4 Tips To Lose Belly Fat

Belly fat is the most hated part of weight gain. The most dangerous part of gaining weight is not the visible belly fat, it is the visceral fat. Visceral fat is a layer of fat within the abdominal cavity that increases health risks. As much as you would want to lose belly fat, it is impossible to do so without making changes in your daily lifestyle, diet, and habits.

There are some tips you could use to lose your overall body fat which would eventually lead to a reduction of belly fat.

Tips to reduce belly fat

Losing belly fat is easy if you know your way around losing it. Since losing fat from one specific spot is impossible, you’ll have to lose overall body fat. Here are four tips that will get you through the journey:

• Staying in a caloric deficit: The oldest and the only proven way to lose weight is by staying in a caloric deficit. Being on a caloric deficit is a method of dieting where you use more calories than you consume. Staying on a caloric deficit is the first step to losing weight. But, just staying on a caloric deficit won’t be enough. Besides staying on a caloric deficit you will have to keep in mind the following:

– Reduce the amount of carbs you consume, especially simple sugars and refined carbs

– Reduce your sugar intake from sources such as fruit juices, sodas, candy, chocolates, etc

– Reduce alcohol consumption. Consumption of alcohol not only adds to your daily calories, but it also tampers with your overall body functioning

– Increase your fiber intake

– Consuming fruits and vegetables should be a priority

– Increase the consumption of healthy fats. Omega-3 and omega-6 are considered to be healthy fats. You can consume unsaturated fats such as fatty fish, avocados, nuts, eggs, etc.

– Try to incorporate meal replacement shakes having less calories and all nutrients.

– Consume more caffeine and antioxidants. Drinking coffee and green tea will boost up your metabolism and burn more calories

– Load up on protein. Your consumption of protein should be around 30 to 40% of your total calories

• Move more often:  Abdominal fat is burned by exercise. The prominent advantage of exercise is that it positively impacts body composition. Exercise is particularly effective at burning off belly fat as it lowers your blood insulin levels, which would normally lead your body to store fat, and stimulates the liver to use up fatty acid deposits, especially those from visceral fat deposits. Exercising will also boost your metabolism which will burn more calories.

Your goals will determine the level of physical activity you need to lose weight. It can be achieved through 30 to 60 minutes of moderate to intense activity almost every day. Even moderate levels of strength training combined with aerobic exercise promote lean muscle mass, which increases calorie expenditure throughout the whole day, both at rest and during exercise. The aim of exercising is to reduce the overall fat and boost the growth of lean muscle mass.

While spot reduction is impossible, you can focus on gaining lean muscle mass which in turn aids in fat burning. There are multiple muscles between your shoulders and your hips that are used in coordination for every move you make. The right exercises are the first step to getting a lean midsection. Performing exercises that work on your core three to four times a week on days other than consecutive ones, with at least 24 hours of recovery in between proves to be extremely beneficial in achieving a leaner torso. You can begin these workouts with easier exercises like crunches, bicycle crunches, and planks. You can perform numerous ab exercises and work your way up to more challenging ab exercises like side-to-side med-ball slams and weighted Russian twists after you’re comfortable with an ab regimen.

• Get 8+ hours of sleep: Sleeping for less than 6-7 hours a day has often been associated with a higher body mass index (BMI) and weight gain. Sleep deprivation is one of several factors that contribute to obesity, research indicates that it has a negative impact on hunger levels and can lead to consumption of more calories from foods with high fat and high sugar.

The increase in appetite for junk food can be caused by variations in the levels of the hormones that are responsible for hunger. Ghrelin and Leptin are hormones that increase when you feel hungry and decrease when you feel full. Ghrelin is secreted in the stomach and alerts the brain about the levels of hunger. When the stomach is empty, levels are highest before eating and lowest when you finish a meal. Leptin is a hormone secreted from fat cells. It curbs the appetite and signals the brain when you’re full. Lack of sleep may also harm the sympathetic nervous system, which raises the levels of the stress hormone cortisol. An increase in cortisol can lead to weight gain.

• Reduce stress levels: Stress is a huge contributor to weight gain. One of the primary factors that can hamper your fat loss journey is stress. Your body releases a hormone called cortisol in a state of stress or fear. Cortisol is produced by the adrenal glands. Your body enters fight-or-flight which momentarily halts routine physical processes and slows down or reduces your metabolism. Your body experiences a rush of energy as a result of cortisol’s stimulation of your fat and carbohydrate metabolism. As a response to this procedure you feel hungrier, and high cortisol levels can make you crave salty, fatty, and sugary foods. As a result, you are more likely to crave a meal that is high in calories and processed carbs.

Your body may create less testosterone if you have too much cortisol in your system. Your body may burn fewer calories, and you will experience a loss of muscle mass.

Final words

Losing belly fat, in the long run, will prove beneficial for you in more ways than one. You will not just look good, but you will feel good. Staying on a caloric deficit is the first step you need to take for your weight loss journey to be successful. Leading a healthy lifestyle by eating clean food, exercising regularly, ensuring quality sleep, and managing stress can help you speed up your weight loss journey.