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SprinkL3 · Dec 21, 2021 at 06:44 AM

@scatterbrained04 - Congratulations on quitting smoking! I quit smoking on March 27, 2020. I'm approaching 2 years nicotine- and tobacco-free! I quit cold turkey.

I initially lost 30 pounds, but then I gained it all back. I'm about 185 to 195, give or take. I'm short (5'2"), so this makes my BMI skyrocket high!

The VA's MOVE plan states the importance of movement, especially for those who have mobility issues and cannot do exercise. Movement can also help burn calories and keep good blood flow.

Diet is important. There are many different diets out there, but really, it's a lifestyle change once you hit obesity (>30 BMI). Obesity is a metabolic disorder, so your adipose cells don't decrease in number; they only shrink in size. Sadly, obesity entails having more adipose cells than normal, and it also entails having engorged cells at that! The worst fat is visceral fat, the kind that forms around your organs, which is typically in the upper abdomen area. Belly fat is the worst, and it's the hardest to get rid of. However, even thin people might have visceral fat that hides around organs.

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While a larger waist circumference generally means more visceral fat, thinner people can also hide dangerous levels of visceral fat depending on their body composition. Studies suggest a link between excess visceral fat and insulin resistance, regardless of visible obesity.[4] Studies also connect visceral fat to a host of complications including type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.[5]

On top of messing with insulin, too much visceral fat also inhibits the hormone adiponectin, or the “fat hormone.” Studies show that adiponectin levels decrease with increased levels of visceral fat, but there is no correlation with subcutaneous fat.[6] Meaning, adiponectin functions as a fat regulator, and too little can cause your body to pack on more fat than it needs.

Both high visceral fat and low adiponectin levels are useful indicators for increased risk of cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure, increased LDL (the bad stuff), reduced HDL cholesterol (the good stuff), stiff arteries and hypertriglyceridemia (too much free fat in the bloodstream).[7][8]

Lastly, large pockets of visceral fat increase inflammation, and can be especially harsh on your liver. Fat cells in your abdomen release pro-inflammatory cytokines, which cause inflammation and make diseases worse.[9]

Because the large portal vein runs through your abdomen, these toxins and inflammatory compounds get a direct line to your liver, where they can build up inflammation and insulin resistance.[10] Insulin is the hormone that signals that fuel is coming. With insulin resistance, your cells don’t get the message and don’t take in the glucose to burn. When that happens, sugar stays in the bloodstream, and after a while, your body stores it as fat.

...One of the best ways to manage visceral fat is to eat a healthy diet that emphasizes vegetables, quality fat and protein, and minimizes refined carbohydrates, sugar and processed foods. There isn’t a single diet that will help you lose visceral fat — you have to find what works for you and your lifestyle long-term.

One way to get there: the ketogenic diet. When you eat a lower-carb, higher-fat diet, you train your body to burn fat as fuel, rather than carbs. This process is called ketosis, and it helps burn fat while building up ketones to curb hunger and fuel your brain.[11]

...Studies have shown that intermittent fasting — cycling in and out of periods of eating and not eating — can hold huge benefits for your body and brain, including reducing visceral fat and increasing adiponectin levels to restore insulin sensitivity.[12]

For those without mobility issues, physiological disorders, and neuro-physio disorders (like fibromyalgia, myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)/chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and multiple sclerosis (MS)), or those who are more able-bodied privileged, here are some exercise tips to remove visceral fat:

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HIIT workouts strike the perfect balance between resistance and aerobic training, giving you the fat-blasting benefits of both in a short time. HIIT workouts cycle between bursts of intense, all-out effort and periods of quick, usually active, recovery (think intervals of sprinting and walking).

Not only does this type of training burn fat and build muscle faster than traditional workouts, it improves insulin sensitivity and increases resting metabolism, helping to keep your body in a fat-burning state for longer.[13][14] Studies have also shown that lifestyle changes leading to weight loss tend to preferentially target visceral fat, helping you shed pounds where it matters most.[15]