Which is better for weight loss? A low carb diet or a low fat eating plan? You’ve probably heard the pros and cons of both types of diets. What matters is where fat is mostly distributed on your body. Do you have a big butt or a big belly?
Why Just Counting Calories Isn’t Enough to Lose Weight
Contrary to what many people believe, it’s not enough to just count and burn calories to lose weight. This is because there’s more taking place in your body affecting weight loss. There are various types of microbes in your body with different ones affecting your metabolism and appetite differently. The makeup of a particular type of microbe population makes it either easier or more challenging to lose weight.
Big Butt or Big Belly?
Maybe it isn’t that obvious whether you have a big butt or a big belly. According to “The Right Diet for Your Body,” an article by Jane Raymond on the MORE website, one way to find out is by measuring your belly and buttock at their widest points. First measure your buttock or bottom area, where it is widest and then measure your waist or belly. Next, divide your hip measurement by your belly measurement
For example, let’s say your butt is 46 inches wide and your belly is 40 inches wide, so you would divide 46 by 40, which gives you 1.15. Because this number is more than 1.1, you’re more of a big butt type, as any number that’s 1.1 or lower is considered a big-belly type and would do better on a low carbohydrate diet.
Conversely, any ratio of 1.25 or more falls into the big-butt category. These people would be more successful following a low-fat dieting approach. If you’re number ranges from 1.1 to 1.25, you’re considered fat all over and would do well on a Mediterranean or low carbohydrate diet.
The Good and Bad News for Big Buttock Types
If you have large hips or a big bottom you have more of a pear-shaped body and need to understand what type of body fat you’re dealing with. People with large bottoms carry additional subcutaneous fat, meaning fat that’s under the skin. The good news for people with big bottoms is that fat in this area isn’t as dangerous as belly fat is to health.
The bad news is that it’s harder to shed weight. Subcutaneous fat, linked with healthy cholesterol levels and less occurrences of heart attacks, has less blood flowing, so it retains fat easier, making it more challenging to lose weight. But, according to research, eating a low-fat diet can help break down stubborn fat cells located in the bottom area of your body.
Low-Fat Diet Tips for a Butt-Busting Diet
First, you need to cut back on saturated fats, eliminating animal fats as high-fat red meats and high-fat dairy products. Also, don’t eat hidden saturated fats, as hydrogenated oils, which are found in processed foods.
Don’t totally eliminate dairy from your diet, but choose low-fat dairy foods including milk, yogurt and cottage cheese which encourage weight loss. Rather than totally avoiding dairy foods, eat only those that are two percent low-fat.
Dr. Mehmet Oz on his October 26, 2011 broadcast of the Dr. Oz show suggests that a good meal plan for reducing a large buttock would include low-fat Greek yogurt with fresh fruit and granola for breakfast. For lunch eat low-fat cottage cheese with veggies such as tomatoes and cucumbers, combined with grilled chicken. And for dinner, have protein such as lean turkey or turkey burger with low-fat cheddar cheese.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Excess Belly Fat
As I already noted, people with big bellies lose the fat faster, but having a big belly is also more threatening to health. People with too much belly fat are more likely to have health problems such as heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes.
Their large middles, which are shaped similar to apples more than pears, contain higher amounts of cortisol, which is the body’s main stress hormone. If you have excess cortisol, your metabolism can slow down, as well as break down muscle, which leads to your body storing fat.
Low Carb Diet Tips for Big Belly Types
Stay away from refined carbohydrates, eating anti-inflammatory foods. Refined carbohydrates found in foods such as white bread, rice and pasta may be low fat, but can spike your blood sugar, which can trigger stress and increased appetite. Instead, eat anti-inflammatory foods such as those containing whole grains that stabilize blood sugar, so surges in cortisol are managed. Examples are foods including barley, amaranth and buckwheat. Include foods rich in anti-inflammatory fats as olive oil, salmon, avocados and sea bass.
To eat healthy you need to maintain a diet with a low to moderate Glycemic Index (GI) for preventing or improving chronic disease, besides losing weight. Every food is assigned a particular GI number. While foods with a lower GI cause a moderate rise in blood glucose, those with a higher GI can result in increased in blood glucose levels. Being aware of a food’s GI number can help you prevent or control various chronic disease such as heart problems, type-2 diabetes, cancers and others.
Finally, be sure to consult your doctor or other medical professional before adopting a particular diet plan. Once you’ve started your weight loss plan, realize that weight loss doesn’t occur immediately. A healthy diet is usually one in which you lose about a pound or two each week. Remember that you didn’t gain the weight overnight, so you probably won’t be losing it quickly either.