How can I lose my liver belly fat? 10 tips to banish it.
If you’ve been struggling to lose weight, and your belly seems to be the last place where the fat won’t disappear, then you may have a fatty liver. If you are wondering “Do I have a fatty liver?” or How can I lose my liver belly fat? then this may be the article for you.
How can I lose my liver belly fat? This is a condition where excess fat builds up in the liver, stopping it from functioning properly. Fatty Liver disease can lead to other health problems if left untreated. Diet and exercise won’t work until you have fixed the root problem of an unhealthy liver.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss how you can lose your liver belly fat through lifestyle and health changes that can start to bring your liver back into balance.
Once the root cause is fixed you can start to make diet changes to bring your excess belly fat back under control. We’ll also provide 10 tips that will help make the process easier for you!
How can I lose my liver belly fat?
The key to losing your liver belly fat and weight lies in healing your liver. To help the organ heal, you need to make lifestyle changes that will allow it time for recovery.
What if I told you that the liver could regenerate itself? Well, it’s true! All we need to do is make some lifestyle changes and our health will be able to improve significantly in a few months. And who doesn’t want to feel healthier ?!
Friendly FACEBOOK WEIGHT LOSS SUPPORT GROUP For
MIDLIFE & MENOPAUSAL WOMEN
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR FREE GROUP NOW
A healthy liver will mean a healthier metabolism and less inflammation and chronic disease.
Once the organ comes back to full health you will find that your belly fat and excess weight start to melt away easily.
What does a liver belly fat shape look like?
The liver belly type is the most common potbelly or typical beer belly you’ll see on middle-aged men sitting outside a pub with their shirts stretched taught over them.
However, it’s not just guys who can get this sort of stomach; women also suffer from an excess weight problem and may develop what we call “liver bellies.”
The liver belly is tight and hard to the touch. This is because of visceral fat, a type of fat packed around your organs in the abdominal region. It’s also due to the fluid build-up in there. Your arms and legs may look thin and spindly in comparison.
PHOTOS OF WHAT LIVER BELLY FAT LOOKS LIKE
Liver belly is a round belly that sticks out in front.
With a liver belly, your legs may look thin in comparison.
A liver belly means that visceral or hidden fat is forming in the abdominal cavity and in the liver itself.
There are 4 TYPES OF BELLY FAT in women
The term “belly fat” can be confusing. It’s not always liver-related!
There are four different types of female belly fats, and they all have their own unique characteristics that may need treatment differently depending on what the cause is.
The different types of bellies out there are the Thyroid, Liver, Stress or Adrenal belly type and Hormone Belly. If you want to know more about what type your belly could be then check this post!
There are 4 different types of belly fat in females.
How To Tell If your Belly Fat Is due to your liver
If you have a lot of belly fat it can be difficult to pinpoint what is causing it. However, Liver belly fat often comes along with a lot of other signs and symptoms that point towards your liver being off.
If you have a high waist circumference and any of the following, you likely have a fatty liver:
- A waist measurement of more than 35 inches for women or 40 inches for men (an enlarged waist size is called abdominal obesity)
- A family history of fatty liver disease
- Obesity
- High cholesterol
- Poor diet (high in sugar, fat, and processed foods)
- Smoking
- Insulin resistance or type II diabetes
- Metabolic syndrome
- A history of alcohol abuse or alcohol use disorder
- High blood pressure.
If you have any of the above conditions, it’s important to see your doctor for a proper diagnosis. They will likely do tests to check your liver health.
What is visceral body fat? You need to know this about belly fat.
Visceral body fat is the most dangerous type of fatty tissue to have in your system because it’s fat accumulation deep inside your abdomen, wrapped around vital abdominal major organs such as the liver and intestines. It accounts for about one-tenth (10%)of all fats stored within us
It is a common misconception that all of your fat can be seen on the surface. In fact, there are different types and levels in which it resides throughout our bodies – some fat is near or under the skin while hidden visceral fat remains deep within the abdominal cavity.
Visceral fat is dangerous and can be toxic to your health.
Visceral fat is serious business. It is associated with metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and can even lead to a heart attack or stroke!
Why is liver belly fat so dangerous?
So now we come to the root of the problem with a liver belly. If visceral fat is dangerous, liver belly fat compounds the problem.
Visceral fat coats some internal organs and hangs down from the intestines like an apron behind the abdominal wall. It’s linked to a slew of bad health outcomes and chronic diseases, including insulin resistance, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and liver disease. Obesity increases the amount of visceral fat.
