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When I was losing weight, I assumed that the weight would disappear from everywhere, uniformly. Nope.
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Everyone loses weight differently, and everyone has a unique body fat pattern, with many having the belly area being the most stubborn when it comes to fat reduction.
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In the case of belly fat, this disproportionate weight loss goes beyond the aesthetic. It can be a little more sinister to overall health. For example, my body weight is perfectly healthy.  However, my waist to hip ratio is pretty high—about 0.87, and my percentage of body fat is still also pretty high—near 30 percent. According to current research, these numbers put me at greater risk for a multitude of heart-related health issues, despite having a perfectly healthy body weight!
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So, what’s to be done about this? Recently, I learned of the science of belly fat, and specifically, that the hormones relating to increased belly fat production might be controllable through a specific combination of diet and exercise.
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So of course, I’ve decided to try it out.
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Since I try to exercise at least four hours a week, I’m allowed three meals and two snacks daily. Each time I eat, I should aim for three bites of vegetables for every two bites of protein and two bites of carbohydrates.
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It’s been challenging to fit this 3:2:2 ratio into different cuisines, but here’s how I’ve managed so far:
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Sandwiches: Have an open face sandwich with just one slice. Salads: This was the easiest—fix the salad by adding vegetable elements or taking away extra carbs and fats. Italian: Have a starter garden salad or vegetable soup and split two entrees (one pasta entree and one meat entree) Indian: Have an American style garden salad with the meal, choose more side dishes over the carbs. This took some figuring out, as I was using carbs to temper the spiciness of the dishes. I found that a little bit of yogurt does wonders for taming the heat! Middle Eastern: Have an American style garden salad along with the meal, which in my case is usually skewed toward a greater ratio of proteins. Mexican: Choose fillings for tacos and burritos to reflect the 3:2:2 ratio.
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So far, it’s been fun. But stay tuned to see how I do!
Neera Siva is a health enthusiast, mom, patent attorney and writer, in no particular order. She and her family live in Santa Clara County. Check out her website at healthierbites.com, or follow her on twitter @neera_avis.
