What is Visceral Fat?
Visceral fat is the fat that accumulates inside the abdominal cavity and lines the organs. It is different from subcutaneous fat in that you can’t really feel it, it doesn’t make you more squishy! It will make your belly protrude. A lot of times people will appear thinner everywhere else, and just the belly area will be bigger.
High amounts of this type of fat greatly increases your risk of developing serious medical conditions like heart disease, high cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, certain cancers and stroke.
While some people are genetically predisposed to this type of fat storage pattern, poor dietary choices and a sedentary lifestyle are the most common cause of high amounts of visceral fat.
How Can You Measure Visceral Fat?
It is important to monitor visceral fat levels and aim to keep it under a total of 1 pound in order to maintain good health!
Visceral fat can only be measured through imaging tests. Tests like MRIs and CT Scans will accurately measure it, but these can be difficult to get done and can be very expensive. DEXA Scans are a great option for measuring visceral fat. They do not require a physician referral, they can be much more affordable and the radiation exposure is significantly lower, making them something that can be done more often.
DEXA stands for (Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry)
A DEXA scan is used to assess your bone density as well as your body composition. DEXA uses an x-ray technique to look at the density of the body and can then estimate the amount of lean muscle mass and fat tissue.
A DEXA scan’s accuracy and precision ranges from a 1 to 2 percent margin of error, it also provides additional information that BMI and alternative testing methods cannot.
How Can You Lose Visceral Fat?
Visceral fat is referred to as the “stubborn” fat. There is no amount of crunches that will help you get a smaller belly and a caloric deficit alone doesn’t always guarantee you’ll lose this specific type of fat.
The only exercise that has been proven to “target” visceral fat is low intensity steady state activity or any movement that will keep your heart rate in the “fat burning zone” (around a Zone 2). This type of activity produces a long slow energy demand. The process our bodies go through of breaking down, or metabolizing, fat is long and slow. Which means this type of activity is mostly fueled from burning fat to produce energy. Any activity that causes you to work harder and your heart rate to increase into higher zones will begin to favor glycogen as the fuel source (this is how carbohydrates are stored for use as fuel in our bodies) as the energy demands become higher and quicker.
Activities like walking, easy cycling and resistance training can keep your heart rate up in or around a high Zone 1 to Zone 2.
Resistance training will help you build lean mass (muscle) and the more lean mass you have, the more calories you burn at rest. More lean mass also helps to control blood sugar and both of these benefits will help to reduce visceral fat as well as work to prevent visceral fat gains.
Don't Guess... Know!
We conveniently offer DEXA Scans on location in our facility!
What Will You Learn From a DEXA Scan?
You'll see your precise muscle gains and fat loss in specific areas of the body.
Track your response to your diet and fitness plan.
Learn your bone density score and risk for osteoporosis.
By learning the total amount of visceral fat you carry, you may identify potential long-term health risks, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hormonal imbalances, and more.
(*not be used as medical diagnosis)
How Do I Schedule?
For pricing and more info:
DEXA Scans done by Relentless Personal Training, Inc. are not intended for medical diagnosis.
The employees of Relentless Personal Training, Inc. are not medical health practitioners, registered dietitians or mental health providers and are not holding themselves out to be in any capacity. The information contained in our website, e-mails, programs, services and/or products is for educational and informational purposes only, it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem - nor is it intended to replace the advice of a medical health practitioner, mental health provider or registered dietitian.
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