Easy Ways to Lose Belly Fat

by Shri
(India)

WHAT IS BELLY FAT?

Belly fat is excess abdominal fat surrounding the organs in your stomach. There are three types of fat: triglycerides (the fat that circulates in your blood), subcutaneous fat.
Belly fat is a very common problem which is faced by many people. Some of your fat is right under your skin. If you are an active person, belly fat, especially just under your skin, is not a reason for concern,

However, belly fat which is deeper inside, around your heart, lungs, liver, and other organs, which is also known as “visceral ”fat causes problems for your health, which may be a big problem even for thin people.

Here are some of the simple ways to reduce belly fat.

1. EXERCISE IS KEY
Exercise if imperative if you want to lose weight, especially the fat which accumulates in your belly.
Warm-up for 10 minutes before starting these exercises. After your muscles are warmed up, take a 10-second break, and start with the following exercises:

Morning exercise trims all your fat, including visceral fat. Get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least 5 days a week. Walking counts, as long as it's brisk enough that you work up a sweat and breathe harder, with your heart rate faster than usual.

To get the same results in half the time, step up your pace and get vigorous exercise like jogging cycling or walking. You'd need to do that for 30 minutes a day, 4 days a week.

A routine morning exercise like jogging or cycling up to 30min exercise is enough to lose fat, especially the build up around the stomach.
For more information go to
http://www.age-well.org/exercise-well.html


2. EAT WELL
Here are some foods that you should include in your diet if you wish to lose belly fat.

a) Oatmeal
Oats are among the healthiest grains on earth. They are a gluten-free whole grain and a great source of important vitamins, minerals, fibre, and antioxidants. They help with weight loss, lower blood sugar levels, and a reduced risk of heart disease. You can eat oats in porridge as a healthy satisfying breakfast, or baked in breads, cakes or biscuits.

b) Avocados
It’s often called "alligator pear," which is very descriptive, as it tends to be pear-shaped and has green, bumpy skin like an alligator. The yellow-green flesh inside the fruit is eaten, but the skin and seed are discarded.

An average avocado contains 160 calories, 2 grams of protein, and 15 grams of healthy fats. Although it contains 9 grams of carbs, 7 of those are fibre, so there are only 2 net carbs, making this a low-carb friendly plant food.

Are Avocados as Good for Us As We Think?
Avocados are very nutritious and contain a wide variety of nutrients, including 20 different vitamins and minerals. Avocados may reduce your risk of heart disease and fight off bacteria and fungi. Avocados do not contain any cholesterol or sodium and are low in saturated fat.

c) Bananas
Bananas are high in calories, but absorb carbohydrates from your body. Limit your consumption to one 5” piece a day. The perfect time to have a banana is pre or post-workout as a snack. This helps in boosting your stamina and aids recovery.

Though high in calories, bananas are a great flat belly fruit. Bananas are rich in healthy fibres that help curb appetite and make the body burn fat. The indigestible fibres that are present in bananas, or resistant starch, block the carbohydrates from being absorbed by the body. This makes the body burn fat as energy instead of carbohydrates. You can make a banana shake with milk, bananas, and some healthy nuts for added benefits.

d) Chocolate skim milk
Take three eight-ounce servings of chocolate milk consumed at key points throughout your day:
1.When you wake up
2.A second before you exercise
3.A third directly after your workout

Or, if it's your day off, just pattern them for morning, afternoon, and night. But this is not this a free ticket to eat as much fried chicken as you want throughout the rest of the day?

The chocolate in the milk boosts the carbohydrates and is taken to aid recovery 30 mins after morning exercise and/or other exercise sessions. Combined with a healthy diet, it can help you drop lots of belly fat fast.

e) Whole Grains
Switch refined grains for whole grains

Grains are divided into two subgroups: whole grains and refined grains. Whole grains contain the entire kernel — the bran, germ, and endosperm. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend making half of the grains you eat whole, so choose whole grains instead of refined-grain products whenever possible...

Whole grains are high in fibre, which makes you feel full longer. This will help you eat less, which will help you lose weight. Avoid white grains. For instance, eat brown wheat bread instead of over-processed white bread, and favour wild brown rice over white rice.

