OVERVIEW:
Belly fat is more than just a nuisance that makes clothes feel tight. Fat inside the belly area is also termed as the visceral fat, and it is seriously very harmful. This type of fat is a major risk factor for type-2 diabetes and the heart disease, to name a few. Many health institutes and organizations use BMI (body mass index) to classify the weight and predict the risk of metabolic disease.
However, this is really misleading. People with excess belly fat are at an increased risk, even if they look thin on outside. Although losing fat from stomach area can be difficult, but there are several things, you can do to reduce the excess abdominal fat.
TOP 10 TIPS TO LOSE BELLY FAT:
Here are some effective tips to reduce belly fat, backed by scientific studies —
1. Avoid Foods That Contain Trans Fats:
Trans-fats are created by pumping the hydrogen into un-saturated fats, such as soybean oil. They are found in some margarines and spreads. They are also added to some packaged foods.
These fats have been linked to insulin resistance, inflammation, heart disease and abdominal fat gain in the observational and animal studies. A 6-year study found that the monkeys, who ate a high-trans-fat diet, gained 33% more abdominal fat than the monkeys that ate a diet high in the monounsaturated fat.
2. Reduce Your Stress Levels:
Stress can make you gain the belly fat by triggering adrenal glands to produce the cortisol, also known as the ‘stress hormone’. Research reveals that high cortisol levels increase the appetite and drive abdominal fat storage.
What’s more, women who already have a large waist tend to produce more cortisol in response to the stress. Increased cortisol further adds to the fat gain around the middle.
To help to reduce belly fat, engage in the pleasurable activities that relieve stress. Practicing yoga or meditation can be a effective method.
3. Don’t Eat a Lot of Sugary Food:
Sugar contains fructose, which has been linked to several chronic diseases, when consumed in the excess. These include type 2 diabetes, obesity, the heart disease and fatty liver disease.
Observational studies state a relationship between the high sugar intake and increased abdominal fat. It’s very important to realize that more than just refined sugar can lead to the belly fat gain.
Even ‘healthier’ sugars (such as the real honey) should be used sparingly.
4. Do Aerobic Exercise (Cardio):
Aerobic exercise or cardio is an effective way to improve the health and burn more calories. Studies also reveal that it is one of the most effective forms of exercise for reducing the belly fat or belly weight.
However, results are mixed regarding whether moderate-intensity or the high-intensity exercise is more beneficial. Regardless of the intensity, how often and how much you exercise is also an important factor.
One study found that the postmenopausal women lost more fat from all areas, when they did the aerobic exercises for 300 minutes per week versus 150 minutes/week.
5. Cut Back on Carbs, Especially the Refined Carbs:
Reducing carbs intake can be very beneficial for losing your fat, including the abdominal fat. Diets with under 50 gm of carbs per day cause belly fat loss in the overweight people, those at risk of type-2 diabetes and women with the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
You do not have to follow a strict low-carb diet chart. Some research suggests that simply replacing the refined carbs with the un-processed starchy carbs may improve the metabolic health and reduce your belly fat.
In famous Framingham Heart Study, people with highest consumption of the whole grains were 17% less likely to have excess the abdominal fat than those who consumed diets high in the refined grains.
6. Replace Some of Your Cooking Fats With the Coconut Oil:
Coconut oil is one of the healthiest fat you can eat. Studies show that medium-chain fats in the coconut oil may boost your metabolism and decrease the amount of fat, you store in response to the high calorie intake.
Controlled studies suggest and reveal that it may also lead to the abdominal fat loss.
In one study, obese men who took the coconut oil daily for 12 weeks lost an average of 1.1 inch from their waists without the intentionally changing their diets or the exercise routines.
To boost belly fat loss, it is best to take about 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the coconut oil per day, which is the amount used in most of studies reporting good results. However, keep in your mind that coconut oil is still high in the calories.
Instead of adding extra fat to your diet, replace some of fats you are already eating with the coconut oil.
7. Keep on Running:
There is nothing better than running to keep the body fit.
While running, the heart is able to function well, the extra calories are burnt and the fat also gradually reduces. Initially run only a few meters and run slowly instead of fast. When the body gets used to it, it can increase both its speed and time.
8. Dive Into the Water and Start Swimming:
Swimming is the best way to burn more calories. Now, you may ask that how many calories you can burn while swimming??
The answer varies!!
Your weight plays an important role in how much calories are burned. Generally, the more you weigh, the more you burn.
Depending on the stroke and intensity, swimming can burn equivalent or more noteworthy calories than that of running. For 10 minutes of swimming you burn 60 calories with the bosom stroke, 80 calories with the backstroke, 100 calories with free-form, and a noteworthy 150 with the butterfly stroke.
It reduces the excess fat stored in the body. Swimming is also good for the heart, it not only reduces weight, but your body get into better shape. You can do swimming once or twice a week. If you have never swam before, do this under the supervision of a trainer.
9. You Can Do Cycling:
Having too much weight around the waist will be highly detrimental to your health. Belly fat has been linked to many diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, etc.
Cycling may be a great choice, if you wanna lose weight. It helps to get your heart rate up and burn significant number of calories. Health experts believe that if you do cycling regularly, you will be able to burn more calories. When you burn more calories, you also burn fat that is stored in your body, including belly fat.
10. Go to the Gym and Start Doing Workout:
If you have time to go to the gym, you can do weight training exercises there. Doing weight lifting exercises will not only give your body an attractive shape, but will also strengthen it.
Keep in mind that weight training in the gym should be done only under the supervision of a professional trainer. Doing yoga or meditation is also one of the best option to reduce stomach weight.
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