The Secret of That Stubborn Beer Gut CAN It!

Quickly and Easily, Once and For All

The proven method of how I and several of my students are losing over 40 pounds of fat, quickly and safely, without even trying. Chocolate? Peanut butter? All Part of the solution by Clint Bodungen

Have you ever noticed that no matter how much you exercise, no matter how much you diet, you just cant ever seem to get rid of the belly, or maybe those last few inches? Have you ever seen someone that looks to be in pretty good shape but they still have a bit of a gut? Sometimes even if there isnt much to pinch, one can still have a protruding belly, yet if you poke it, its hard and not soft and squishy. What is it with the gut today and why is it so hard to get rid of compared to other body fat. Its not rocket science to figure out that being overweight is, in most cases, the result of consuming too many calories while maintaining a sedentary lifestyle. Therefore, those that choose to do something about it usually achieve success in following all the recommended practices. However, despite such success, many people still exercise and diet until they are blue in the face in an effort to lose that elusive belly fat. The problem is that belly fat is different than fat found in the rest of the body. Belly fat, and the core of many other weight and health problems actually stem from something called visceral fat. Visceral fat, also known as abdominal fat, organ fat, or intra-abdominal fat, is located inside the abdominal cavity, surrounding our internal organs in the torso. What most people know as standard body fat is known as subcutaneous fat, which is found directly underneath the skin. (Our internal muscles also contain fat called, intramuscular fat, which is found within muscle tissue itself and is also not related to visceral fat.) In addition to being the most difficult to get rid of, Visceral fat is also, unfortunately, the most dangerous because it is what surrounds our internal organs.

Association with Diabetes

It is well known to many of us that there is a strong correlation between obesity and several health risks including heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. However, it is important to note that, central obesity, specifically, has strong ties to insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus type 2. There are numerous theories as to the exact cause and mechanism in type 2 diabetes, and central obesity is one of them. Central obesity is known to predispose individuals for insulin resistance, and insulin resistance is a major feature of diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM). Fat cells, in general, have an important physiological role in maintaining triglyceride and free fatty acid levels, as well as determining insulin resistance. Abdominal fat, in particular, has a different metabolic profile than other types of body fat, being even more prone to induce insulin resistance. This is one of the major reasons in the link between obesity and diabetes.

1|P a g e Copyright 2010, Clint Bodungen

The Stress Factor

Studies of female monkeys at Wake Forest University (2009) discovered that individuals suffering from higher stress have higher levels of visceral fat in their bodies. This suggests a possible cause-and-effect link between the two, wherein stress promotes the accumulation of visceral fat. With todays high stress world, this could be one explanation as to why visceral fat is more difficult to get rid of than regular body fat. The Stress Hormone, Cortisol, has been attributed to this increase in visceral fat, and many drugs and over-the-counter supplements have been developed to inhibit the production of Cortisol. However, this can be extremely harmful to your health because Cortisol is required to manage many functions in your body during times of stress.

Beer Gut Myths

An excess of visceral fat is known as central obesity, or "belly fat", and is also sometimes called beer belly or beer gut, in which the abdomen protrudes excessively. However, there is little scientific evidence that beer drinkers are more prone to abdominal obesity, despite these nicknames. One of the few studies conducted on the subject did not find that beer drinkers are any more prone to abdominal obesity than nondrinkers or drinkers of wine or spirits. The truth is that anyone with a poor diet and sedentary lifestyle can end up with belly fat, men and women, drinkers and non-drinkers alike. The fact that many late night drinkers hit the fast food joints after the bars close down probably has more to do with the link between drinkers and abdominal fat than anything. Most people also tend to relate the beer gut to just men. Female sex hormones do cause fat to be stored in the buttocks, thighs, and hips in women, so men are more likely to have fat stored in the belly due to sex hormone differences. However, when women reach menopause and the estrogen produced by ovaries declines, fat migrates from their buttocks, hips and thighs to their waists, and eventually, fat is stored in the belly as visceral fat.

The Sit-ups/Crunches Myth

There is a common misconception that spot exercise (that is, exercising a specific muscle or location of the body) most effectively burns fat at the desired location, but this is not the case. Spot exercise is beneficial for building specific muscles, but it has little effect on fat in that area of the body, or on the body's distribution of body fat. The same thing applies to sit-ups and belly fat. Sit-ups, crunches and other abdominal exercises are useful in building the abdominal muscles, but they have little effect on the visceral fat located there. When the body burns fat, it burns fat equally all over the body all at once. However, visceral fat seems to be quite a bit more stubborn than other types of body fat.

