Carrying so much belly fat is a big problem for many people nowadays, especially after they hit middle age. Besides being seen as bad, belly fat is the most dangerous type of body fat, because it indicates high levels of visceral fat around the internal organs. Therefore, in order to live a healthy lifestyle and feel happy in your body, it is necessary to take serious steps to get rid of body fat. Start with step 1 below to find out how.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Changing Your Diet
Step 1. Control your calorie intake
If you want to lose weight, you have to limit your calorie intake -- it's that simple. Luckily, your belly is one of the first areas to be trimmed off once you start losing weight, so it's easier to switch to that stubborn butt, thigh or arm fat.
- One pound of fat is equivalent to 3500 calories. In other words, in order to lose 1 pound of fat each week, you will need to cut 3500 calories from your weekly diet.
- Don't lie to yourself about your calorie intake. Track every bite of calorie intake that goes through your mouth in a food diary or online calorie tracker.
- Eating a healthy diet and reducing calories accounts for 80% of weight loss, so don't fool yourself into thinking you can eat whatever you like as long as you're exercising.
- A healthy goal is to lose between 1 and 2 pounds per week -- any more than that is considered a diet crash and losing weight will be nearly impossible to maintain.
- Depending on how overweight you are, women should consume between 1500 and 2000 calories per day for safe weight loss, while men should consume between 2000 and 1500 calories.
Step 2. Eat more fiber
Consuming more soluble fiber is essential for healthy weight loss. This helps reduce visceral fat, which is potentially harmful fat stored around vital organs such as the heart, lungs and liver. People who store belly fat have a higher percentage of visceral fat than those who don't.
- Breakfast is one of the easiest foods to add more fiber to. Switch to eating high-fiber cereal or oatmeal. Eat whole grain breads and toasted muffins with oat crusts.
- Leave the skins on fruits and vegetables (e.g. apples, carrots, and potatoes) as much as possible, as skins contain the most fiber (in addition, they contain the most vitamins and nutrients as well).
- Introduce more split seeds, whole grains (black beans, peas, pinto) and nuts (almonds, peanuts) into your diet, as they are all high in fiber.
Step 3. Cut sugar intake
Sugar is the enemy when it comes to fighting belly fat, because it's full of empty calories that don't provide any nutritional benefits.
- If you consume too much sugar, your body can't process it, so it will be converted into fat and stored in places like the stomach, buttocks, thighs and chest.
- Natural sugars, which are found in fruit, are okay (in moderation), so it's artificial sugars that really need attention. This kind of sugar is found in most packaged and processed foods, such as ready-to-eat cereals, candy, yeast breads and soda.
- Also pay attention to many low-fat or nonfat products, which are actually very high in sugar. Many cases can be found in yogurts, cheeses and sauces.
- Be sure to read the labels on any product you buy and look for ingredients like maltose, dextrose, ribos, xylose, lactose and sucrose – because they are all misleading names for sugar.
- Also stay away from anything that contains high levels of fructose corn syrup – this is an artificial sweetener that is only fattening (if not fatter) than actual sugar.
Step 4. Eat more vegetables
Remember, losing weight doesn't mean you have to starve – you can eat as much fruit and vegetables as you want. In fact, at mealtime, most of your dinner plate should be filled with lots of vegetables.
- Whatever protein you eat should be the size of a deck of cards, while the carb portion should be in the palm of your hand. The rest of your plate should be filled with vegetables.
- Visually, filling your plate with vegetables will help your brain believe that you are eating a large portion, which can help you feel less and less, as well as prevent you from filling your plate with more rice, potatoes or meat.
- Get into the habit of eating low-G. I vegetables, as they are high in fiber and protein, and will help your body release energy slowly throughout the day. Low G. I vegetables include asparagus, artichokes, cauliflower, broccoli, celery, eggplant, mushrooms, pumpkin, zucchini, pepper, etc.
Step 5. Eat more healthy fats
Surprisingly, eating more fat can help you lose weight – but only if you eat the right types of fat.
