There's a reason you hear so much talk about belly fat in women over 45 going through perimenopause.
This kind of fat doesn't just make it harder to button your pants. It can be one of the most dangerous types of fat on your body!
Your habits can play a direct role in it.
The technical term is visceral fat, and unlike the fat you can pinch at your waistline, visceral fat builds up deep in your abdomen, wrapping around your organs.
It's metabolically active, meaning it doesn't just sit there. It releases inflammatory compounds that can affect your heart health, blood sugar, hormones, and energy levels over time.
What's one of the biggest lifestyle causes of visceral fat?
SUGAR! Especially sugary drinks.
When you drink sugar, it travels into your bloodstream almost immediately, triggering a rapid spike in blood sugar and insulin.
Your body has to do something with all that sugar fast. When there's more than your muscles and brain can use, it gets stored as visceral fat.
And because liquid calories don't register as fullness, you can drink 300+ calories and be just as hungry an hour later.
This isn't just soda. Fruit juice, sweetened coffee drinks, sports drinks, flavored waters, and bottled smoothies all count. Even some "health" drinks with natural sweeteners can add up surprisingly fast!
This is why checking your labels is so important. The other day, our team checked a few "health" drinks at the grocery store, the kind you find in the produce section.
A green drink with supergreens and no added sugars still packed in 47 grams of sugar with very little fiber to slow its entry into your bloodstream.
So what can you do?
Start weaning yourself off sugary drinks by diluting them with sparkling water, swapping in fruit- or cucumber-infused water, or switching to herbal tea.
Most people notice a difference in their energy and cravings within just a few days.
Make it an amazing day,
The Method3 Fitness Team
Method3 Fitness is conveniently located in San Jose. Our team of personal fitness trainers serve clients in Los Gatos, Campbell, Willow Glen and other surrounding Bay Area cities.
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The Method3 Fitness blog is updated weekly by our San Jose personal trainers. All content is designed to improve the way you move, eat, and think so you can achieve your goals and live stronger for today. Check back here each week and LIKE our Fan Page to stay up to date on the latest tips, strategies, and methods to get active, gain energy, and get healthy again!