Belly fat can trigger various health problems and diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The emergence of this risk is mainly because visceral fat cells (fat stored by the body in the abdominal cavity) in the deepest layer of abdominal fat produce hormones and other compounds that are harmful to health. Many advertisements offer a crash diet program to reduce belly fat, but this method is very risky and futile. Although you can't reduce body fat only in the belly area, this article explains the causes of an enlarged waistline and how to make belly fat disappear.
Step
Part 1 of 4: Exercise to Reduce Body Fat
Step 1. Do high-intensity interval training
Research shows that interval training or high-intensity exercise with short breaks helps build and strengthen muscles more quickly than conventional physical exercise.
Practice Intervals to Lose Weight
Sprints:
Run at maximum speed for 20 seconds then walk slowly until breathing returns to normal. Repeat this exercise for 10 minutes.
Using equipment:
Prepare a treadmill, elliptical machine, or stationary bicycle for interval training.
Practical physical exercise:
Walk briskly for 5 minutes or use the stairs as often as possible during your day.
Step 2. Do cardio exercises
Get used to practicing aerobics to speed up the rhythm of the heart rate, increase calorie burning, and reduce body fat evenly including belly fat. You may perform certain movements to reduce belly fat, but when you exercise, belly fat burning usually happens on its own, regardless of your body shape or size.
- Monitor running speed. Track your progress by recording the time it takes to run 1 kilometer. The duration gets shorter if the stamina continues to increase.
- Relieve pain in the shins. If your tibialis anterior (the muscle in front of your shinbone) hurts when you run, it's possible that you're pronation (stacking your foot while resting on the outside of your foot). Wear shoes specifically designed to deal with pronation.
- Exercise according to your ability. If you don't exercise often, do cardio 3 times per week or replace cardio with lighter activities, such as walking for 30 minutes every day. In addition to the risk of injury, exercise that is too strenuous every day hampers the body's recovery and the formation of muscle tissue.
Step 3. Practice using weights
One of the results of research published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism proves that cardio (aerobic) exercise combined with muscle strengthening exercises is more effective at removing belly fat than if cardio exercise is done without using weights. When you're lifting weights, you can use dumbbells, a weight training machine, or a resistance band because it's more beneficial to work with a variety of postures to increase muscle activity.
Step 4. Don't do crunches for a while
Crunches and sit ups are useful for increasing and strengthening muscles, but the results are not visible because the muscles are covered in belly fat. In addition, the thickening of the abdominal muscles due to crunches makes the stomach look fatter. Instead, practice strengthening your back muscles so that your posture is straight and your stomach doesn't bulge.
Other Ways to Train Abdominal Muscles
Plank posture:
Get ready to do push ups, but place your elbows and forearms on the floor. Activate the abdominal muscles. Make sure the neck to the heels form a straight line. Hold for 30 seconds or more as you can then take a break. Do this movement 3-5 times.
Squats:
Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart. Straighten your arms in front of you while bending your knees and then stand back up straight after holding on for a moment. Do this movement 4 sets of 15-20 times each.
Stretching the sides of the body:
Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart. Place your right palm on your right hip and straighten your left hand up with your palm facing your right. While evenly dividing your weight on both legs, lean to the right while extending your left arm to the right so that the left side of your body is stretched. Once you're back on your feet, do the same movement to stretch the right side of your body. Do this movement 3-5 times each side.
Part 2 of 4: Speeding Up Metabolism
Step 1. Avoid stressors
Research shows that cortisol secretion (a hormone produced by the body when under stress) is correlated with increased belly fat. Follow these tips to deal with stress while going about your daily life:
- In general, adults need at least 7 hours of sleep every night. Don't stare at computer screens, tablets, and other devices 30 minutes before bedtime to get a good night's sleep.
- Set aside time to relax. Even if it's only 15 minutes after lunch, take time to relax by closing your eyes, breathing deeply, and calming your mind.
- As much as possible, do not let things that trigger stress in the bedroom. Try to keep the workspace separate from the bedroom. Ignore the burden of thoughts once you enter the bedroom.
Step 2. Get in the habit of walking 10,000 steps a day
One study showed that men who reduced their walking from 10,000 steps to 1,500 steps a day experienced an increase in visceral (belly) fat of up to 7% in just 2 weeks.
