As the veteran of any activity will say to the beginner: “So you want to know how to get rid of belly fat?” If you get the feeling that everyone else knows how to get rid of stomach fat, but you just don’t seem to get it, relax.
You can flatten your stomach, reduce the amount of fat in your body, and be much healthier in the bargain. But, you need to know how to go about it. You have to use the right steps, from beginning to end.
Stomach fat can be difficult to lose, for one simple reason: You probably won’t be successful if you focus only on the immediate area of the stomach itself. The best way to lose belly fat is to work on saying goodbye fat over your entire body.
You should start by cutting down the number of calories you take in each day. Focus on reducing just a few hundred calories at first, eating more fruit, vegetables and protein. You should also start drinking more water.
How to Get Rid Of Belly Fat With Exercise
Yes, you will have to start exercising. But this doesn’t mean you have to lift weights, do 1,000 sit-ups and run five miles. Just plan to include some low-level exercises at the start. (More details on that later.)
It’s also going to be important to make some changes in the way you live. Again, this doesn’t mean you have to move to another climate and change your profession! What you should do, however, is reduce stress and get plenty of sleep.
In addition to these minor changes and modifications, you should do all you can to stay focused on your goal. Some people find it helpful to keep a journal of how the diet and exercise plans are progressing.
You should also take measurements so you can see some physical proof of the changes in your body. Ask a friend to join you during your exercise time. This is the short version of how to burn belly fat.
Reduce Your Calories
Reducing calorie intake has many benefits and is at the top of the list of instructions for the way to get rid of belly fat. This is the best method and the one that will be most successful in the long run.
Start by concentrating on dropping 500 calories from the meals you have each day. This can lead to weight loss of a pound, once each week. Losing weight the correct way will take patience, but it can be done.
Keep this in mind as you seek the fastest way to lose belly fat: You don’t want to get caught up in crash diets and being in a hurry to get thin. It’s better for your health if you lose weight gradually.
Keep track of your progress with a written journal or with a convenient tracking program online. Start by figuring how many calories you take in each day, on average, and find 500 or a bit more to subtract from that total.
As you go through this process, make sure you don’t cut out all your foods and try a crash diet.
Tips: Don’t stop eating. Just eat more of the right kinds of foods, such as fruit, vegetables, proteins. Here are some great ideas for changes to your fat losing diet:
- Lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, cauliflower and other non-starchy vegetables
- Fruit – which gives you natural sugars. But don’t overdo it with fruits
- Along with salads, you should try grilled chicken (not fried) or salmon
- Limit the amount of bread, pasta, crackers
- Don’t add sugar, which you get too much of in cookies, ice cream
How To Burn Belly Fat With Water
If you are serious about learning how to lose stomach fat and take just this one essential step, you’ll be ahead of many people who think they know how to lose stomach fat fast.
From this point, you need to take an important second step – drink more water. Not only is it important to stay hydrated on a regular basis, but you should also drink extra water during your fat-burning exercises.
There’s another factor or two in increasing the amount of water you’ll drink. You’ll eat less because of the extra water, also your body will process food more efficiently, meaning it won’t contribute to fat as it would have in the past.
In fact, you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel and how much less you’ll eat (especially junk food) when you increase the amount of water your drink each day.
Use Plank, Sit-Up and Crunch Exercises
The idea of including some exercise in your daily schedule has been mentioned. But it would be wise to look at this concept a bit closer.
Studies conducted on those trying to lose overall body fat show that it’s best to do your exercise in the morning because the calories you burn are more likely to come from fat.
Just get up about 30 minutes earlier than usual and start with something basic, aerobic activity such as walking briskly, cycling, swimming or hiking.
You should also include some strength training and exercises that focus on your stomach and the core of your body.
This will work your whole body and most major muscle groups. Follow the advice on plank, sit-ups with knees bent, even crunches. You may also want to look into programs that feature short bursts of intense exercise alternating with moderate activity.
As you add more exercise and water, while reducing calories, you should also pay some attention to your overall lifestyle. Studies show stress can increase the hormone that causes your body to store fat.
You may also have developed the habit of eating more because you’re stressed or depressed. This can become what used to be called a “nervous” habit.
Two More Pieces to the Puzzle
As you go through these necessary changes and learn how to get rid of belly fat, you should also take steps to get more sleep and better sleep. Keep track of what you’re doing and any physical changes in your body. Keep a journal. That can definitely help.
If this seems like it’s going to be “too much” you should understand that even thin people can develop stomach fat. This may mean the presence of belly fat is inherited from parents and grandparents.
The cause may also be your lifestyle. In any case, you should know that this type of fat will develop more quickly when you’re inactive. So, be more active.
While it’s true that even thin people have some fat, usually just under the skin, there is another type of fat you should be aware of.
Having excess fat deep in the body, around the major organs, can lead to serious health issues, including high blood pressure, one type of diabetes, some cancers and heart disease.
The more weight you gain as fat, the more the body will store it in places that are beyond unsightly. This fat can lead to those serious health problems.
Medical Opinion
There is one more step you can take when you need to know how to get rid of belly fat. You can consult with your family doctor.
If you’ve been working with the same physician for years and he or she tells you you’re generally healthy, there probably isn’t a reason to worry. But chances are, this professional will encourage you to take action on your own to get closer to a healthy body weight.
If you insist on going to the next level, you might have an MRI or CT scan to determine how much body fat you have. It would be less expensive, however, to check yourself, with a measuring tape around the waist.
If you’re a man and the measurement is 40 inches or more, it’s time to take action. If you’re a woman and the measurement is 35 inches or above, it’s time to start the program described here.
In Summary
Start exercising right away, even if the first thing you do is start walking each day. Remember, fat seems to love inactivity. Don’t worry about doing hard work for your exercise, at least not right away.
If you haven’t been especially active, it’s probably not a good idea to start running and lifting tomorrow. Get 30 minutes of vigorous exercise five days a week.
Work up to jogging or another form of activity. Rake leaves or use a push mower to cut at least part of your lawn if you’re using a riding mower now.
As you make this change, you will also need to make changes to your diet. As with exercise, start with the basics. Figure out how many calories you take in each day and start by reducing this number by 500. You can do more later if you need to.
Gather as much information as you can about sleep, getting to sleep and getting plenty of rest. Then follow that advice.
Finally, begin eliminating sources of stress in your life. Remember, stress can increase the presence of a hormone in the body that thrives on the production of fat. You’ll be glad you did.
Now, equipped with the information on how to get rid of belly fat you just need to start acting upon it. Remember, you will burn that fat only if you actually do what you have learned.