Top 6 Fastest Ways to Lose Belly Fat and Keep it Off For Good
Are you struggling to lose belly fat?
When you have belly fat, it can be incredibly frustrating to work out, and eat healthily, but not see results. Among the most difficult fats to lose is belly fat since it contains a large number of fat cells that resist the fat-burning process.
It’s also one of the most dangerous types of fat since it can lead to serious health problems such as high cholesterol and heart disease later on down the line.
So, If you’re ready to improve your overall health and achieve a slim waistline, we’ve compiled a list of the six fastest ways to lose belly fat!
What Causes Belly Fat for Women?
One of the main causes of belly fat for women is hormone imbalance. The majority of women are estrogen dominant, meaning they have excess estrogen and too little progesterone. When the balance between these two hormones is out of whack, it can lead to several problems including weight gain, mood swings, and infertility.
Another cause of belly fat in women is being sedentary. Lack of exercise coupled with consuming too many processed carbohydrates like pasta and bread will result in a lot more belly fat.
Finally, stress could also be one reason why you’re carrying around excess weight in your midsection. The HPA axis (or hypothalamic pituitary adrenal) is responsible for regulating things like hunger, moods, sleep, and emotions. Constant exposure to cortisol – which is the stress hormone – can slow down metabolism and increase belly fat storage.
Side Effects of Excess Belly Fat
The side effects of belly fat can be life-threatening. For example, heart disease is the leading cause of death in America and obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Having excess belly fat also puts you at higher risk for type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol, which can lead to stroke or heart attack.
A waist circumference that’s more than 40 inches (102 cm) for men and 35 inches (89 cm) for women indicates an increased risk of these diseases.
Fastest Ways to Lose Belly Fat
Belly fat may be hard to lose but it’s certainly not impossible. All it takes is consistency, discipline, and a fat-burning plan to lose inches around the waistline. Please note that you cannot spot reduce fat. Where we store fat is determined by our genetics. The good news is that there are ways to burn fat faster and sculpt your midsection to reduce your waist size. Here are 6 of the fastest ways to lose belly fat to quicken the process.
1. Follow a Low-Fat Diet
One of the fastest ways to lose belly fat is by following a low-fat diet. A low-fat diet includes no more than 30 percent of your daily caloric intake coming from fat, with no more than 10 percent coming from saturated fats (that’s less than 200 calories).
Maintain calorie intake below what you burn: The most effective way to lose stomach fat is when your calories consumed are less than what you expend each day.
Try using a Calorie Calculator to determine how many calories you should consume daily to maintain or lose weight.
You might also want to drink lots of water or noncaloric beverages like tea or seltzer water instead of sugary drinks like sodas and fruit juices. Diet sodas are also an option if you absolutely must have something sweet!
Best Foods to Lose Belly Fat
#1: Green Tea. A study by the University of Oklahoma found that green tea catechins, an antioxidant found in green and black tea, can help stimulate fat metabolism and reduce body weight in overweight people. The antioxidants also help fight off the negative effects of other stressors on your body, like pollution.
#2: Avocados. Avocados are high in fiber that is full of healthy fats that help promote weight loss and keep you feeling fuller longer. They’re also full of potassium which helps lower blood pressure and decreases the risk for stroke by helping keep your heart healthy. As if that weren’t enough, avocados also contain glutathione–an anti-inflammatory agent.
#3: Chia Seeds. Chia seeds are one of the richest sources of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid that has been shown to have many health benefits including promoting weight loss and reducing inflammation.
#4: Beets. Beets contain a high amount of folate, fiber, magnesium, and niacin–all nutrients essential for weight management. Beets are great when consumed raw or cooked in soups or stews or used as a garnish on salads or sandwiches.
#5: Coconut Oil. We recommend adding coconut oil to your diet for overall good health and weight loss. Studies show that coconut oil contains MCTs that may help with weight loss and management.
#6: Fiber-rich foods. Foods like whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds are full of fiber which helps reduce hunger levels and make you feel fuller longer without gaining any pounds!
Read: Top 10 Best Foods to Lose Belly Fat for Women: Eat Your Way to a Slimmer Waistline
2. Exercise Consistently
It’s important to exercise regularly, but it can be difficult to find the motivation to get started. You might feel like you don’t have enough time or that you’re too tired after work. However, there are plenty of ways that you can squeeze in some exercise without making it feel like a chore. Check out the best exercises to melt belly fat.
What Exercises Burn Belly Fat?
