When I was twenty, I never had any belly fat no matter what I ate or did.
Enter the 30’s.. with a slightly slower metabolism in tow, I was starting to see an unwelcome change across my trunk especially if I wasn’t eating particularly clean or nor exercising regularly.
And then 40’s .. ah, that’s a completely new ball game! Talk about expanding waistline! The chief instigator being, our old friend/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.
Fortunately for me, I am currently a fitness coach and I teach group fitness classes and therefore I am able to keep my metabolism high and keep belly fat at bay. So don’t worry, all is not lost! Together with regular exercise and good eating habits, here are 5 Practical Ways to Lose Belly Fat.
1. Don’t eat sugar and avoid sugar-sweetened drinks
Excess sugar consumption may be the primary driver of excess fat in the belly and liver. This is particularly true of sugary beverages like soft drinks.
Sugar itself is half glucose, half fructose, and fructose can only be metabolized by the liver in significant amounts. When you eat a lot of added sugar, the liver gets overloaded with fructose and is forced to turn it into fat. Numerous studies have shown that excess sugar, mostly due to the large amounts of fructose, can lead to increased accumulation of fat in the belly and liver.
By the way, this does NOT include whole fruit, which are extremely healthy and have plenty of fiber that mitigates the negative effects of fructose. Fruits are a good source of healthy sugar. Refined sugars are not. So omit refined sugars, drink water or green tea instead.
If you don’t know how to eat clean or what to in order to have a healthy liver then get on a Diet Plan with someone who does. At HealthifyMe, the top nutritionists and clinical dietitians can help plan a Diet plan for you and set you up for success, in terms of long term health.
2. Grill you meats.
The best option for getting maximum nutrition along with flavor is grilling. It requires minimum added fats and results in healthier foods. Grilling also helps in weight management and lower unhealthy cholesterol levels. On the other hand, fried foods absorb a large amount of fat. So try to omit oil as much as possible during food preparation and you would have already cut back on the precursor to belly fat by a substantial amount.
3. Stay away for Fat laden dressings
How often have I seen folks sabotaging their salads with fat laden dressings. I’ve seen people squirting on the Mayonnaise , which only turns the lush greens 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.
4. Exercise
Exercise is an integral part of any weight-loss program. Resistance exercises strengthen and tone the muscles while aerobic exercises condition your cardiovascular system and flexibility exercises increase your range of motion. Additionally, all types of exercise burn extra calories which, in turn, burns body fat. When combined with a healthy diet, you can burn more fat than you would with diet or exercise alone. If you do not know how to exercise or where to start, here’s a great Online App that can help. You just need to follow the fitness plan each day, and you might possibly achieve your fitness goals in no time.
5. Ditch Stress
You’re stressed at work, and it’s begging to show. You’ve noticed a bulge around your mid-section that wasn’t there before. Where are these extra pounds coming from? Stress could be one of the culprits. It plays a role in weight gain. While it can make you have less of an appetite at first, long-term “chronic” stress actually boosts your hunger.
Most of us become overeaters when we’re feeling a lot of pressure. This happens thanks to your fight-or-flight response, a.k.a. survival mode – once your body reaches a certain stress level, it does what it feels it needs to. In most cases, that means overeat. Why? Because your body thinks you’ve used calories to deal with your stress, even though you haven’t. As a result, it thinks you need to replenish those calories, even though you don’t.
Also high cortisol levels help cause higher insulin levels, your blood sugar drops and you crave sugary, fatty foods. So if you want to reduce belly fat, try to reduce stress levels by exercising or taking breaks/vacation whenever you can from a stressful job. Afterall, what good is life if you are not around for a long time to enjoy it, right? 🙂
Very Informational News you gave to all.