So what is the Solution?

Many of us are already familiar with the formula for reducing body fat. Burn more calories than we consume in a low fat diet, is what we have always been told. While this is true, its not as easy as it sounds for some of us and, as we are beginning to learn, visceral fat doesnt always follow rules. Fortunately, we have good news. Thanks to new research as well as a few simple guidelines, you can trim both body fat and visceral fat with minimal changes to your diet and lifestyle. The best news is that one of those changes in your diet is to put some of your favorite goodies back in! The fact of the matter is, not all fat is created equal. We have seen this between the different types of fat within our body, but the same is true for the fat we consume in our diet. This is the subject of the latest Science Advisory from the American Heart Association. For years, health professionals thought that all fat was bad. We now know that the culprit in promoting heart disease is the saturated fat that clogs arteries, elevates cholesterol, and promotes visceral fat.

2|P a g e Copyright 2010, Clint Bodungen

New research on the type of fat in the diet has now shown that unsaturated fat, mono- and poly-, can actually be beneficial for health. A higher monounsaturated fat diet can help the heart by reducing cholesterol, triglycerides, trans-fats, and even stubborn visceral fat, as long as saturated fat intake (mainly from animal products) is low and overall energy needs are balanced. In fact, the evidence is so convincing that the American Heart Association now says that a high-monounsaturated fat diet can be an alternative to the presently recommended 30% fat diet to reduce the risk of heart disease. Foods that are high in monounsaturated fats include fish, peanuts and other nuts, peanut butter, olives, vegetable oils including olive oil and peanut oil, avocados, and even dark chocolate (yes, ladies, I said chocolate). You should have a serving of foods like these every meal and substitute them as often as possible for foods high in saturated fats such as meat and full-fat milk and cheese.

The Quickest and Easiest Way to a Healthier, Trimmer You Beer Gut Included.
Here, I have compiled my top 10 list (in no particular order) of things that I, along with several of my clients, did to lose over 40 pounds easily and effortlessly in a matter of a couple of months. These are things you can easily start doing right now in order to start eliminating your body fat, including that stubborn visceral fat. The best part is, these are things that require minimal effort with minimal impact on your life. It is also important to note that many so called diet programs actually do your body additional harm in order for you to drop weight by robbing your body of necessary vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. This program will not only help you lose body fat, it will improve your overall health while doing it. On this program, most people should experience between a 10%-20% change in the first week or two. So, here it is Enjoy the new you! 1. Drink plenty of water throughout the day, even when you are not thirsty. Our body is mostly water, and water facilitates all necessary functions. The more hydrated your body is the better it will function, to include getting rid of fat. Maintaining hydration will also reduce water weight from water retention. Get a sports bottle, fill it up with purified water, and carry it around with you. Nurse from it throughout the day even if you are not thirsty. As an added bonus, add a slice of lemon to it. Adding lemon to water is not just the latest restaurant trend. The citric acid helps increase the metabolism and promote fat loss. 2. Manage your food quantities. More is less and less can be more. The body can only synthesize so many calories at a time. If your body requires 2,000 calories a day but you only consume 1,800, then you would have a deficit and, therefore, burn fat instead of storing excess calories. However, if you consume all 1,800 calories in one sitting with pizza and beer it doesnt work that way. Eat less per sitting and more often throughout the day (5 or 6 times per day if you can). This not only helps you manage your caloric intake, it also keeps your metabolism burning. One easy way to do this is to get a small plate or rectangular container that holds about 2 cups. Each meal, do not eat more than what will fit within that container. Each meal should be the equivalent size of 2 to 2 of your fists. When eating out at restaurants, immediately ask for a to go box and put half of your meal in that box. 3. Have a serving of foods high in monounsaturated fats with every meal. Weve discussed the health benefits for this above. So, go ahead. Indulge (in moderation, of course). Peanuts, peanut BUTTER, dark CHOCOLATE, vegetable oils, avocados, olives and nuts. Mediterranean food is great for this. Like everything though, moderation is the key. Do not over-indulge, increasing your caloric intake to
3|P a g e Copyright 2010, Clint Bodungen