There are a variety of exercises you can do to help get rid of your belly fat. They have all been proven effective for different reasons, so it’s up to you which ones you prefer. Here are four that I find most helpful:
1. Burpees
Burpees are a great exercise for burning fat and working the muscles in your stomach, back, chest, arms, and legs. This exercise also helps strengthen your heart by increasing blood flow while improving lung capacity. Just ten minutes of burpees can burn over 100 calories! Jumping, squatting, planking, and push-ups are all combined in burpees.
How to perform:
- Start by jumping and landing in a squat position.
- With a flat back, place your hands in front of you and jump back into a plank position.
- Perform a pushup and jump back into a squat position, and jump up.
2. Russian Twists
A great way to get rid of belly fat is with a Russian Twist. This exercise will engage your core, and depending on the amount of weight you are using, it can also work your arms and legs.
How to perform:
Russian twists involve rotating your torso from side to side while holding a sit-up position with your feet off the ground.
3. Bicycle Crunches
These don’t require any equipment either but they do take some strength as well as balance since they work not only your abs but your hip flexors too.
How to perform:
- Lay on the floor with a flat back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and hands behind your back.
- Keep your core tight and lift your feet from the floor to a 90-degree angle.
- Then lift one leg and extend it straight out in front of you.
- Perform crunches while rotating from side to side while alternating each leg that leg outstretched.
- Do 10-20 reps for three sets.
4. HIIT or Interval Training
Here is one of my favorite at home HIIT and abs workouts that focuses on burpees, russian twists, bicycle crunches, plus more!
HIIT is a shorter, more intense workout. A study from the Sports Science & Medicine found that HIIT training burns more calories than steady state cardio (cycling, running) because it causes your muscles to do more work in less time.
With HIIT training you are constantly alternating between periods of intense activity and rest. This style of exercise is fantastic for losing belly fat because you will continue to burn fat well after you have completed your workout.
3. Avoid Sugar
Sugar, sugar, sugar! Sugar is all around us and it’s not doing your waistline any favors. The average American consumes 22 teaspoons of sugar a day. That’s three cans of soda worth of sugar every day! When you consume too much sugar, your body will store it as fat in the liver and other fat cells. You can thank this process for your spare tire or love handles.
Your best bet? Cut the refined sugars, and process foods out of your diet altogether.
Here are sugary foods you should avoid:
- Cut the refined grains. White bread, white rice, and white flour are just some of the foods that are high in refined grains which can increase insulin levels, cravings, and belly fat storage.
- If you’re going to eat grains make sure they’re whole grain; check the label for words like ‘whole’, ‘stone ground’, or ‘100% wheat’.
- Switch from cow’s milk (which contains lactose) to almond milk (which doesn’t).
- Avoid Processed Foods. These are often loaded with sugar which means that they’ll be wreaking havoc on your stomach area if eaten regularly.
4. Get at Least 8 Hours of Sleep Each Night
One of the best ways to lose belly fat is by sleeping well. One study has found that the average body mass index of individuals who sleep less than seven hours per night was higher than the average body mass index of individuals who sleep more. This can be because lack of sleep decreases your leptin levels, which can affect how much you eat and your metabolism.
So getting enough sleep every night will help you lose weight and keep it off!
By sticking to a routine sleep schedule, your cortisol levels will go down and regulate hormones such as ghrelin (the hunger hormone).
5. Try Intermittent Fasting
One of the easiest ways to lose belly fat is through intermittent fasting. This involves eating during a specific time window each day and then fasting for the rest of the day.
Start by picking a window that works for you, such as 8 am – 12 pm or 12 pm – 4 pm.
During this time window, eat anything you want! However, to get the best results, try following a clean diet that consists of protein, vegetables, and healthy carbs.
After your feeding window is over for the day, do not consume any food until your next feeding window starts again in 24 hours.
The most popular approach to intermittent fasting is called 16/8: 16 hours of fasting followed by 8 hours of eating. Some people choose 20/4 or 18/6 instead, which yields even better fat-burning results.
When it comes to intermitting fasting for weight loss, Dr. Berg has the best advice.
6. Drink Water and Green Tea
As mentioned previously, drinking water with green tea is one of the most effective ways to lose belly fat. Not only will you see a change in the mirror, but your skin will thank you as well.
The caffeine from green tea can boost metabolism, which means it can help you burn more calories throughout the day. Additionally, drinking plenty of water will help flush out toxins and prevent bloating, which can give the appearance of a larger stomach.
Related content: How to Get a Flatter Stomach By Drinking These Top 8 Healthy Detox Drinks
Bottom Line
The key to losing belly fat is consistency. Building a healthy lifestyle and keeping it is the best way to lose belly fat over time. Focus on eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, and staying active. Find what works for you by trying different activities.
The most important thing is to be consistent! Set realistic goals that are doable for you personally and work toward them one step at a time!
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