10 Tips to Lose Belly Fat

Belly fat is known as visceral fat and is much deeper than subcutaneous fat. Visceral fat surrounds the organs and can lead to conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. Belly fat may be caused by a variety of things including diet, stress and lack of exercise. There are some ways you can lose belly fat and lower your risk for associated diseases.

Avoid Stress

• Chronic stress can increase your levels of cortisol according to prevention.com. Excess cortisol not only contributes to appetite, but it also causes you to crave fatty and sugary foods. In addition, cortisol overproduction makes your body store fat in the abdominal area. Practice meditation, deep breathing techniques or yoga a few times a week to help control stress and eliminate belly fat.

Limit Alcohol

• Alcohol consumption can increase belly fat. According to the mayoclinic.com, you should drink less than two alcoholic beverages daily to decrease belly fat. A study performed by the Journal of Clinical Nutrition on eighty men showed that fat metabolism slowed by 73 percent after having two vodka drinks. Thefactsaboutfitness.com states that your body will convert alcohol to acetate after drinking, which will inhibit fat loss.

Exercise

• The factsaboutfitness.com cites a study performed by The Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism that found that study participants lost approximately 20 percent more body fat when they use both strength training with weights and aerobic exercise to lose weight. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends increasing activity levels to 60 to 90 minutes up to 5 days per week to encourage weight loss. To lose belly fat, combine physical activities such as weight training, kickboxing, biking, stepping, dancing, walking, jogging and running with a high protein, low carbohydrate diet.

Diet

• The study performed by The American College of Sports Medicine put participants on a high protein low carbohydrate diet and saw a 20 percent increase in belly fat loss when combined with exercise. Avoid foods such as potatoes, pasta and bread to eliminate carbohydrates. Eat lean meat, fish, eggs, cheese and vegetables to increase protein.

Avoid Trans Fat

• According to aolhealth.com and a study from Wake Forest University, trans fat increases belly fat. Trans fats are created when hydrogen is added to liquid vegetable oils to form a solid. They are also called partially hydrogenated oils and can be found in foods that are deep fried like french fries, as well as processed foods such as cookies, doughnuts, brownies, chips, biscuits and pastries. Trans fats are found in smaller amounts in fatty meats and dairy products. The American Heart Association recommends less than 1 percent of overall calories come from trans fat. Read nutrition labels and limit fats as recommended to lose belly fat.

Limit Calorie Consumption

• Recommended calorie intake for men and women who are sedentary to active are in the range of 3000 to 3500 and 2000 to 2500 respectively. After the age of 30, these ranges decrease by 100 for each decade. To lose one pound of body fat, decrease your calorie intake by 500 calories per day for 7 days (there are 3500 calories in a pound of body fat).

Increase Fiber

• Fiber will help to increase digestion and contribute to a clean colon and bowel. Bowel and colon problems often contribute to belly bloat. In addition, when the colon and bowel are full of toxins, they do not eliminate as efficiently as they should and may develop buildup that will lead to decreased fat metabolization. Increase foods such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains to increase fiber in your diet.

Drink Water

• Drinking water is an important part of losing belly fat. When you are dehydrated, your liver does not metabolize fat as efficiently. This may cause you to store excess fat. In addition, filling the stomach with water will help to decrease appetite. Drink at least 64 ounces of water daily to help eliminate belly fat.

Sleep

• Get enough sleep to lose weight. According to a study performed by the University of Wisconsin, the lack of the hormone leptin has been linked to obesity. If you do not get enough sleep, you do not accumulate enough leptin to regulate hunger. In addition, gherlin hormone levels rise when you lack sleep and contribute to increased appetite. Study participants who chronically slept less than 7.7 hours nightly had higher body mass index (BMI) and higher levels of obesity. Sleep at least 8 hours nightly to ensure you have adequate rest. In addition, fall asleep at the same time nightly to help your body become better adjusted to a regular sleep schedule.

Abdominal Exercises

• Performing abdominal exercises will develop musculature underneath existing belly fat. Although stomach exercises will not work on their own to burn belly fat, increasing muscle will increase your resting heart rate (RHR) which will help you to burn fat even at rest. Perform a set of 50 to 100 crunches at least 4 to 5 days weekly to firm muscle in the belly area. To do a crunch, lie on your back on a flat surface with feet flat on the floor. Put your hands behind your head with your elbows straight out in line with your head. Look up at the ceiling and lift your upper body off of the floor using your abdominals.