high. You can also take an Omega supplement. The best one to take is an Omega complex, which has Omega 3, 6, and 9, as opposed to just the commonly known Omega 3s. 4. Reduce simple carbohydrates and starches later in the day. It is best to minimize starchy foods altogether (white rice, potatoes, white bread, crackers, corn, etc.) but if you really enjoy those foods, limit them later in the day. As the day goes by, our metabolism slows down and our energy needs are reduced. High starch foods tend to be stored as fat quicker than fiber rich foods. Eating healthier, more fiber-rich foods later on in the day will also help keep the metabolism going. 5. Drink Green Tea. Green Tea consumption enhances exercise-induced changes in abdominal fat and helps keep our metabolism burning. It also supports your immune system as an added bonus. 6. Eat watermelon, grapefruit, and spicy foods (such as cayenne pepper). Many people are aware of the fat burning potential of cayenne pepper and grapefruit but, believe it or not, watermelon is a little known fat burning fruit! Eating foods that naturally increase your metabolism keep energy levels elevated and keep the fat burning engine going. 7. Take the stairs and forget the close parking. Increasing little things in your life such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator and parking further away, increasing your walk, can make a big difference in your life. These lifestyle changes increase your activity levels and they add up. 8. Take your vitamins. Ensuring your body has the necessary tools to function properly is a key component to burning fat. Vitamins and minerals are those tools. Choose a vitamin pack that suits your needs. Contact a nutrition expert or your doctor to help you with this, but even a simple one a day is worlds better than nothing. 9. Minimize fried food, sugar, and red meat intake. Saturated fat (which is pretty much the fried in fried food), sugar, and red meat intake are three of the leading culprits when it comes to body fat increase and many other health problems. By simply reducing these items just a little will do wonders on your road to fat loss. Instead of reaching for that pie for desert, grab some fruit or Jello or at least cut it in half. Grab the grilled chicken instead of the fried or at least reduce the portion. Minimize or eliminate Red meat (especially pork, which is not white meat by the way). Red meat is typically high in saturated fat, growth hormones, and linked to many health problems (just Google health issues associated with red meat). Now, I love sausage and a good steak as much as the next person. So, if you dont like the idea of eliminating red meat, moderation is the key. See step number 2, and choose organic beef and pork when possible. Reducing sugar as much as possible has a plethora of additional health benefits. Just do a Google search on the harmful effects of sugar and why sugar is bad for you you might be amazed.

10. Include high intensity sessions in your regular workouts. Believe it or not, this last item is the least
important of them all. I have several clients following the first 9 steps and neglect this last one, and they are still getting great results. However, if you want to increase your stamina, or if you really want to turn up the after burners on your fat loss, you really should pay attention here. High intensity exercise is more effective for reducing visceral fat. You really should try to do at least some sort of cardio workout 20 to 30 minutes a session at least 3 days a week. In addition, if you include several sessions of short intense bursts in your regular workout routine you will also
4|P a g e Copyright 2010, Clint Bodungen

increase visceral fat loss. This can be short sprints (even on a treadmill, jumping rope, or elliptical machine), intensely hitting a punching bag, etc. You should get at least 10 to 12 minutes total of high intensity exercise at least 3 days a week. This will also increase your overall stamina and wind.

