Are you sick of your belly fat?
Excess belly fat can be annoying. It can cause your clothes to stick in all the wrong places, and make sitting in certain positions quite uncomfortable. If you’ve ever been frustrated with your shape, you aren’t alone.
The dangers of an apple shape
Belly fat isn’t just irritating. It is also linked with an increased risk of disease. Scientists refer to those who carry a lot of weight around their midsections as having an “apple” shape. It turns out that a large waistline is associated with an increased rate of disease. Specifically, carrying fat around your stomach elevates your risk for heart disease.
If you’ve tried and failed numerous times to make lasting changes to your shape, know that there is hope! The following four methods form a holistic approach that when combined will make blasting your annoying belly fat a breeze.
Step 1- Focus on aerobic exercise rather than abdominal training.
If you are trying to lose fat from your stomach, you might conclude that your focus should be on abdominal training exercises. However, research shows that aerobic exercise such as swimming and running is actually much more effective at reducing levels of belly fat. There is no evidence that training your abdominal muscles will, by itself, have any effect on waist measurement or levels of stomach fat.
Step 2- Eat more protein and fewer carbohydrates.
The saying “Great abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym” has become well known in fitness circles for a good reason! If you want to reduce your belly fat, you will need to reduce your overall body weight by adopting a healthy diet coupled with a good exercise routine. One simple dietary adjustment you can make is to eat more protein and fewer carbs. Carbs are broken down more quickly relative to protein-rich foods, which means you will become hungry faster and less likely to make sensible food choices. Base your meals and snacks around lean proteins together with vegetables, with modest amounts of wholegrain carbohydrates as a side dish rather than the main component of a meal. For example, a good dinner option is a portion of lean fish, vegetables drizzled with olive oil, and a small portion of potatoes. Instead of carb-heavy snacks such as crackers, chips, or sandwiches, try fruit with a portion of protein. Apple and cheese slices are an appetizing option.
Step 3- Make sure you are not constipated.
Sometimes a distended belly is actually a sign of constipation rather than an excess of stomach fat. Follow these tips to prevent constipation and maintain great bowel health. Watch out for foods that encourage bloating in some people such as beans, lentils, cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, and grains such as wheat and barley.
Step 4- Avoid drinks sweetened with sugar.
We all know that sugary drinks cause tooth decay but they also encourage the development of belly fat. Eating sugar in foods is bad enough, but ingesting it in the form of liquid is even worse. When you drink a sugary drink, your brain does not register the calories you have taken in, which means that you can consume hundreds of calories that do not fill you up yet still contribute to the development of excess fat. This means that you end up taking in a higher number of calories overall.
Take the four steps above and you can look forward to a flatter belly within weeks! It’s important to remember, however, that you will need to make these steps into ongoing practices if you want to keep your hard-earned changes. Commit to overhauling your lifestyle and you will soon see the benefits.