- Foods that contain monounsaturated fatty acids are good for you and can help to reduce belly fat. To consume more monounsaturated fatty acids, try to use more olive oil when you cook, eat more avocados, and chew more nuts like walnuts and pine nuts as snacks.
- You should also consume more fish oil, which is an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids. Try cooking salmon, mackerel, trout, herring and tuna.
- Stay away from trans fats, such as those found in margarine and most processed foods, as they are bad fats that will prevent weight loss.
Step 6. Drink more water
Drinking water is very important when you are trying to get rid of belly fat. First of all, water flushes the system, flushes out toxins and makes you less bloated, as a result.
- Second, water helps regulate your body's metabolic rate, helping you to burn fat more efficiently. Third, drinking water helps suppress appetite, helping you to tend to eat less at mealtimes. If you've ever been tempted to eat unhealthy food, try drinking a glass of water instead!
- It is usually recommended to drink between 6 to 8 glasses of water daily, although you may need more if you exercise a lot. Instead of drinking coffee, try to start your day with a glass of warm lemon water.
- You can also increase your hydration levels by drinking more green tea, which contains antioxidants, known as catechins, that help burn fat cells.
Method 2 of 4: Exercise
Step 1. Focus on cardio
Instead of doing lots of sit-ups and push-ups, cardio is the best thing you can do to burn calories and lose belly fat.
- However, instead of working hard at a steady pace on the treadmill, you should try and do some interval training. Interval training involves the brief integration of high-intensity training into your daily workout.
- Try sprinting within 30 seconds of your run, or set up an elliptical, treadmill or interval workout at the gym.
- To get rid of belly fat, try to do 30 minutes of high-intensity cardio at least 4 times a week.
Step 2. Introduce more activities in your daily life
In addition to the time you spend working out in the gym, it's a good idea to incorporate more activity into your daily life – this way you can burn more calories with less effort.
- Make some simple changes, for example using the stairs or cycling to work several days a week. If you work behind a desk, consider switching to a standing desk. As simple as standing up instead of sitting for a few hours a day can burn your calories.
- Take this opportunity to clean up in spring, paint the house or clean the garden – having a project to work on will help you to increase your activity without even realizing it!
- Also try to do something active for pure fun – play football with your child after school, take a dance class, or spend some relaxing time at the beach.
Step 3. Do strength training
It's a good idea to include some strength training in your weekly workout. Strength training includes squats, weight lifting, bicep exercises and leg presses.
- Even though they don't burn as much fat as cardio, they are useful in the long run. Helps you to build strength and muscle, which will increase the body's metabolism and help you to burn fat more easily, even while resting.
- Exercises such as squats, lifting weights also help you to build muscle around your core and maintain a slim waistline. However, it's very important to have proper form when performing these exercises, so if you've never tried them, consider attending a class or asking a professional trainer for help.
Step 4. Don't spend a lot of time on push-ups or sit-ups
Most people mistakenly believe that doing hundreds of sit-ups can help get rid of belly fat and give you a toned and flat stomach.
- However, it is impossible to "spot down" fat in this way, so any muscle you have built will be hidden under the existing fat and will likely gain more.
- That's why it's a good idea to hold on to push-ups and sit-ups until you lose belly fat. Then, once you've lost the weight, you can work on adding muscle in the midsection.
- Instead of crunches, consider doing exercises that engage multiple muscle groups (not just the core) and that work on the cardiovascular system at the same time. Plank exercises are great for this, as are walking (from a push-up position) and alligator drag.
Method 3 of 4: Making Lifestyle Changes
Step 1. Get enough sleep
It may come as a surprise, getting enough sleep is very important when it comes to getting rid of belly fat.
- When you're tired, your body produces more grelin, a hunger hormone that stimulates cravings for sugar and fatty foods.
- In addition, lack of sleep disrupts the production of other hormones, potentially leading to increased cortisol levels and insulin sensitivity – both of which are linked to belly fat.
- Therefore, you should get 7 to 8 hours of good quality sleep every night. If you're having trouble, try cutting out caffeine and avoiding watching TV or working on your laptop before bed – instead, read a book or take a relaxing bath.
