercise to achieve their goals. All I can do is shake my head. I know there's a better way but some people just want keep doing what they're doing and get nowhere fast - crazy but true.

As I said, there's a better way. Fitness professionals all over the world have been researching the topic for decades. And a special few have cracked the code (some of which I shared with you earlier) by testing it with their clients day-in day-out for months and even years just to get the formula right - to help you lose abdominal fat that is not only unsightly and uncomfortable but DANGEROUS.

There really has been no better time to lose abdominal fat - the time to take action is now. Don't wait until it's too late.