Belt Tightening Is Not the Solution in Weight Loss
Tightening your belt is not a good practice.
Your weight loss continues to be successful. Soon, it may be time to drop down a pant size, in the meantime, you just tighten your belt. Taking out a kitchen knife and using it as an awl, you drill a hole in your belt that you have worn daily for the past five years. You put the utensil back in the drawer and hope no one noticed it is now permanently bent as you pull your belt tighter.
Wait! You may need to a buy new clothes earlier than you think and not because you ruined the belt and the knife.
Tightening your belt may be a happy sign of your weight loss progress but it may not be good for your health and your further efforts. It may even have greater consequences than the advantage of waiting on the new pants will allow. Belt tightening by default causes pressure from the outside to affect much inside your body. It may hold your pants up but will also restrict blood flow, digestive processes and more.
Belt tightening is a simple process. You have images in your mind from all those funny video programs and channels of a man dancing at a wedding when all of sudden his pants fall down in front of the whole banquet in the middle of the dance floor. He picks up his pants as if nothing happens and then continues on dancing. You resolve immediately you will never be that man.
You make sure your belt hugs the skin above your hips so tightly that it will stay there until long after the party is over. So, you make sure your belt is tight enough to save you that embarrassment and to show off your new waist size.
What you forget is that you are putting pressure on your skin, blood flow and even the organs inside. All of this occurs because you are squeezing the space your body needs to function normally.
Consider your body like what is underneath your property. You will find a range of channels from sewer pipes to water sources. Now all of a sudden the mayor decides that all pipes will be changed to a size a few inches or centimeters smaller in diameter, what is that going to do city plumbing. It is going to back it all up. Water will flow less powerfully, sewers and toilets will back up and the city life will take a turn for the unhealthy.
This is precisely what doctors warn when you wear your belt or even your jeans too tightly. The capacity changes and, therefore, nothing is as efficient. Common complaints linked to a belt too tight include back pain, a slower metabolism, a persistent spare tire, digestive issues, stomach cramps, a large belly and more. Further, a tightened belt makes a seal which can increase temperature inside the clothes causing issues in the genital area of men and women.
One suspender company says that the flat tire of the consistently bulging belly caused by the belt creates a ridge of fat trained to go there by the restrictive belt. Suspenders, the company states, cures that problem over time due to gravity allowing the fat to fall to a natural place.
Granted the company has a vested interest in suspenders but I found that to be true. I gave up wearing belts about three years ago at the suggestion of a Brazilian friend of mine and sure enough after losing over one hundred pounds I also lost the spare tire for the first time in my life.
It is not that belts are dangerous, they are not, they are just worn too tightly which is problematic. They need to be worn properly.
Antonio at the Art of Manliness website teaches that the proper size of the belt is one to two inches longer than your proper pants waist size. Experts say that you should be able to fit two fingers stacked between your body and your pants waistline for a good fit on both.
This means your best bet is to make sure you use the right kind of belt and the right size. When you need a new size it is best to find a new belt or have the one you use properly adjusted. Antonio warns against using a pocket knife or scissors to drill a new hole as it really distorts the appearance of the belt and will eventually cause the belt to break. Instead, he recommends going to a cobbler.
In either case, there are many websites that will explain everything you need to know about wearing a belt. However, fashion aside, keep in mind that it should be worn properly so that you may continue good progress on your weight loss, maintain good health and, of course, keep your pants up.
Sources:
9 Dangers of Wearing Tight Clothing - Step To Health
These are the dangers of wearing tight clothing. Tight clothes can be bad for your health. So put away those tightā¦steptohealth.com
Could Your Belt Lead to Back Pain? - AskDrManny
Victoria sent us the following question: Dear Dr. Manny, I have been experiencing back pain for some time now and aā¦www.askdrmanny.com
Can a tight belt cause any physical harm?
Gene, Hollywood, Ca asked: Can a tight belt cause any physical harm? Answer: Yes. A tight belt or waistband is like aā¦www.menshealth.com
Is Your Belt Bad for Your Health?
We've all seen (and some of us are) men with flat cowboy butts and big bellies hanging over our belt buckles. Someā¦hikersco.com
A Man's Guide to Belts | The Art of Manliness
Belts are worn for both function and style. A seemingly small accessory, they can have a surprisingly large impact onā¦www.artofmanliness.com