- Try to walk as often as possible with an affordable distance, for example when going to work, school, or supermarkets.
- Use a pedometer and increase the number of daily steps as you can.
- When going about your daily activities, use the stairs instead of the elevator. When traveling, make it a habit to walk, instead of using a vehicle.
- Leave your seat every 30 minutes and then walk 30 steps. If you sit a lot at work, consider the possibility of using a slightly higher desk so that you work standing up and buying a treadmill to exercise at home.
Step 3. Eat whole grains instead of processed ones
Scientific studies show that a group of people who ate a variety of whole grains (other than 400 grams of fruits and vegetables, 250 grams of low-fat dairy products, 150 grams of lean meat, fish, or poultry) each day experienced a greater reduction in belly fat than another group that ate the same diet, but replaced whole grains with refined grains.
- Whole grains are high in fiber which keeps you feeling full longer. This way, you will eat less and thus lose weight.
- Don't eat white grains. For example, replace white flour-based bread with brown wheat bread. Another example, consume brown rice, instead of white rice.
Step 4. Drink plenty of water
Studies show that the habit of drinking water throughout the day is beneficial to speed up the metabolic process regardless of the diet that is applied. Consuming water regularly is beneficial for digestion, cleanses the body of toxins, and improves health.
- Drink 8 glasses of water 250 milliliters / glass. Get used to drinking water 8 times a day so that the total reaches 2 liters / day.
- Bring bottled water with you when you travel so you can drink when you feel thirsty.
- Make sure you know how to determine how much fluid your body needs. Urine will be light yellow or almost colorless if you are properly hydrated. If your urine is dark yellow or darker in color, post a note in a visible place as a reminder to drink more water.
- Don't drink alcohol, sugary drinks (eg sweetened teas, fruit juices, fruit juices, cola drinks), and carbonated drinks.
Step 5. Eat breakfast every morning
Since you're looking to lose weight, this advice seems hopeless, but research shows that insulin levels are more stable and LDL cholesterol is lower if you eat breakfast no later than 1 hour after getting up in the morning.
Making Breakfast Menu
Protein foods:
eggs, peas, peanut butter, nuts, lean meats
Fibrous foods:
oats, fresh fruits, green vegetables
Reduce consumption of sugary foods:
avoid sugary cereals, sponge cakes, pastries, instant oatmeal
Tip:
Oats and high-fiber carbohydrate sources keep blood sugar levels normal so that weight loss is faster.
Part 3 of 4: Changing Your Diet
Step 1. Reduce calorie consumption
Belly fat doesn't decrease if you don't limit your calorie intake. Log everything you eat each day to monitor your calorie intake using an app, such as MyFitnessPal or USDA SuperTracker.
- Know that you need to be in a 7,000-calorie deficit in order to lose 1 kg of body fat. To lose 1 kg of weight in a week, you need to burn 7,000 calories by exercising or reduce your calorie consumption so that you are in a 7,000 calorie deficit for 1 week. Divide that number into daily goals. In order to have a 7,000 calorie deficit, you need to have a 1,000 calorie/day deficit, for example by exercising to burn 500 calories/day and reducing food portions so that your calorie intake is reduced by 500 calories/day.
- Try to lose a maximum of 1 kg per week. Weight loss of more than 1 kg/week is bad for health and makes you want to eat more so that you gain weight again in a short time.
- Get in the habit of keeping a record of the food you eat. Many people do not monitor the amount of food they eat every day. Find out your diet by recording all the food and drinks consumed for 1 week. Use an online calorie calculator to estimate your daily calorie consumption. Use this data to determine the source of calories that can be eliminated/reduced.
- Arrange your diet so that you consume a maximum of 2,200 calories/day (for men) or 2,000 calories/day (for women). Thus, there is a caloric deficit so that weight loss is -1 kg per week depending on the level of daily activity. In general, women need to reduce their calorie consumption, for example to 1,800-1,500 calories/day. Start by consuming a maximum of 2,000 calories/day and then lower again if not progressing.
- Remember that calorie consumption should not be less than 1,200 calories/day.
