For the Kilos Out team, the excellent ally to know if we are losing weight or not is the measuring tape. “Our advice is to weigh yourself regularly without obsessing over control, especially if we have had overweight problems, but in order not to get discouraged, it is best to measure yourself,” they recommend. “The scale must be interpreted meaningfully and used as a record of our general state, knowing how our body reacts to weight loss or our hormonal cycle.”
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How to measure body fat
As explained from Hilos Out, “your body composition shows how much fat and how much muscle your body is made of, and it is a very reliable indicator of your general health.” “That is why the Mass Index (BMI), which is the relationship between weight and height, does not distinguish between lean body mass (muscle) and fat mass. It is a valuable tool to evaluate a person quickly. But let’s not forget that there are many factors to consider: age, sex, physical condition, general condition, habits and diet.
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The KilosOut team explains the two methods by which body fat percentage is usually measured:
Electrical bioimpedance
Measures the body’s resistance to a painless electrical current. Several equipment options use an electrical bioimpedance, ranging from a bathroom scale to more sophisticated clinical electrode models. Fat-free body mass (lean mass) contains a higher percentage of water than fat mass, and water is a great conductor of electricity. Therefore, a person with low-fat mass will prevent current from flowing through her body to a lesser extent than a person with a higher level of fat mass. It’s fast, non-invasive, and even portable.
However, it is sensitive to the level of hydration and the temperature of the skin. The hotter, the less impedance and vice versa. Even when both variables are at normal levels, the electrical bioimpedance tends to overestimate fat percentage.
Hydrostatic weighing
This technique measures the weight of an individual on land and afterwards when he is submerged in water. The volume and density of matter are calculated based on Archimedes’ principle. The density of muscle and bone is greater than that of water, while fat density is less. Therefore, a person with more lean mass will weigh more in water than a person with more fat mass. Due to equipment, space, and process errors, it is a reliable method but not easy to perform.
Subcutaneous folds
This technique is carried out by measuring the thickness of subcutaneous folds at specific points on the body. There are several variations of this technique. In general, the more points evaluated, the more accurate the analysis will be. The sum of these measurements, together with other variables such as sex, age, height and weight, serve to determine the percentage of body fat of the subject. The problem is that it only measures the fat under the skin, not the visceral or intra-abdominal. It can be difficult to take measurements in very obese or skinny people.
It sounds a bit complicated, doesn’t it? In addition, one of the drawbacks is that it is tough to reduce fat in just one point, in this case on the belly. And you know that killing yourself with abs every morning isn’t one hundred percent effective either. All you have to do is avoid certain foods that bloat the belly and perform specific exercises. Next, we will see the eight steps Pop Sugar proposed to end the hateful gut.
Eat fewer calories
You have probably always heard that losing weight consists of 80% diet and another 20% exercise. “You have to burn more calories than you eat,” says Kimberly Gomer, director of a leading nutrition center. “If you can create a calorie deficit and maintain it, you will lose excess fat anywhere in your body.” Consult specialized dietitians to know for sure if you are restricting the number of calories. However, it is not only the amount you eat that matters but the quality. You need to focus on foods high in nutrients: green leafy vegetables, non-starchy, and, above all, lots of fruit.
No sugar
Sugar is a substance in which calories are highly concentrated and have practically no nutritional value. So not only will it cause you to put on extra pounds, but the fat will also tend to be stored faster in the belly.
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Also, sugar increases insulin levels, which is directly related to obesity. This can also lead to resistance to this hormone, which will result in additional storage of fat abdominal.
Beware of cereals
Like sugar, cereals increase blood insulin levels, which can lead to weight gain. “To eliminate belly fat, you must eliminate white bread and rice from your diet and replace them with whole foods, such as oats, barley, quinoa or brown rice,” says Gomer. In addition to being high in calories, they are also not filling, so it is straightforward to overeat many of these foods.
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