Getting a flat belly is most people’s dream but it is usually hard to achieve. There are very many causes of belly fat and the popular ones include high-calorie foods, alcohol, stress, pregnancy, inadequate sleep, lack of exercise, genetics, hormonal changes, and others.
A healthy diet and regular exercise are the proven ways through which you can burn belly fat. There are claims that weight loss belts can help you to get rid of belly fat. If that was the case, then everybody would have bought a slimming belt, sits back to watch TV as the belly fat gets burned.
However, if you have an occasion and you urgently need to have a flat belly then you can use waist trainers to hold your belly in shape. Waist trainers can make you look 4 inches thinner and also without burning belly fat.
Weight loss belts will also help you to lose water weight making your general body slimmer days before the occasion.
Let me make it clear here, I am not saying that weight loss belts will not give you a flat belly of course they will but will not burn belly fat. If the statement is not clear, read on to see how weight loss belts work.
Do slimming belts really work?
Also called compression belts, weight loss belts, or slimming belts aren’t new with claims of helping with weight loss. Do weight loss belts actually work?
Slimming belts are tied around the abdomen and waist area. This makes the area covered by the belt to sweat more.
When this happens, you will actually reduce in size in those areas. But what it actually does is to make you lose water weight not fat. In order to lose fat, you should be in a calorie deficit and this simply means that you should be burning more calories than you consume.
Therefore, as soon as you rehydrate, your abdomen size will go back to its former shape.
Weight loss belts actually offer a temporary reduction in the abdomen size. They will make you look slimmer for a short period of time but it can be faster than the actual burning of body fat.
People claim that wearing the slimming belt makes them lose fat around the waist area but the truth is there is no scientific evidence to support spot reduction with the use of weight loss belts. We can agree that when the body is exposed to compression, it will also compress due to the pressure exerted onto it by the belt.
This is why you will find a reduction in the abdomen area after the slimming belt is worn. However, after days of not wearing the belt, the compression effect will be lost and the abdomen area will go back to its former shape.
I guess you have heard of waist trainers that can give you an immediate hourglass figure by forcing your body into shape. The same is adopted by slimming belts just that these will make you sweat more compared to waist trainers. It is this sweating that gets you to lose water weight making you slimmer.
Read the full article on waist trainers and my recommendations here: Best waist trainers for women to achieve the hourglass figure
Does the vibration belt burn fat?
Vibration belts claim to help you lose belly fat and get those abs out without exercise. If you are going to buy one, you will find the description so overwhelming and hard to believe. They promise to work on abs without exercise and workouts.
What the vibration belt does is literally making your muscles vibrate with claims of the same motion muscles go through during exercise or workouts.
The application of electrical current to muscles can make contract them, become stronger and toned.
It is important to note that vibration belts tone muscles rather than burn fat around them. In fact, it is impossible to burn fat without proper diet or exercise. This means that without healthy eating and exercise that leads to a calorie deficit, no major changes will occur in the body concerning the burning of fat.
What really happens is that you will get a flatter stomach because your abdominals are getting stronger or toned and not that you are losing belly fat.
According to the FDA:, ‘’using these devices alone will not give you “six-pack” abs. Applying an electrical current to muscles may cause muscles to contract. Stimulating muscles repeatedly with electricity may eventually result in muscles that are strengthened and toned to some extent but will not, based on currently available data, create a major change in your appearance without the addition of diet and regular exercise.”
In summary, vibration belts will not get belly fat burned but rather will give you a flat stomach through toning and strengthening abdominal muscles.
Are weight loss belts safe?
Slimming belts or call them weight loss belts are safe if used in the right ways. For a weight loss belt to work for you, you need the right measurements that aren’t too tight nor too loose for effectiveness.
The right weight loss belt in terms of size and comfort will be safe for you. Weight loss belts have got benefits that make them worth having.
Slimming effect: when used correctly, a weight loss belt will help you lose water weight. This will not happen to your abdomen area only but also the overall body since the water weight applies to the whole body and not the abdomen area alone.
Improve posture: wearing a weight loss belt will improve your posture and straighten your back. You will find yourself sitting straighter when you have a weight loss belt on as it gives the back support.
Aches and pains: by improving your posture, a weight loss belt will help you get relief from aches and pains. These are pains that usually arise due to poor sitting habits or posture. These are back pains and neck pains.
Improve workouts: when you wear a weight loss belt during workouts, you will be reminded of engaging your core during workouts. You will also feel motivated to workout as you will have a push and hope of losing weight.
When can weight loss belt be unsafe?
However, weight loss belts may have side effects, especially when used improperly or having wrong measurements.
- Weight loss belts might increase blood pressure and people with high blood pressure should avoid their use.
- They might cause trouble with breathing most especially when you wear a tight one.
- Weight loss belts can interfere with proper blood flow and circulation.
- Increased body temperature is another side effect that you will face with the use of weight loss belts. The weight loss belts will not let your body cool down as you will always be sweating.
- Dehydration and urge to drink water more often since you will be sweating a lot. This might affect your health.
- Skin conditions: since weight loss belts prevent the skin from getting fresh air and might also limit efficient blood circulation around the area covered with the belt, the skin covered usually get itchiness, rashes, and acne. The skin may also become pale and softer than normal.
Can you wear a slimming belt all day?
Too much of everything is always is bad. Wearing a weight loss belt for a long time will cause many side effects.
When you wear the belt for a whole day, you will experience skin irritations, muscle cramps, discomfort due to excessive sweating, and dehydration throughout the day. It is therefore not advised to wear the weight loss belt for a whole day.
You should wear a weight loss belt for a few hours every day. These can range between 15 to 30 minutes in a session. You can choose to do various sessions throughout the day but avoid doing more than 3 sessions.
Can I sleep with a slimming belt?
Never sleep in the weight loss belt as you might get serious health and life-threatening issues.
Reasons not to sleep in slimming belts.
- You might get difficulty in breathing and related serious complications related to breathing. You are most probably to suffocate and run short of air.
- Discomfort caused by a weight loss belt and it might make falling asleep difficult.
- You might wake up with backache due to the upright posture you will keep during sleep.
- You might experience acid reflux and other digestive complications.
The bottom line.
Weight loss belts will make you lose water weight rather than help you burn fat. You will probably get slimmer but the effects will be short term. For long term effects, engage in healthy eating and regular exercises.
These will get you permanent and healthy weight loss. Here are some articles that will guide you on weight loss.
How to choose a weight loss diet(13 solid tips).
How to lose beer belly faster.
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