Everyone loves a flat, well-trimmed belly. But due to our lifestyle, pregnancy and aging, we often find ourselves carrying extra fat around our bellies. If you do research online today, you will find so many answers and ways on how you can lose stomach fat. However, this article will talk about the facts about belly fat and simple ways in which anyone can get rid of it.
So, how can you lose belly fat?
Fact# 1. Exercise
There is no way you can lose belly fat if you do not engage yourself in any physical activity. Most people think that doing crunches every morning can help them lose belly fat, but this is not true. If you want that stubborn belly fat off, you need to lose weight. By losing weight I mean general body weight. To achieve this, you need to engage yourself in aerobic exercises aimed at increasing your heart rate a key factor in weight loss. These exercises include; jogging, running, swimming and Zumba dancing. If these are tough for you long walks and being active throughout the day can also do the trick.
Crunches, planks and any core strengthening exercises should come after satisfactorily losing weight through aerobics. You know, this is where everyone gets it wrong. We don’t get firm flat bellies we want if we start out with crunches. Don’t get me wrong, am not saying that crunches are bad, no. What I mean is, you have to lose the fat first, then strengthen the muscles which were hidden beneath the fat.
Strengthening the muscles without getting rid of the fat first, will make your stomach muscles grow making you have a firm belly but not slim and trimmed the look everyone craves. To achieve this, the following must be incorporated in your daily routine.
Fact# 2. Eat a healthy diet.
Someone said, “we are what we eat” believe me, he/she was right. If you want to see results you have to eat clean. This means a healthy balanced meal each day eliminating empty calories found in fast foods, processed foods, carbonated drinks, white sugars and white bread. Therefore, you should go for fruits, veggies, lean protein [which is good for strengthening muscles and keeping the extra fat away] and complex carbs [excellent for keeping you full for longer, so that you don’t indulge in unnecessary eating].
Fact# 3. Watch your portion.
To lose and maintain your weight, you need to control your portion sizes. This does not mean you have to eat tiny portions of everything but you also don’t eat when you are already full. The goal is to burn more calories than you ingest, which simpler if you watch your portions in the first place.
Fact# 4. Drink lots of water
This is not a myth. Drink plenty of water, a maximum of at least eight glasses per day. Water is a weight loss booster apart from just cleansing your system and nourishing your skin cells. Dehydration accounts for about 90% of all our belly weight issues thanks to water retention. To curb this, drink up! If water is not your thing, flavored water, freshly squeezed juices will all add up to your fluid intake!
Fact# 5. Get enough sleep.
Our bodies are accustomed to all biological changes that affect our fat storage and metabolism. Raging hormones caused by stress and anxiety can all trigger storage of fat around the belly. We can’t avoid some issues in life, but getting enough sleep has been found to be the perfect medicine as far as stress and weight gain hormone related issues is concerned. Sleep helps you lose fat, and if you get plenty of it you won’t have to worry about fat storage around your belly.
Our bodies are a reflection of how we live, eat and drink. To be lean and healthy you have to make healthy choices in life no matter your age or gender. Belly fat is not good fat. Getting rid of it is the first step in discovering a new healthy you.