Adding more whole grains to your family's meals is a smart move. Not only do they provide vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients needed to keep your family healthy but whole grains also contain dietary fibre, which may help reduce your risk of heart disease, some cancers, diabetes, and other health problems, such as constipation.

f) Eggs
Eggs are a very rich source of protein and including egg in your diet in the right ways can help you lose weight incredibly.

Eggs are low in calories and keep the stomach fuller for longer. They also contain protein, iron, phosphorus, and vitamins which are essential for the body.

You should take your lunch after a 4hours gap between breakfast and lunch.

Eggs are rich in high-quality protein, healthy fats, and many essential vitamins and minerals. An egg meal commonly consists of about 2–4 eggs. Three large boiled eggs contain less than 240 calories.

Eating an egg on a weight loss diet means losing weight without making the body weak or depriving it of the required nutrition.

Scrambled eggs are the easiest to make and delicious to eat, and can be a great when targeting weight loss. The most famous recipe made with egg is the omelette. You can make it in your preferred way, with potatoes, tomatoes, onions, or even cheese or bacon (although the last two should be avoided if you are overweight). Adding vegetables would be the most healthy, especially if you are trying to lose weight.

g) Vegetables and green tea
By adding a generous serving of vegetables to any meal, you're able to have a complete meal for only about 300 calories. You can also add green tea to burn calories.

And here is one type of food you should cut down on/include less in your daily diet.

h) Sugar
Cut down on foods which contain processed sugar. While fruits contain sugar (fructose), it is a naturally occurring source of sugar, and not as harmful as processed sugar. You can introduce fruits back into your diet, once you have your weight under control.

For more information go to
http://www.age-well.org/healthy-meals.html


3. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER
Fat burning takes place when water molecules interact with the fats to make glycerol and fatty acids. Drinking water is necessary to burn off stored fat from your body

Know how to tell when you're sufficiently hydrated. You'll know you're drinking enough water when your urine runs light yellow or almost clear.

Carry a water bottle so that you can drink whenever you feel thirsty. Significantly reduce alcohol, sugary drinks, and carbonated beverages.

The more calories you burn, the easier it becomes to lose extra kilos. Drinking water temporarily increases your body’s resting energy expenditure, which is also known as the number of calories burned when you rest.

In fact, you need to drink cold water that may further enhance the calorie-burning benefits. The reason is your body expends calories by heating up the water for digesting. You accumulate a lot of calories when you drink soda, caffeine, tea, and juice, which is one of the main reasons for belly fat. Instead of depending on these high-calorie drinks, start drinking a lot of water to stay hydrated. Even herbal teas may not have long-term benefits of weight loss.

The only way to lose weight and maintain it is by drinking a lot of water.


3. GET MORE SLEEP
The importance of getting a full night' sleep can't be stressed enough. It may not sound obvious, but the more sleep you get, the more fat you burn. Practicing a fasting schedule at night allows your body to burn whatever is already stored from the day and you won’t even notice it is happening because you’re asleep.

According to the US National Sleep Foundation, your body repairs itself by releasing growth hormones while you sleep. Those hormones stimulate muscle and protein synthesis, as well as a fat breakdown process called lipolysis. You’ll practically burn fat in your sleep if you eat this one food at night, too.

Since growth hormones tend to peak at night, not getting a good night’s sleep cuts that essential process short. Research shows that only getting four or five hours of sleep a night can lead to obesity down the road. Here are even more of the worst habits for belly fat.

If you have trouble sleeping, read this article:
http://www.age-well.org/insomnia.html


DON’T FORGET
Here are some things to bear in mind if you sincerely want to lose bellyfat:
Don’t forget to exercise regularly, drink a lot of water, get enough sleep and watch what you eat. Keep all of your snacks healthy and your meal portions small. Avoid refined carbs — like sugar, candy, and white bread and keep your protein intake high. Eat superfoods - see http://www.age-well.org/superfood.html

Stress is also a common problem why people put on weight. Learn how to control stress here.
http://www.age-well.org/signs-of-stress.html

For further information learn how to develop the life styles that will help you age well and prevent you developing abdominal fat, especially visceral fat.
http://www.age-well.org/smart-habits.html

(Source: Shrimaran's blogspot)