What Belly Type Do You Have?

Stress can make you gain weight – we’ve heard this so many times and we know it’s true, it’s a proven fact. But, in some people, stressful periods seem to have exactly the opposite effect. Making them lose weight and get skinnier, but also more tired and prone to ailments.

Women tend to put on weight as they approach menopause. Most of the gained fats go either on the hips, belly on thighs, or in the upper body. Men are less likely to gain weight in the lower body but are more prone to storing excess belly fat.

Men and women gain fat in a different way due to hormones. Estrogen stores fat in the lower body and as you know, this hormone is present in higher amounts in women. But, as levels of this hormone decrease, fats migrate from the lower body to the upper body. So this is why postmenopausal women are more likely to have higher belly fat percentages.

In men, estrogen levels are also low. So although testosterone helps in keeping the fat percentage lower. The lack of estrogen contributes to belly fat gain. Males bellies are apple-shaped while females are pear-shaped.

These facts are well known, but Dr Eric Berg proposes a different approach to fat gain and weight loss. He bases his approach on the type of body and belly fat each person has. Knowing the cause for your weight gain can help you determine how to control it.

These are the four different belly types:

• Adrenal belly
• Ovary belly
• Thyroid belly
• Liver belly

Most people are a combination of these bodies or belly types. But each of us has a predominant fat-storing pattern. Which makes us more likely to gain weight in a certain area of our body.

The Liver belly type

The typical image for people who store fat due to liver problems is the so-called potbelly. Thin arms and legs, lots of fat sticking out in the abdominal area.

People with this belly type often accuse digestive problems. Bloating, flatulence, as well as mid back pain and soreness without any clear reason. Right shoulder pain might also appear.

This pattern is more frequent in men, but women may have this belly type as well. How does the liver belly appear? People in this category wake up with low blood sugar levels after fasting overnight.

In healthy adults, blood sugar levels rise in the morning. But in people with liver belly, blood glucose is lower in the morning. Irritability is higher and hunger doesn’t disappear after eating. This happens because bile isn’t released and food isn’t broken down as it should. So these people feel hungry after eating and crave for sugars, as a result of their low energy levels.

The solution to lowering the amount of fat in the abdominal area for people in this group. Focus on restoring your liver’s functioning. Eat more proteins, as these help keeping blood sugar levels under control. Replace simple carbs with complex ones, coming from fruits and veggies. Cut soda and alcoholic beverages from your menu. Your liver needs to detox for you to lose your liver belly. So water should become your favourite beverage.

The Thyroid belly type

In people with thyroid belly. The fat is usually distributed throughout the entire body. From neck and shoulders to legs. The accumulation of excess weight is happening because of abnormal dominance of estrogen. This slows down the thyroid and causes weight gain. The storage of lipids isn’t the only health issue in these people. They tend to lose hair have brittle fingernails, have poor circulation and cold extremities.

People in this category often wake up tired even after sleeping for 8 hours. Have cravings for sweets and fats, have saggy skin on their arms and tend to have thinner outer eyebrows. Solution for getting rid of the thyroid belly is to restore the functioning of this gland. Normalize the levels of estrogen. Women are more likely to get this type of fat, but men can have it as well.

The Adrenal belly type

These are the individuals that gain weight if they undergo stressful periods. The belly fat tends to cause a saggy abdomen, which drops toward the legs. Continuous periods of stress. That can make both men and women gain large amounts of fat around their waist. This leads to low back pain, general fatigue and even fibromyalgia.

Due to the increased stress levels. People in this group have poor sleep patterns, poor memory, brain fog. They tend to worry a lot and often crave for salty foods at night. People with an adrenal belly are irritable and edgy most of the times. They’re very likely to try restrictive diets and to overtrain, but this ends up causing even more stress.

Solution? Cut the stressful factors. Eat a light snack 2 hours before going to bed, to stop the cravings. Get more rest and make sure to sleep in complete darkness, as this ensures a restful sleep. A tired body needs sleep and tired adrenal glands need rest. So allow your body to rest and weight loss will happen.

The Ovary belly type

This type of belly happens only to women and usually looks like saddlebags and lower stomach fat. Estrogen excess is the cause of this type of belly. Women are more likely to start storing fat in the mentioned areas after giving birth. The main reason for that is hormonal changes and estrogen spikes.

Women in this group are very likely to have heavy periods, facial hair, frequent acne outbreaks and headaches. They also suffer from bloating, PMS, depression and ovarian cysts. Lower back pain and hip pain, as well as knee pain during the menstrual period, are very likely to appear. Water retention also occurs during the cycle. Along with low libido, hot flashes, mood swings and night sweats.

The solution, in this case, is to balance the hormonal levels and fix the ovarian cysts if present. Diet should be richer in natural, healthy foods. It should include protein and fat from vegetal sources. Animal products are very likely to have hormones within them.

There are specific diets and exercise programs. Each targeting specific belly fat. It’s worth spending a few more minutes researching this topic. Getting familiar with the proper weight loss approach for each category.

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