There is a lot of annoying gimmicks infomercials about how to get rid of that pesky, unappealing spare tire. If done properly, weight loss doesn't have to be a hard job most people believe it to be; you may in fact feel better during a proper diet regimen. While there's no "magic bullet" that will target abdominal fat in particular, this article will explain what causes an expanding waistline, and how you can make the extra baggage go away.
Steps
Aerobic exercise will facilitate fat-loss all over your body, including your belly. You can't "spot-burn" belly fat, but it's usually the first to burn off when you exercise, regardless of your body shape or size. Just be sure that you focus on calorie-burning exercises, rather than sit-ups or crunches. If your abdomen muscles are covered in fat, no strengthening of those muscles is going to change that. Aerobic exercise is a key.
Exercise for weight loss.
2. Add resistance training.
A 2006 study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism suggests that combining cardiovascular (aerobic) exercise with resistance training is more effective than cardiovascular training alone in getting rid of abdominal fat. You can do resistance training with free weights, exercise machines, or resistance bands.
Add resistance training.
3. Reduce your calorie consumption, and swap out certain foods for others.
Unless you restrict your calorie intake, you're not going to lose belly fat. There are some tactics that might help do away with belly fat faster, but only when you've already consistently restricted your calorie intake. For example, eating an avocado after eating an entire bag of chips isn't going to help you get rid of belly fat--in fact, it'll probably make the problem worse. By reducing your daily calorie intake to 500 calories below your maintenance level you can expect to lose around 1 pound per week. It is not recommended that your daily calorie deficit exceed 500, and never consume less than 1,100 calories per day. Always consult a physician before starting any diet plan.
Reduce your calorie consumption, and swap out certain foods for others.
- The key point here is that a real diet does not involve removing or drastically reducing your intake of calories, there should only be a slight reduction. If you do not get out of hand when reducing your caloric intake, weight loss should not be incredibly painful. It's much easier to maintain a slow, gradual loss of weight than attempting to lose lots in a short period of time.
4. Switch out refined grains for whole grains.
In a scientific study, people who ate all whole grains (in addition to five servings of fruits and vegetables, three servings of low-fat dairy, and two servings of lean meat, fish, or poultry) lost more belly fat than another group that ate the same diet, but with all refined grains. A diet rich in whole grains changes the glucose and insulin response in your body, which hastens the melting of fat, and visceral fat, that deep layer of fat, is easier for your body to burn than the subcutaneous fat under your skin (the fat that you can see and grab).
Switch out refined grains for whole grains.
5. Eat the better fats.
Studies suggest that a diet with a higher ratio of monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) (avocados, nuts, seeds, soybeans, chocolate) can prevent the accumulation of both types of belly fat. Some experts argue, though, that it's not that these fats specifically target abdominal fat in any way; it's that anyone will probably lose weight on a lower calorie diet (regardless of where those calories come from) and as discussed earlier, belly fat is usually the first to go.
Eat the better fats.
- Trans fats (in margarines, crackers, cookies--anything made with partially hydrogenated oils) seem to result in more fat being deposited in the abdomen, so avoid these as much as you can.
6. Get more fiber in your diet.
Soluble fiber (apples, oats, and cherries) lowers insulin levels, which, as mentioned earlier, can speed up the burning of visceral belly fat.
Get more fiber in your diet.
- Add fiber to your diet slowly. If you are currently getting 10 grams of fiber a day, don't jump to 35 grams of fiber the next day. You need to give the natural bacteria in your digestive system time to adapt to your new fiber intake.
- Leave the skin on your fruits and vegetables. Incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your diet will add fiber, but only if you eat the skin, because that's where all the fiber is. So don't peel those apples before you eat them. If you're eating potatoes, try to leave the skin in the dish (such as if making baked or mashed potatoes) or if you peel them, make a snack out of them, such as baked garlic Parmesan peels. It's also worth knowing that keeping the skin on potatoes when you cook them will help keep more vitamins and minerals in the flesh. Just don't eat any parts of skin that are green.
- Eat more split pea soup. Split peas is a fiber "power food". Just one cup of them contains 16.3 grams of protein.
7. Motivate yourself by understanding the risks associated with belly fat.
Losing belly fat doesn't have to be solely a cosmetic goal; understanding the health issues linked with belly fat can help motivate you. Belly fat is linked with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. Specifically it's the deepest layer of belly fat--the fat you can't see or grab--that poses health risks. That's because these "visceral" fat cells actually produce hormones and other substances that can affect your health (e.g. increased insulin resistance and/or breast cancer risk). The fact that they're located right next to and in between organs in your abdominal cavity doesn't help. For example, fat next to the liver drains into it, causing a fatty liver, which is a risk factor for insulin resistance, setting the stage for type 2 diabetes.
Motivate yourself by understanding the risks associated with belly fat.
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