Easy Ways to Lose Belly Fat

Belly fat is a problem for many people, but there are easy ways to get rid of stubborn belly fat with just a few changes in your diet and lifestyle. It's not just an aesthetic issue. The problem with belly fat is that it's not limited to subcutaneous fat where it's located just below the skin. But it can also be visceral fat which lies deep inside the abdomen surrounding internal organs which can lead to other health risks like heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Even those who may appear thin but have excess abdominal fat can be at risk.

Losing weight through diet is more effective than exercise because it takes a ton of activity to burn calories to create a 500 to 700 calorie deficit. However, it is still essential to maintain an active lifestyle with a good exercise routine to boost metabolism and help you maintain and increase lean muscle mass.

What Causes Excess Belly Fat?

There are many reasons why people gain belly fat, including poor diet, lack of exercise, and stress. The high levels of cortisol, the primary stress hormone is associated with abdominal fat. Cortisol levels increase and drive abdominal fat storage.

Eating foods high in trans fats and sugar can cause inflammation and may lead to obesity. Trans fats are in many foods, including fast food and baked goods like muffins and crackers. Having a healthy diet is a good way to reduce belly fat.

The body burns calories more when we're active. Taking in more calories than what our body uses will eventually result in weight gain.

Improving nutrition, increasing activity, and making other lifestyle changes can have positive health benefits.

How To Lose Belly Fat With Diet

You might have heard of the 80/20 ratio where weight loss comes from 80% diet and 20% exercise. If you think that you can lose excess fat by just exercising and eating whatever you want, you're going to be unsuccessful on your journey to losing belly fat. The key to reducing body fat starts with your diet. You would need to take in fewer calories than you burn. The list of foods below will help you get started on the right track with losing weight.

Avoid Sugars And Sweetened Drink

Eating sugary foods and sugary beverages has a harmful effect on metabolic health. Not only can it make you gain weight, but excess sugar can lead to fat buildup around the abdomen and liver, which leads to insulin resistance and various metabolic problems. As for liquid sugars, it doesn't register in the brain the same way as solid calories resulting in more calorie intake.

Eat More Protein

Adding more protein to your diet can help with your weight loss goal. Research shows it can reduce cravings by 60%, increase metabolism by 80–100 calories per day, and help eat fewer calories. A high-protein diet also reduces the chances of abdominal fat gain.

Cut Down On Carbohydrates

Reducing carb intake is an effective way to lose weight. A low-carb diet decreases appetite and leads to quick reductions in water weight. In addition, eating fewer carbs is known to reduce fat in the abdomen and around the organs and liver. Avoid refined carbs like sugar, candy, and white bread, which will help achieve your ideal body weight.

Eat Fiber-Rich Foods

Fiber-rich foods help in prolonging the feeling of fullness. Soluble and viscous fibers bind water and form a thick gel that "sits" in your gut to slow the movement of food through your digestive system. Increased intake of soluble fibers is linked to a reduction in the amount of fat in the abdominal cavity. Glucomannan, a dietary fiber that absorbs water during digestion, helps with the feeling of fullness longer.

Exercises To Burn Stubborn Belly Fat

Aerobic - It is recommended that the minimum amount of aerobic exercise is for 20 minutes three times a day. However, more than 20 minutes is better if you want to actually lose weight. Fat burning exercises such as walking, brisk walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, and dancing are all great for burning calories, getting the heart rate up, and your blood pumping.

Weight Training - Strength training is a good fat burner in addition to building muscle mass. It is recommended to do resistance training with the major muscle groups such as the abdominal muscles, back, biceps, calves, chest, forearms, hamstrings, quads, shoulders, traps, and triceps three times per week. Lifting heavier weights will build muscle which are fat free tissues that are highly metabolic, allowing more caloric burns to help with fat loss. Spot reduction to burning belly fat isn't possible but there are some great core-focused exercises that will burn fat all over the body.

Body Fat Burning Supplements

In addition to diet and an exercise program, many have resorted to taking dietary supplements with the hopes to burn belly fat faster. Weight loss supplements with green tea extract is known to promote weight loss. The caffeine in green tea contains catechin and acts as a stimulant to speed up metabolism. Catechin can help to break more belly fat, while both catechin and caffeine can increase the amount of energy the body uses.