If you are carrying a few extra pounds whether in the form of a beer gut, potbelly, love handles, or belly fat, you’re certainly not alone. In recent years, the number of people who are overweight has dramatically increased worldwide. And, this can all be blamed on the advancing technologies that have forced people to sit all day in front of computer screens, laptops, iPod’s, and smart phones.
Sitting all day means no exercise whatsoever and eating too much unhealthy food, this leads to belly fat. But, this is one case where following the crowd is not exactly the best idea. Extra weight, especially belly fat can prove to be downright risky. That is why in today’s article, we will be discussing about a few proven ways on how to get rid of belly fat.
Cut Fried And Oily Foods
Fighting belly fat consists 80% of eating a healthy diet. In order to lose belly fat, you need to cut off on fried stuff and oily foods. Keep in mind that fried food is known to be the fastest way to gaining belly fat. They usually contain empty calories, which are poor in nutrients value thereby only providing you with calories. As a result this adds more belly fat, making it appear you have gained a lot of weight.
No Snacking – Cut Out The Extras
During the course of the day, you may not realize what you’re eating and how many calories you’re taking in. For instance, you snack up on chips while at work, add lots of mayo in that sandwich for lunch, or eat candy here and there. All these little things add up to a lot of weight gain and belly fat. Therefore, when it comes to losing belly fat, make sure to cut out the extras and focus on calorie consumption.
Eat Fat – It Takes Fat To Burn Fat
Contrary to popular belief, fat does not result in increasing belly fat. In fact, it’s the sugar, the snacking, and the oily and fried foods that leads to gaining weight and belly fat.
However, this doesn’t mean that you start eating foods that are rich in unsaturated fats. Instead focus on eating good fats that are rich in Omega 3’s, like walnuts, avocados, and salmon. These are all foods that are filled with nutrients to help keep you satisfied throughout the entire day.
Sugar Is Your Enemy – Reduce Calorie Intake
Losing belly fat is all about maintaining a healthy diet. Therefore, reduce calorie intake by filling yourself up with whole grains, vegetables and proteins. Not to mention, replace unhealthy snacking with healthy snacks such as a granola bar.
For instance, if you have a sugar craving replace your jumbo chocolate milkshake with Muscle Milk Lite, which has a ton of protein and zero sugar.
Short, Vigorous Bursts Of Exercises – Trim All Your Fat
So, now that you are finally maintaining a healthy diet, it’s time for you to begin some exercising. However, keep in mind that you will never lose belly fat by doing countless crunches every day. 1000 crunches a night may give you strong abdominal muscles, but with that layer of fat on top, you will never be able to achieve the results you want.
Therefore, instead of doing crunches begin with simple exercises that work your cardiovascular system and engage multiple muscle groups. Some of the best exercises for losing belly fat include planking (where you rest your forearms on the ground and hold yourself in a push-up position), the vacuum pose (a good breathing exercise that helps lose inches from your waist), and the belly rub.
Get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least 5 days a week. Walking and jogging can also help, as long as it’s brisk enough to make you breathe harder and work up a sweat, with your heart rate faster than usual. Once you get used to the routine, gradually increase the intensity of your exercises to burn more calories and belly fat. The more active you are, the more chances for you to reduce belly fat.
Get The Right Amount Of Shut-Eye – Sleep Is Important
When it comes to losing belly fat, getting the right amount of sleep is incredibly important. This is mainly because when your biorhythms are off, you start eating more. Not to mention, the lack of sleeping results into higher exhaustion levels, thus making your body produce more ghrelin. This enzyme produced by the stomach triggers cravings for fat-building foods and sugar.
Therefore, this creates an unstable cycle of sleep, which also alters your hormone production and affects your cortisol levels that cause insulin sensitivity (One of the prime reasons for belly fat). Nevertheless, by getting approximately 7 hours of sleep at night, you will successfully be able to reduce cravings and finally reach your body shaping goals.
So, now that you are familiar with the tips mentioned above, losing belly fat won’t be a problem. However, it is important that when trying to lose belly fat, you don’t make huge and drastic changes all at once. Instead, focus on taking baby steps, which will soon snowball and help you reach your fitness goals.
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