According to a study by Kaiser Permanente, people who had a lot of belly fat were almost 3x more likely to develop dementia than people with less belly fat.
Belly fat is also linked to
- High BMI
- Poor blood glucose control. High glucose levels
- Unbalanced levels of insulin
- High levels of triglycerides or raised
- Triglyceride levels
- Lower levels of “good” HDL cholesterol
- Risk of heart disease / cardiovascular disease
- Risk of diabetes
- Metabolic disturbances
- Abnormal cholesterol levels
In addition to these general problems from belly fat in general, liver belly fat indicates an even more serious problem. The fat is building up in your liver as well, causing a fatty liver.
This fat build-up stops your liver from functioning properly and can lead to a variety of health problems including fatty liver disease, diabetes, cirrhosis liver transplantation, liver cancer, and eventually death.
So as well as being unsightly, liver belly fat is highly dangerous as well.
If you want to live a healthy and long life you have to do something about it as soon as possible to lower your risk of disease.
What is fatty liver disease?
Fatty liver disease is when there is an accumulation of fat in the liver cells. This build-up of fat can come from weight gain, obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, and other diet-related factors.
- The first stage is known as simple fatty liver in which there are no symptoms and the damage to the liver is minimal.
- The second stage, known as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), can cause inflammation and damage to the liver. The final stage is cirrhosis in which the liver is so damaged that it can no longer function properly.
Cirrhosis is a leading cause of death in the United States.
Fatty liver disease can be a silent killer as there are often no obvious signs until you are in the final stages of advanced liver disease.
Pin For Later
What are the forms of fatty liver disease?
Fatty Liver disease comes in two main types.
Alcoholic Liver Disease.
The accumulation of fat in the liver as a result of heavy drinking is called alcoholic fatty liver. It affects about 5% of people living in America and can lead to worse health complications if not treated properly.
This type of liver problem is directly linked to alcohol consumption and is often related to alcohol abuse. Alcohol intake needs to be regulated to prevent it from getting worse.
If you are worried that you may have a problem with alcohol then you might find this post helpful to help you cut down alcohol. Alcohol and Menopause. How I cut down on drinking at midlife..
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
The condition of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease has been seen in people who do not drink alcohol excessively.
The exact cause for this phenomenon is still unknown, but several factors can increase your risk including obesity and diabetes mellitus type II so if you have either it’s worth getting checked by your doctor.
Having non-alcoholic fatty liver disease does not mean you will develop cirrhosis but it is a possibility.
Fatty liver disease is linked to menopause
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but if you are a woman heading into menopause there is even greater reason to be aware of fatty liver.
There is a strong link between fatty liver disease and menopause.
After the age of 50, women are more likely to develop non-alcoholic fatty liver disease than men.
The main reason for this is that during menopause there is a decrease in the levels of the hormone estrogen. This can lead to insulin resistance, which is a major risk factor for developing fatty liver disease.
So it’s super important to be aware of the risk factors and do something about it once you are heading over 40.
It’s easy to dismiss an increasing belly bulge as just something that happens around midlife or menopause. However, for your health and longevity, it’s important to keep an eye on your body mass and take steps to correct it if you gain weight.
Another common belly type that happens around menopause is the hormone belly type. You can read more about this kind of belly and find out if you have it in this detailed post. What does a hormonal belly look like?
WHAT ARE THE ACCOMPANYING SYMPTOMS OF THE LIVER BELLY
The symptoms of a fatty liver can be difficult to detect, which is why many people learn about their condition when they have medical tests for something else. NASH affects your liver and could damage it without any warning signs at all!
However, as the disease and liver damage progresses it may start to cause symptoms. These may include:
- Fatigue
- Rapid weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea and vomiting
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice)
- Weakness
- Pain in the upper right side of the abdomen
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is important to see a doctor as soon as possible. They will be able to do liver function tests and blood tests to check for elevated liver enzymes and diagnose the problem.
You need to take action before liver failure becomes irreversible.
Jaundice is a serious sign that your liver is failing
HOW TO LOSE LIVER BELLY FAT
So, now that we know how dangerous liver belly fat can be, what can we do to get rid of it? Don’t worry. The liver is an amazing organ that has the ability to regenerate. So, even if you have done damage, as long as it hasn’t progressed to cirrhosis, it is possible to heal your liver.
