Are you not happy with your belly fat and want to lose it? If you were not aware, know that belly fat is a major risk factor for abdominal obesity. Having excess fat around the waistline is a sufficient alarm to make you start looking for ways of getting rid of it. This way, you will not only enhance your physique but also improve your overall health by protecting your body against multiple problems associated with excess fats. Excess belly fat is associated with diseases as diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.
Tips on how to lose belly fat effectively
Diet plan
You must limit your calorie consumption because calories are the major cause of belly fat. Substitute calories with good fats such as nuts, soybeans, seeds, chocolate and avocados, as they are capable of preventing buildup of excess fats in the belly. Increase fiber (viscous and soluble fiber) intake by eating more fruits and vegetables. Drink more green tea and increase intake of calcium. You should also eat more whole grains and avoid refined grains. Last but not least, eat more proteins as a long-term approach to losing belly fat because you don’t want to lose the fat and see it back after a few weeks or months. Most importantly is to monitor what you are eating and the portion sizes.
More water and less sweetened drinks
Drink a lot of water so as to increase metabolism, which burns any excess fats in the body. Planets of water in the body is also good for detoxification thus improving overall body health. Adding more refined sugar in the body also increases fructose levels in the blood, which overloads the liver. Studies have shown that excess sugars increase belly fat. Therefore avoid sugars and sweetened drinks so as to control fructose levels.
Exercise
It is recommended to exercise in bits (interval training), with short resting periods in between. This builds endurance and boosts muscle building, which will burn more calories. Do more aerobic exercises (running, walking, swimming, biking, etc.) so as to increasing the pumping rate of the heart, burn more calories faster and enhance fat loss throughout the body, including the belly. You can also include resistance training. But don’t think that doing abdominal exercises (such as crunches) will help you, so avoid them. On a daily basis, aim at taking at least 10,000 steps, whether you are at home, school or workplace.
Stress and sleep
avoid or manage stress and set aside adequate time to relax and stress. This will reduce production of cortisol – a type of hormone that stimulates the formation of belly fat.