OK, so this really is the big question and why most of our readers are here – to learn how to lose that belly fat.
Belly fat is mostly the deep visceral fat that surrounds the internal organs. Not only is this fat more dangerous to health but it is also harder to shift. The original purpose of belly fat is to form a protective layer around the internal organs, however, as us humans have got fatter and lazier that protective layer is now strangling the life out of the organs that it was designed to protect.
So, how do we actually lose belly fat? Do we buy some diet pills? Go on a fad / crash diet? Have our stomach stapled? Well, these methods may work for some people, but they are all really a bit risky and can lead to even worse health, so we prefer not to take this sort of drastic action.
Use Diet and Exercise to Lose Belly Fat
The best way to lose belly fat according to the team at MotleyHealth.com is to use diet and exercise. In their article on “how to lose belly fat and get a flat stomach” they say that the main rules are to cut back on calories, eat less junk and sugar, and get plenty of healthy exercise.
Stomach exercises do not actually help you lose belly fat, well, not much at least. Why? Well, it comes down to how we store fat, and likewise, how we then lose it. Our bodies will store fat where it thinks it is needed. Then, when we increase our metabolism and burn more fat, our bodies will lose the fat from the areas where it feels it is least required. So, belly fat is often one of the last places to lose fat.
But what about those stomach exercises that tone the abs? Well, all they actually achieve is they make your abs bigger and stronger. They will not burn fat. Studies have shown that to lose weight of any type, belly fat included, you need to first take control of your diet. This makes sense, think about it:
We get fat because we eat too much. End of story. So, why would exercising help us to lose that weight? The calories burnt while exercising is actually very small, for example, if you eat a large pizza and wash it down with a soda, you will need to run about 20 miles to burn that off. How many people can run 20 miles? Not many.
The answer is to eat less calories and eat better calories. To lose belly fat you need to eat a healthy diet with highly nutritious carbs and lots of lean proteins. Then you need to workout real hard, doing anything, on a regular basis to increase your metabolism and build some lean muscle tissue.
5 Tips to Get a Flat Stomach
Without a doubt the most sought after advice from our readers, here at Loseweightflatstomach.com, is how they can reduce the size of their stomachs. It seems that reversing the tide of time and regaining the figure of youth is foremost in many peoples’ minds when it comes to fitness.
1. Stop Eating Junk Food
You are what you eat, so don’t eat junk. Do not keep junk food like cookies, chips, sweets and other high sugar content food. Junk food raises blood sugar levels, which reduces fat burning and increases appetite. Also, increased blood sugar levels causing a rise in insulin levels which causes fat accumulation.
2. Eat Only Good Carbohydrates
There are good and bad carbohydrates. White bread, pasta, donuts, cakes and biscuits should be avoided. They can cause bloating, poor digestion, and lead to accumulation of fat.
Good carbohydrates such as fresh fruits and vegetables should be eaten instead. Vegetable soups are an excellent choice for lunch. A low GI diet helps to avoid the bad carbs. Studies have shown that people who eat mostly a vegetarian diet are more likely to maintain a healthy weight.
3. Stop All Late Night Snacks
Why? The common advice is that if you go straight to bed right after the late night meal excess sugar will just turn into fat as you need to be active to burn it off. Also, late night snacks often means less sleep, and getting more sleep helps you lose weight.
Really, the main reason to avoid eating late at night is simply because you do not need the energy. Most people eat enough food during the day and then any food eaten in the evening is just comfort eating, or eating out of boredom. Every pound of weight gained is through eating too much.
4. Drink Less Alcohol
One gram of alcohol contains 7 calories, which is about 182 calories per pint. Alcohol does not contain any nutrients. All the calories consumed through alcohol will be stored as fat. Several celebrities have reportedly now given up drinking to help lose weight, although some of them never drank at all.
All the calories in alcohol soon add up. Just drinking 2 beers a day will add 2500 Calories a week. Every one of those Calories is increasing the likelihood that you accumulate fat.
5. Exercise More
Exercise is the key to weight loss. Dieting alone is often too restrictive for most people the maintain, and very restrictive dieting can lead to malnutrition and long term health complications. Regular exercise not only controls your weight but also your appetite and the health of your heart.
Workout with weights twice per week and do cardio three times a week. If you have the time then you should aim to exercise twice a day for maximum fitness and weight loss with a morning session of cardio and an evening session of bodyweight exercises or weight training exercises.
There are many systems that help you do this if you are not prepared to go it alone. Our friends over at Motley Health also happen to list some of the best weight loss programs to help you chose.
One of the most popular at the moment is the new 31 Day Fat Loss Cure. This system is designed by an ex-soldier who learnt to lose weight the hard way – in a real military boot camp. He has since moved on and opened a gym and personal training business, and has great results at helping people lose weight. If you are unsure what to do, this is a good place to start. Otherwise, just get out your running shoes, dust off the weight training equipment and throw out all the junk food!
Remember that getting fit and losing weight simply requires dedication, motivation and hard work – you have to swear to sweat! Losing weight is not an easy ride, getting overweight was easy ride, now it is time to take control of your life and take some serious action. To get up, step up to the plate, and start fighting for your life. Time to lose weight and get a flat stomach!
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