Visceral Belly Fat

OK, I've managed to freak myself out.

My stomach is my main problem area and when I allow myself to get out of shape, my midsection is where 99% of the excess body fat that I gain settles.

So, now that I've been on track for the past couple of months, the belly fat is slowly, but surely, going away. The jelly rolls on my back are shrinking and the subcutaneous fat that I carry in front is almost exclusively on my lower tummy, so I now have a 4 1/2 pack.

However, even if I were to take the fat over my muscles away, my stomach still sticks out quite a bit. I got curious as to why and researched the anatomy of the abdominal cavity where I was introduced to the wonderful world of visceral fat. I must have a truckload of the stuff under my belly for my stomach to pooch the way that it does. I understand that some of it is probably water weight and even the contents of my stomach at times, but I know it's fat for the most part.

Both my parents, both my grandmothers, and several of my maternal aunts have diabetes. Watching my mom poke herself with multiple needles everyday is a good motivator to stay on track. Hypertension also runs in my family. Though I'm in good health and on the right track to fitness, I've gotten paranoid since I now understand what's under my stomach muscle and the diseases it's related to. I've even had what I swear are heart palpitations. It's so silly and I'm mad at myself for falling for the power of suggestion.

I guess it's good to know what's in there, as it's another motivator to keep going, but it's scary. I feel like sending some of the links that I read to my cousins, who live grossly unhealthy lifestyles, as a scared straight method. Ugh.