Pregnancy and dad: if his belly grows too

During their partner’s pregnancy, dads often begin to show similar symptoms. While what is referred to as ” couvade syndrome ” may be fun, no one wants to gain too much weight. But how many dads gain weight during the 9 months of pregnancy? Many 🙂

So how to help them keep the waistline at bay? If they adopt a healthy diet like their pregnant partner, everything is easier to manage.

In any case, here are some tips that can help.

1. Monitor your beer consumption

For many men, the increase in estrogen relative to testosterone levels is a cause of weight gain. In fact, estrogen is not just a female issue. Estrogen receptors are present in both male and female cells and these receptors bind not only estrogen itself but also chemically similar substances.

Excess estrogen promotes fatty tissue deposition in the waist , belly, and other estrogen-sensitive fatty tissue sites. For men this generally occurs on the belly and pecs.

This fat is also called “stubborn” due to its high resistance to fat burning. In short, once you have deposited it in those places it is difficult to remove it!

The more fat tissue a person has, the more estrogen is produced in his cells which in turn leads to further accumulation of fat and so on. The classic dog chasing its tail.

Hops, a key ingredient in beer, is a substance that mimics the action of estrogen by binding to the estrogen receptors of cells and thus making the person more receptive to estrogen. The more beer you drink, the more it increases the production of estrogen compared to testosterone and the more you gain weight.

2. Beware of sugar

While we do need some sugar to survive, as always, excess is not good for you.

Insulin is released after meals: sugar is first of all used for immediate needs (primarily the brain), then it is stored in the muscles and then in the liver in the form of glycogen. Excess carbohydrates are transformed into fat (especially of the belly) and the excess leads to blocking the consumption of fats already present. The excess of insulin due to the excess of sugar in the blood blocks the activity of the other hormone secreted by the pancreas, the glucagon which generally responds to low blood sugar levels by determining the release of stored ones, and somatotropin or human growth hormone.

Among other functions, somatotropin helps build muscle mass and burn fat. So if insulin spikes in response to excess sugar, you end up storing extra fat.

3. Get more sleep

The less you sleep, the more weight you gain. A study conducted at the University of Chicago suggests that lack of sleep reduces weight loss attempts by 55%. Furthermore, among those who sleep less, only 25% of weight loss is linked to fat loss, the rest comes from loss of muscle (lean mass) and water (and that’s not good!).

Those who sleep more instead lose weight because they lose fat mass.

Sleep also regulates the hunger hormone. When you’re sleep deprived, your body produces more ghrelin (the hormone that triggers hunger) and less leptin (the hormone that tells you to stop eating). Adequate levels of sleep (six to eight hours) regulate hunger hormones, while five hours or less of sleep results in hormonal imbalance. Additionally, lack of sleep depletes the body of nutrients such as zinc, which plays a key role in testosterone production. Testosterone is essential for maintaining lean muscle mass and therefore keeping the belly at bay. It is only when you sleep soundly that cortisol levels are restored, somatotropin is secreted, fat is burned, and the liver is detoxified. All essential things to keep the body at its best.

4. Keep stress at bay

Becoming a dad for the first time or expanding the family further can be stressful. Even if it is a positive stress, it can cause a physiological response from our body. If stress is not managed properly, it can cause the adrenal glands to work too hard and produce too much cortisol.

Excess cortisol causes weight gain, with fat deposition especially in the abdomen, promotes insulin resistance which leads to further fat deposition and in turn inhibits the ability to burn fat.

Stress can also cause poor concentration, increased blood pressure and a weakened immune system.

Meditation is recommended to mitigate the effects of stress. If you can find 20 minutes a day to quiet your mind, this activity can help significantly reduce stress, cortisol levels, and prevent stress-induced weight gain.

5. Physical activity

Physical activity is good but exceeding, for example, treadmills can increase cortisol levels (which favors the accumulation of fat in the belly). An alternative is weight training that builds lean muscle mass, burns more calories overall, and shapes the body.

6. Protein

Proteins increase the metabolic rate by 20% to 30% just for having introduced them with the diet. Including protein with every meal increases satiety and metabolism. They also help stabilize blood sugar levels.