References
1. 2. 3. 4. American Heart Association's description of Syndrome X 'How to Lose Belly Fat' from Real Weight Loss Tips Bujalska IJ, Kumar S, Stewart PM (1997). "Does central obesity reflect "Cushing's disease of the omentum"?". Lancet 349 (9060): 12103. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(96)11222-8. PMID 9130942. Duman BS, Turkoglu C, Gunay D, Cagatay P, Demiroglu C, Buyukdevrim AS. The interrelationship between insulin secretion and action in type 2 diabetes mellitus with different degrees of obesity: evidence supporting central obesity. Diabetes Butr Metab. 16(4): 243-250, 2003. Gabriely, I., Ma, X. H., Yang, X. M., Atzmon G, Rajala MW, berg AH, Sherer P, Rossetti L, Barzilai N. Removal of visceral fat prevents insulin resistance and glucose intolerance of aging: an adipokine-mediated process? Diabetes. 51: 2951 2958, 2002. Asensio, C., Cettour-Rose, P., Theander-Carrillo, C., Rohner-Jeanrenaud, F. and Muzzin, P. Changes in glycemia by leptin administration or high-fat feeding in rodent models of obesity/type 2 diabetes suggest a link between resistin expression and control of glucose homeostasis. Endocrinology. 145: 22062213, 2004. Degawa-Yamauchi MBJE, Juliar BE, Watson W, Kerr K, Jones RM, Zhu Q & Considine RV. Serum resistin (FIZZ3) protein is increased in obese humans. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 88: 54525455, 2003. Lee, J. H., Bullen, Jr, J. W., Stoyneva, V. L. and Mantzoros, C. S. Circulating resistin in lean, obese and insulin-resistant mouse models: lack of association with insulinemia and glycemia. Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab. 288: E625E632, 2005. Vendrell J, Broch M, Vilarrasa N, Molina A, Gomez JM, Gutierrez C, Simon I, Soler J & Richart C. Resistin, adiponectin, ghrelin, leptin, and proinflammatory cytokines: relationships in obesity. Obesity Research. 12: 962971, 2004. Hirosumi J, Tuncman G, Chang L, Gorgun CZ, Uysal KT, Maeda K, Karin M, Hotamisligil GS. A central role for JNK in obesity and insulin resistance. Nature. 420: 333-336, 2002. Rajala, M. W., Qi, Y., Patel, H. R., Takahashi N, Banerjee R, Pajvani UB, Sinha MK, Gingerich RL, Scherer PE, Ahima RS. Regulation of resistin expression and circulating levels in obesity, diabetes, and fasting. Diabetes. 53: 16711679, 2004. Silha JV, Krsek M, Skrha JV, Sucharda P, Nyomba BL and Murphy LJ. Plasma resistin, adiponectin and leptin levels in lean and obese subjects: correlations with insulin resistance. Eur. J. Endocrinol. 149: 331-335, 2003. Smith, S. R., Bai, F., Charbonneau, C., Janderova, L. and Argyropoulos, G. A promoter genotype and oxidative stress potentially link resistin to human insulin resistance. Diabetes 52, 16111618, 2003. Fujinami, A., Obayashi, H., Ohta, K, Ichimura T, Nishimura M, Matsui H, Kawahara Y, Yamazaki M, Ogata M, Hasegawa G, Nakamura N, Yoshikawa T, Nakano K, Ohta M. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for circulating human resistin: resistin concentrations in normal subjects and patients with type 2 diabetes. Clin. Chim. Acta. 339: 5763, 2004. McTernan, P. G., Fisher, F. M., Valsamakis, G, Chetty R, Harte A, McTernan CL, Clark PM, Smith SA, Barnett AH, Kumar S. Resistin and type 2 diabetes: regulation of resistin expression by insulin and rosiglitazone and the effects of recombinant resistin on lipid and glucose metabolism in human differentiated adipocytes. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 88: 60986106, 2003. Steppan CM, Bailey ST, Bhat S, Brown EJ, Banerjee RR, Wright CM, Patel HR, Ahima RS, Lazar MA. The hormone resistin links obesity to diabetes. Nature. 409:307-312, 2001. McTernan, C. L., McTernan, P. G., Harte, A. L., Levick, P. L., Barnett, A. H. and Kumar, S. Resistin, central obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Lancet. 359: 4647, 2002. McTernan, P. G., McTernan, C. L., Chetty, R, Jenner K, Fisher FM, Lauer MN, Crocker J, Barnett AH, Kumar S. Increased resistin gene and protein expression in human abdominal adipose tissue. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 87: 2407, 2002. Valsamakis, G., McTernan, P. G., Chetty, R, Al Daghri N, Field A, Hanif W, Barnett AH, Kumar S. Modest weight loss and reduction in waist circumference after medical treatment are associated with favourable changes in serum adipocytokines. Metab. Clin. Exp. 53:430434, 2004. Researchers think that the lack of estrogen at menopause play a role in driving our fat northward Abdominal fat and what to do about it Fonseca V (2003). "Effect of thiazolidinediones on body weight in patients with diabetes mellitus". Am. J. Med. 115 Suppl 8A: 42S48S. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2003.09.005. PMID 14678865. Michael Jensen, M.D. (2007-01-19). "Belly fat in men: What you need to know". Mayoclinic.com. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/belly-fat/MC00054. Retrieved 2008-04-07. "Sit-ups will make your abdominal muscles stronger, sure. And, you may look thinner by building your abdominal muscles because you can hold in your belly fat better. But strengthening your stomach muscles alone will not specifically reduce belly fat." Bobak M, Skodova Z, Marmot M. Beer and obesity: a cross-sectional study. Eur J Clin Nutr 2003;57:12503.

5.

6.

7. 8.

9. 10. 11.

12. 13. 14.

15.

16. 17. 18. 19.

20. 21. 22. 23.

24.

5|P a g e Copyright 2010, Clint Bodungen