How Do I Get Rid Of Belly Fat Naturally?
Belly fat can be a source of insecurity for many people, especially if they’re already working hard at making their health and fitness a real priority.
When trying to figure out how to get rid of your belly fat, you might have tried pills, supplements, or fad diets. Unfortunately, most of these methods don’t work (and, in many cases, are unsafe). While you may think focusing on ab exercises will be worth your while, they will likely not shed excess fat from your waistline. People who try to slim their stomach area usually try one of two methods: diet or exercise. Both are good ideas, but if you want to specifically target belly fat, you’re going to have to do both in order to create an effective calorie deficit!
Exercise is the key to burning more calories throughout the day and revving up your metabolism. Putting that together with a healthy, low-calorie eating plan can give you more bang for your buck, helping you lose weight everywhere—including your belly!
This guide won’t answer the question of ‘how can I lose my belly fat in a week’: sustainable weight loss underpinned by healthy habits and lifestyle change is the key to long term results; not – and we repeat, not – crash diets that end in renewed weight gain and an emotional rollercoaster it could take months or years to recover from.
What is belly fat?
First things, first. Before we show you how to get rid of belly fat naturally, it’s important to know exactly what it is we’re talking about. The definition of belly fat might sound obvious—it’s clearly the fat that sits around your middle, right? Well, not quite. While belly fat (also known as visceral fat) does indeed reside around your midsection, it goes deeper than just below the skin,
padding your intestines and other vital organs. Belly fat can also be independent from overall body fat, meaning someone who’s not overweight could still have a lot of excess fat around his or her waist.
The good news: People also tend to shed belly fat a little quicker than other areas, because the tummy is just a temporary holding zone for fat.
Something to keep in mind: It’s perfectly normal to carry some weight around your middle. As you get older, your body changes how it gains and loses weight. Both men and women experience a declining metabolic rate, or the number of calories the body needs to function normally.
Small changes to your diet can make a difference
When it comes to knowing how to get rid of belly fat, the next best to start, is to watch what you eat! Don’t feel like you have to follow a strict regimen or cut out entire food groups though.
What should you eat then?
Include lots of nutrient-rich vegetables, a source of protein and some healthy, unprocessed carbs.
- Start with leafy greens such as spinach, kale and collard greens, then add carrots, broccoli and peas.
- Lean meats, including turkey and chicken, are ideal as they are lower in fat and therefore calories, or, if you are vegetarian/vegan, add in tofu or a handful of nuts such as pine, cashew or almonds and a sprinkling of seeds (sunflower, sesame, pumpkin).
- Whole grains are a great source of fiber and are proven to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. What makes them even better is they may help reduce fat around the belly.
- When it comes to carbohydrates, rice, quinoa, and potatoes are perfect! Cooking at home more often can help you lose weight, especially if you look for ways to reduce fat and calories in your meals. As you make changes like these, you may even find that you enjoy healthy eating.
What Foods should you avoid to lose belly fat?
- Inflammatory foods:
This could be types of sugar or simply any food that doesn’t agree with you, as this causes your stomach to flare up, sending the body into panic mode and increasing fat storage as a safety mechanism.
- Processed foods:
Packaged drinks, deep-fried foods, Lunchables, Twinkies… Dense in calories, carbs, fats, and sugars, these are essentially a belly fat inducing combination – typically, they’re nutritionally unsatisfying but mood-wise pretty feel good, meaning you can’t help but eat more. And more.
- Sauces and dressings:
Read unnecessary hidden calories. Flavor your food with calorie-free herbs and spices, instead.
- Alcohol:
Seven cals per gram may not sound like much but one or two Dry Martinis later, and they soon add up! Plus, because the breakdown of alcohol is prioritised, its energy quickly tops up glycogen supplies with the remainder being stored as fat.
Start Exercising
Not a fan of exercise? You may just not have found something you enjoy. If you want to reduce belly fat, but you’re not ready for hours of intense exercise, start where you are and build from there.
It takes time to build the strength, conditioning, and endurance to handle high-intensity exercise. Start with what you can do and add more as you can.
Here are 3 great fat burning ab-exercises you can do at home and reduce your belly
fat naturally.
- Walking
Cardio is one of the best ways to burn your calories and lose unwanted flab from the body. Walking is one of the first cardio exercises you should have as it is a good and effective method to burn away that belly fat. If you implement a healthy diet plus walking at a good steady pace for about 30-45 minutes four to five days every week or more, you will soon witness a change in the
weight. This low-impact exercise can increase your metabolism and heart rate. It has a decreased risk of injuries and is regarded to be an efficient workout for beginners.
- Kettlebell Exercises
Kettlebells are the cannonball-shaped workout tools you should add to your routine if you want to get a leaner, tighter figure without spending much time.Working out with a kettlebell means it works your muscles in the same way as when you do everyday activities, like hoisting a gallon of milk, or lugging a heavy grocery bag. Kettlebell workouts can tighten and tone your whole body, but the dynamic all-muscles-on-deck movements also burn a heck of a lot of calories too! Exercisers generally burn about 20 calories a
minute, or 400 in a 20-minute session.
You might want to start with the Kettlebell Swing exercise which
simultaneously firms your butt and your abs.
Here’s how you can do the swing
Once you’re comfortable with the movement, try to swing the kettlebell with one hand, alternating hands with each rep (both hands come to the handle on the upswing, and one releases as you swing down).
- Planking
Plank is one of the best calorie burning and beneficial exercises. A plank hold engages multiple muscles at once, thereby benefiting the core strength of your body. Not just burning the fat around your abdomen area, they also work by giving you an improved posture, flexibility as well as a tighter tummy.
Roll out your yoga mat in the living room, set your timer for one minute (to begin with), and stretch out into plank position!
Here’s how you can do the plank on forearms:
(detailed picture)
To lose belly fat, experts suggest that you stick to the goal of holding a plank for about 60 seconds for a minimum of 3 times. If you are a beginner, sixty seconds can be a big challenge, but you should work on that.
What’s a well-balanced plan to get rid of belly fat naturally?
The most effective weight loss programs combine diet and exercise. An exercise program that challenges you will help to keep you engaged so that you not only reach but also maintain a healthy weight.
This simple Flat Belly Fix program offers you just that. This flexible system allows you to tailor a routine to your lifestyle and set specific goals within a three-week time frame. By achieving these two things, you’ll be well on your way to integrating exercise into your life in a productive and sustainable way !