Step 2. Eat healthy fats
Research shows that a diet that contains mostly monounsaturated fats, such as avocados, nuts, seeds, soybeans, and sugar-free chocolate can prevent belly fat from accumulating.
Trans fats (in margarine, biscuits, cookies, or other foods that use hydrogenated oil) increase the accumulation of fat in the belly. So, don't eat these foods
Step 3. Eat more fibrous foods.
Fiber foods that are easy to digest (such as apples, oats, and cherries) are beneficial in lowering insulin levels in the blood, thereby accelerating the burning of visceral fat in the stomach. Get used to eating fiber foods 25 grams / day (for women) or 30 grams / day (for men).
- Increase fiber consumption little by little. If you currently consume only 10 grams of fiber / day, do not immediately increase it to 35 grams / day. Bacteria that help the digestive process need to adapt to the increased fiber intake in the body.
- Do not eat fruit without the skin (which is edible). Fiber intake increases if you eat more vegetables and fruits than usual. However, most of the fiber is found in the skin of the fruit. So, eat apples with the skin on.
- Cook potatoes with the skin on, for example when making baked potatoes or mashed potatoes. If the potatoes are cooked without the skin, use the skins for snacks, such as baked after a little olive oil, rosemary, salt, chopped garlic, and parmesan cheese. Cooking potatoes with their skins helps maintain the vitamin and mineral content in potatoes (don't eat green potato skins).
- Eat more split pea soup. These foods are very high in fiber and are a great source of energy. A cup of split pea soup contains 16 grams of fiber.
Part 4 of 4: Monitoring Progress
Step 1. Calculate the ratio of waist circumference to hip circumference
The comparison between waist circumference and hip circumference is one indicator to determine whether or not it is necessary to reduce belly fat. Get the numbers according to the following instructions:
- Wrap the measuring tape around your waist or slightly above your belly button and record the number.
- Wrap the same band around the largest part of your hips or slightly below the crest of your hipbones and record the number.
- Divide the waist circumference by the hip circumference.
- Know the size of the ratio that falls into the normal category. The ratio for women is a maximum of 0.8 and a maximum of 0.9 for men.
Step 2. Take regular body measurements while dieting
While implementing the steps described above, record your body measurements to monitor your progress.
The distribution of body fat cannot be controlled and this is influenced by various factors (genetic, menopause, etc.). However, you can control your body fat percentage. As long as the numbers are in the normal category, fat distribution is not a problem because body fat is not excessive
Step 3. Weigh yourself at the same time each day
Weight changes depending on the activity you have just done, such as eating or urinating. Therefore, make it a habit to weigh yourself at the same time every day. Many people weigh themselves as soon as they wake up in the morning after urinating before eating breakfast.
Tips
- Get into the habit of exercising in the morning. Burning calories is highest in the morning if you exercise, such as doing star jumps or push ups a few times as soon as you wake up. This step is also useful for activating metabolic processes and keeping you awake!
- Remember that you cannot reduce body fat only in certain areas of the body. Weight loss occurs because body fat is reduced overall. If you want to reduce fat in the abdominal area, fat in other parts of the body is also reduced.
- If you like to eat sweet foods, such as candy or cake, replace it with fruit. The fiber content in fruits slows the absorption of sugar so that blood sugar levels do not fluctuate.
- Stick a small note in the refrigerator as a reminder that you don't eat sugary foods and nutritional snacks because you are losing weight to reduce belly fat.
- Find a friend to exercise with. Losing weight with friends keeps you committed and more motivated to work out on schedule.
- Don't eat fast food in restaurants. If you're having trouble controlling your cravings for fast food, apply the advice in this wikiHow article on how to eat healthy.
- Get in the habit of eating on a schedule. Neglecting eating schedules, not eating at all, or exercising too often can disrupt the functioning of the human body, instead of reducing body fat!
Warning
- The stomach looks fatter if you only do sit ups and crunches because these exercises are useful for increasing the abdominal muscles and suppressing the fat layer so that the stomach looks more prominent. Instead, do cardio with weights.
- Don't lose weight too fast. Fast diets and pills with the lure of losing weight are usually useless and can't keep the weight off. Instead of choosing the instant way, apply a healthy lifestyle consistently. In addition to losing weight and reducing belly fat, the body condition is healthier and weight can be maintained in a safe way.