Lifestyle and diet changes to protect and heal your liver are the key. Once your liver starts to heal you will lose weight and belly fat.
LIFESTYLE CHANGES TO REDUCE THE LIVER BELLY TYPE
You can do a lot to help your liver to heal and get rid of that stubborn belly fat. The first thing you need to do to support your liver is to remove toxins from your life. This includes alcohol as well as processed foods like snack chips or frozen dinners!
The post I linked to above is very helpful for those who are finding it difficult to cut down on their alcohol consumption.
How to cut down on your drinking.
The liver is a busy organ, and it does not have time to sort through the chemicals in processed food. If you eat natural foods like those that are cooked at home or found on your own property then this will take some of the burden off your liver
There are other ways too – for example getting enough sleep so stress doesn’t contribute more unnecessary strain on an overworked liver system.
So in summary, some lifestyle changes that you can make to support your liver are…
- Get enough good quality sleep. Lack of sleep raises stress hormones which tax the liver.
- Do some form of physical activity or exercise. 30 mins walking a day is good.
- Eat a healthy diet of unprocessed foods.
- Cook from scratch at home – save eating out for special occasions.
- Stop smoking.
- Remove stress from your life.
- Aim to get to a healthy weight for your height.
These lifestyle changes, combined with the following diet changes will help to lower your health risk.
Drinking alcohol can be responsible for a liver belly.
DIET CHANGES TO REDUCE THE LIVER BELLY TYPE
The liver is a very important organ, and it needs the right nutrients to function properly.
You can support your liver by making dietary changes such as the following.
Eat foods that are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. These include:
- Garlic
- Grapefruit
- Green tea
- Avocados
- Walnuts
Here are 10 tips to help banish your liver belly fat and promote healing:
- Cut down alcohol – especially before bed.
- Don’t consume large amounts of protein such as a huge steak, in one go. Eating a moderate amount of lean protein is good.
- Increase the number of leafy greens you eat
- Cruciferous veg such as broccoli is supportive of the liver.
- Avoid deep-fried foods.
- Lower your sugar intake to help your blood sugar levels to improve.
- Cut down processed carbs such as bread and pasta. Complex carbohydrates such as vegetables are good for you.
- Avoid processed food.
- Pay attention to portion size. Eat just enough but not too much to overload your system. Not oversized portions.
- Cook for yourself from natural ingredients. Save eating out for special occasions.
Milk thistle can help to support your liver.
Milk Thistle is a popular liver-supporting supplement that has been scientifically proven to help the liver improve. It may be worth taking this to support your liver function.
In conclusion, if you are concerned about your liver belly, there are things you can do to help. Making lifestyle and diet changes is the best way to reduce your risk and heal your liver
WHAT SCIENCE SAYS about Liver belly fat
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, and the metabolic syndrome
“However, the liver is not only a passive target but affects the pathogenesis of the metabolic syndrome and its complications. “
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT the liver belly
How can I lose my liver belly?
The best way to lose liver belly is to make lifestyle and diet changes. This includes eating foods that are rich in antioxidants and vitamins. You should also cut down alcohol, processed carbs, and deep-fried foods. Milk thistle is a popular supplement that has been proven to help the liver improve.
Does liver cause belly fat?
A toxic liver can cause belly fat. Liver belly fat is unsightly and dangerous. Fat build-up stops the liver functioning properly and causes weight gain. Diet or exercise alone won’t help liver belly. You need to make lifestyle changes to heal your liver before you can lose weight and belly fat.
How do I detox my liver?
You can detox your liver by making gentle lifestyle changes. This includes eating foods that are rich in antioxidants and vitamins. You should also cut down alcohol, processed carbs, and deep-fried foods. Milk thistle is a popular supplement that has been proven to help the liver improve.
Conclusion – How can I lose my liver belly fat?
So, if you’re looking to lose weight and specifically target liver belly fat, the first step is to heal your liver. This can be done through dietary and lifestyle changes.
Once your liver is functioning optimally again, you will be able to lose excess body fat and weight by following a healthy diet and exercising regularly.
We hope this article has helped provide some insights into how to achieve success in losing belly fat – especially that pesky liver belly fat spare tire!
If you want more guidance on making these changes, download our free guide to losing excess belly fat. You can get this here or by clicking below. It will help you on your way back to a trim waistline.
“Medical Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. This article is for informative purposes only. As always, our content is strictly informational and shouldn’t be considered medical advice.”
Helen
