Your belly fat isn't separated from the rest of your body fat and in order to lose belly fat, you must realize that reducing overall body fat % is your goal; not just one specific area that has fat. Reducing body fat % is the goal and this is what this guide will show you.
1. Remove the refined carbohydrates and sugars from your diet.
Remove all processed foods from your diet as much as possible. This encompasses foods such as:
- Rice
- Spaghetti
- Chocolate
- Doughnuts
- Cookies
If you can think of any other foods that may be similar to the foods listed above, you should probably cut them out to.
Accumulation of stored body fat, bad digestions and 'belly bloating' is what these foods will do to you. Instead, eat complex carbohydrates which would be fruits veggies, brown rice and wholegrain breads. Substitute these whenever possible.
2. Increase your metabolism
In order to lower general body fat composition; you can look into particular diets that focus on the lowering of body fat % by increasing metabolism.
One of them is the Atkins which steers dieters away from foods that spike insulin levels (insulin being the prime cause of what makes you fat) such as breads, rice and pastas and commends the consumption of fats, proteins and veggies. It is well known that your metabolism goes up as your body burns fat for fuel as opposed to carbohydrates.
The other diet is known as the Caveman/Paleo diet and is similar to the Atkins in philosophy.
It has an emphasis on eating only what our ancestors ate which doesn't include foods such as sweets and bread.
3. Don't snack before bed time as much as possible
When you eat at night, your blood sugar levels increase and because you go to sleep, the energy has no way of dispersing itself so its stored as fat.
In order to reduce your desire to get up and eat something, choose a more wholegrain diet with emphasis on fruits and vegetables as the slow release of carbohydrates should mitigate the inevitable sugar high and low (and the hunger pang that goes along with it).
4. Drink in moderation
Alcohol is a nutrient void beverage (exceptions being wine but that still needs to be taken in moderation) consisting solely of carbohydrates in the forms of sugars or grains (the hops and barley that make up beer). You don't have to quit, just moderate your consumption.
5. Turn out the lights before you sleep
All the different lights in your room such as the stereo, your computer speaker or the air-con can disrupt your circadian rhythms. They all work to disrupt your sleep and can influence your hunger levels. In relation to the reduction of belly fat, the small lights alert your brain that it's early in the morning; which means its time to get up and get something to eat. If you cut out the lights, not only will you have great sleep but you will also avoid unnecessary hunger that will surely make you eat more.
6. Exercise
Increasing metabolism is an integral part of weight loss and the best way to permanently increase it is to exercise. In addition to boosting metabolic levels, the main way exercise causes weight loss and reduces belly fat is that your body replaces lost energy by breaking down sugar reserves in your fat cells. However a proper diet is crucial otherwise you going 2 steps forward and 1 step back.
Another interesting note is that the fitter you get the more exercise you will be able to do and the more fat you will be able to burn! It becomes a perpetually increasing cycle!
Like I said before there is not specific exercise you can do to reduce belly fat. The best exercise to reduce overall body fat is no doubt simple aerobic activities. This include walking, hiking and other things that are low level but increase your heart rate enough to cause a 'puff'.
Al Commings is a weight loss blogger and bodybuilding enthusiast. Here is another informative article regarding safe and affective weight loss.
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Good luck on your weight loss journey!