Step 2. Reduce stress
Studies show that elevated levels of the hormone cortisol (a hormone caused by stress) are linked to high levels of belly fat.
- In addition, it's easier to make the decision to choose unhealthy foods when you're stressed, especially if you're really busy or tend to eat to entertain yourself.
- Therefore, it is very important to lower your stress level in order to fight belly fat. Exercising can be a huge advantage when it comes to reducing stress (and reducing fat), as can getting enough sleep.
- You should also make time for yourself to do things you enjoy. Read a book, watch a movie, or simply spend time with friends and family. Activities such as meditation and yoga have proven to be very beneficial for reducing stress.
Step 3. Limit alcohol consumption
Drinking a lot or drinking alcohol regularly is not conducive to a flat stomach. This is very true for several reasons:
- First, alcoholic beverages (beer and cocktails in particular) are very high in calories. Therefore, just having a few drinks after work can significantly increase your total calorie intake.
- Second, drinking alcoholic beverages can put undue stress on your liver, which has to go the extra mile just to flush toxins from your system. This requires energy that can be used for other important processes such as burning fat and building muscle.
- You don't have to give up alcohol, but try to limit your drinking to Friday nights or Saturday nights, and never binge drinks.
Method 4 of 4: Stay Motivated
Step 1. Remember why it is so important to lose belly fat
If you find it really hard to stay motivated, try to remind yourself why getting rid of belly fat is so important to your health.
- People with high levels of belly fat tend to have an increase in visceral fat, which is the type of fat that builds up around important internal organs, such as the heart, liver and lungs.
- While not all visceral fat is bad (because it protects organs), too much of it can produce harmful toxic substances in the body and lead to an increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease and certain cancers.
- Therefore, you shouldn't lose belly fat just to look better – you should because it's very beneficial for your overall health. To achieve minimum visceral fat, you should have a waist circumference of less than 88.9cm if you are female and less than 101.6cm if you are male.
Step 2. Weigh yourself at the same time every day
If you have a habit of constantly weighing yourself, it can be disappointing if you don't see any progress.
- However, your weight can fluctuate slightly from day to day and even from time to time, depending on what you ate and when you last had a bowel movement. Therefore, it is very important to have a standard for your weight in order to get a more accurate indication of progress.
- Weigh yourself at the same time every day – most people prefer to do this in the morning, before breakfast, because this is when your weight is at its lowest. However, it's a good idea to wait a few days, or even a week, between weighing. Sometimes losing weight can take a lot of time.
Step 3. Measure your progress
In addition to measuring your weight, it's a good idea to measure it in order to track your progress. Sometimes, even if you haven't lost a few pounds, you may have lost a few inches.
- Calculate your hip-to-waist ratio by measuring your waist (the smallest part around your belly button) and your waist (the widest part around your hipbone).
- Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement to get your waist-to-hip ratio.
- A healthy waist-to-hip ratio for women is 0.8 or lower, and for men 0.9 or lower.
Step 4. Take a picture
Another good way to track your progress is to take pictures of yourself. This can help you to get a more visual indication of your progress, helping you to stay motivated.
- Take pictures of yourself at the start of your weight loss, and along the way. Take pictures from the front, from behind and from the side – asking someone to take pictures can be very helpful.
- Take pictures wearing underwear, or wearing tights, so you can really see your shape. Stand up straight, but don't try to deflate your stomach as this will give a false impression. Let it all hang.
- Compare every picture you take with the real thing – you will be pleasantly surprised by the progress.
Step 5. Lose weight with friends
Staying motivated during the weight loss process can be very difficult, especially if everyone around you seems to be eating to their heart's content and sitting in front of the TV instead of hitting the gym in the afternoon.
- If you can, you can list friends or family members together to do a weight loss program. A competitive spirit, maybe that's all you need to keep you on the right track.
- Make time to go to the gym, or even go for a walk together. Also do weekly weightlifting together – that way you'll have someone to keep an eye on you if you don't reach your weight loss goals!
