When I was twenty, I never had any belly fat. Err.., I never had much unwanted fat on me period. Now that I am in my thirties, I find it harder to keep the fat off my belly.
Well, don’t feel too bad, because we are all in the same boat, and almost every woman battles a wider waistline as she ages. The chief instigator is our old friend and foe, estrogen. As estrogen- and fat-storing reproductive organs slow down, the body hoards fat elsewhere, and one of the handiest places is around the belly. Combine this with a woman’s slowing metabolism and a reduced amount of exercise in mid-life, and there you have it – excess bulge in the belly.
But don’t worry, all is not lost! Together with regular exercise and good eating habits, here are 12 easy Ways to Lose Belly Fat.
My Top 12 Ways to Lose Belly Fat are:
1. Shallow fry vs. Deep fry
With Chinese cooking this is easy. We generally let our food and vegetables stir-fry in their own moisture instead of an oil bath. Add a few drops of oil to start, and then use water rather than more oil as you’re stir-frying.
2. Lycopenes to the rescue!
Organic ketchups have about twice as much cancer-fighting lycopene as the regular varieties. A simple visual clue you’ve got the correct ketchup will be that the organic ones are a slightly darker shade of red than regular ketchups. Lycopenes promote secretion of growth hormone, that has the function of speeding up metabolism, promoting fat decomposition and fat burning.
3. Creative Burgers
Instead of pigging out on 100% red meat in your beef burger try scooping out the middle of your burger before grilling, and fill it with olives, mushrooms, or any other vegetables. This makes the recommended serving of beef feel as substantial, yet it’s actually healthier now, with a far leaner content!
4. Never Soak in Oil
Heat your skillet before adding oil, and less fat will be absorbed by the food. Warm oil cooks more efficiently, whilst food sitting in cold oil tends to soak into meats and vegetables. Alternatively, use no oil at all, and add cold extra virgin olive oil last to your food after it has been prepared.
5. A Good Non-Stick Pan
What’s better than reducing your oil intake? Well, no oil at all, of course. So often we add unnecessary oil to our meats. Did you know that meat already contains its own natural oils? A good non stick pan would allow you to fry up your food with no added oil. You would have reduced the unhealthy oils in your diet by a substantial amount but just not adding oil to the frying pan.
6. Yogurt to the Rescue!
This is a no brainer – Replace the high-fat coconut milk in your curries with low-fat plain yogurt. The yogurt adds that creamy texture without the extra fat from the coconut.
7. Left with the Crumbs
Cut down your consumption of fat by half. If you’re baking something with a topping of grated cheese, half the cheese and replace it with whole-wheat bread crumbs. This mimics the crispy texture of baked cheese and adds fiber.
8. The Touchy Tuna
I love my tuna fresh and adulterated. I’ve seen people squirting on the Mayonnaise , which only turns the tuna sandwich into a fatty disaster. Instead of mixing in a lot of mayo, add either peppers, chili sauce, or some fresh lemon juice. This eliminates unwanted fat from your snack.
9. Bulky Meatballs!
Bulk up your meatballs by adding grated carrots, squash, or zucchini into the meatball mixture. They add mass, moisture, and vitamins but don’t really alter that meaty flavor. So far, I have not been able to sense a difference in taste from regular meatballs, and it really is so much healthier.
10. Ditch the Oil
When grilling chicken, instead of reaching for the butter, or oil, use this oil-free marinade instead. Chicken already has some natural fats as it is. So, just combine 3 cups of apple juice and two cloves of pressed garlic with 2 table spoons of soy sauce. Give your chicken a swirl in it, then straight onto the grill. Brush on the marinade as the chicken cooks. Super healthy yet tasty!
11. Not All Sandwiches are Created Equal!
If you think the fat and calories in sandwiches are more or less the same, please think again.
– The hierarchy of health, in descending order are as follows ..
– Turkey and chicken (good)
– Roast beef
– Ham
– Highly processed things like salami and olive loaf (bad)
The next time you think of having a huge submarine sandwich with cheese and mixed cold cuts like salami and bologna, choose a roast beef or chicken sandwich instead. Less processing and way less fat.
12. Sandwiched the Right Way
There are good fats, and there are bad fats. Avocado is a good fat. Replace mayo with a spread of ripe avocado to moisten a dry sandwich. Avocados are packed with monounsaturated fats that help lower your cholesterol. Phytochemicals in avocados may also help prevent mouth cancer.
And these are my 12 easy Ways to Lose Belly Fat. Coupled with regular exercising and leading an active lifestyle you can wave bye bye to unsightly belly fat for good! But beware, it’s a life long process.. are you ready to accept the challenge?
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