The truth is that most of us have fat we want to lose. And belly fat is stubborn, not only is it “badly positioned and resistant” it always has a huge cosmetic effect. It looks bad. And the truth is, it IS bad for you.
Fat evolved as a storage for energy for those times we could not eat. The reality is, at least in the western world, humans eat more than they need to. No wonder about 4 in 10 adults are constantly looking at ways to lose belly fat quickly. In younger years of your life, this matters even more.
Visceral fat around the waste line is linked to many chronic diseases, most striking of these is metabolic syndrome with its unintended complications-diabetes, hyperlipidemia and high blood pressure, all of which can lead to cardiovascular disease.
Losing weight takes time and effort. In this review, we will outline some important measures on how to lose belly fat quickly.
One of the fundamental ways of losing belly fat is by increasing your exercise. Cardio exercise along with specific sets of sit ups for abdominal muscle toning is one of the best ways of losing belly fat quickly.
For these to work, start with a few sets of sit ups as routine in the morning. A good place to start is with 2-3 sets of 10 sit ups every day, and slowly working your way up by increasing 1 set every 3 to 5 days.
If you are able to do 50 sit ups daily for the next 4-6 weeks, you can see the results right away and start losing belly fat as early as 2-3 weeks.
30 minutes of cardio exercise—jogging, sprinting or high intensity workouts are also good ways of losing belly fat. Focused exercises of the abdomen with muscle toning as described above can lead to a loss of belly fat quicker than just cardio exercises.
Tip: if possible, hire a trainer. Having a dedicated program with sit ups, abdominal toning and generalized conditioning is best done under expert guidance.
One of the commonest mistakes people make is that they do not complement their heavy workouts with a proper diet.
Carbohydrates, particularly refined sugars once ingested are converted and stored by the body as fat. If the body is not utilizing these sugars for exercise, eventually these excess calories from carbs become your visceral fat.
Reducing carbohydrate intake is an easy way of losing belly fat with results evident in 8 weeks or more, much earlier if complemented with exercise training.
For you to effectively lose abdominal fat, no more than 30% of your calories should come from carbohydrates. The rest should be from protein and healthier fats.
Humans have a natural habit of ignoring their needs when it comes to eating. They eat because they like or want to, but not necessarily because they need to. And this is especially true for sugars/sweets. The result? Caloric excess that eventually turns into belly fat.
To effectively burn belly fat faster, your caloric expenditure needs to be higher than your average intake. The only way to increase your caloric spend is by exercising. Of course, being vigilant about your intake and reducing where possible helps burn the fat as well.
Recently, the role of fiber has been outlined in losing stubborn belly fat. The exact mechanism is unknown but soluble fiber particularly derived from natural sources may lead to better clearance of gut derived toxins reducing inflammation and fat deposition.
There are other theories that support this observation—possibly, better gastric emptying and reduction of constipation, etc. are likely responsible as well.
Foods that are rich in fiber such as berries, green vegetables such as broccoli, berries, flax seeds and nuts are good choices to include in the diet.
Protein intake accompanied by a reduction in total carbohydrate (or a modified keto diet) leads the body into ketosis. This is a process by which your body uses fat as energy when sugars are depleted.
When supplemented with regular cardio exercise, this is one of the most effective ways of burning belly fat faster.
Protein intake allows satiety and has shown to reduce carving. The net result? Reduction in total calories ingested on a daily basis. Moreover, proteins break down into amino acids which are used to build muscle rather than being converted into fat for storage.
Tip: If you are overweight, try lean protein shakes as a meal replacement while reducing your carbohydrate intake. Amongst protein, choose white meat such as chicken and fish over red meat. Fish has omega fatty acids that can help reduce belly fat.
Fried foods, particularly chips and fries are rich in saturated fat which is dangerous for your health. Saturated fat intake has been linked to cardiovascular disease, weight gain, inflammation and can worsen your cardiovascular profile.
Probably the biggest impact that saturated fats can have on the human body is by their way of accelerating cardiovascular disease increasing your risk for a heart attack or stroke. Conversely, reducing these in your diet can help reduce the belly fat if this is supplemented with a regular exercise regimen.
Most individuals wake up dehydrated in the morning. This is not favorable if you want to burn your belly fat quickly. Dehydration can surprisingly lead to weight gain if it is present constantly.
Certain packaged sports drinks and fruit juices are rich in processed sugar and high fructose corn syrup.
Studies have indicated that this can lead to a significant amount of caloric intake and lead to weight gain.
Consumption of excessive amounts of sugary beverages in the form of sodas have experts around the world warn about obesity linked with these drinks. Clearly, one of the easier ways to lose belly fat quickly is to eliminate these excessively sweet beverages and supplementing with healthier options.
A few of these include fresh green tea, fermented kombucha (in small amounts), lemon water or an electrolyte drink made at home.
Some ancient practices have utilized antioxidant drinks routinely in the morning that combine lemon, ginger, honey and turmeric mixed in hot water. Each of these antioxidants can help augment some metabolic switches, improve immune function and reduce inflammation eventually leading to a loss of belly fat over a period of months.
One of the few interventions that can easily achieve your caloric goals and help burn that stubborn belly fat, is by reducing your frequency of snacking.
Choosing healthier snacks is the next best thing after you have reduced the frequency (and amount per serving) of snacks.
Typically, fruit, healthy cheeses and crackers, carrots or baked items are better alternatives to snacks. Protein bars/shakes can be a good snack that can reduce your carbohydrate craving and help you burn fat much faster.
Generally speaking, if you count your calories on a regular basis, snacking can eventually be reduced.
There is some data on prebiotic use and weight loss. How prebiotics can be used to burn belly fat is not entirely studied but some claims exist in how certain prebiotics, particularly those found in human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) can help reduce obesity by augmenting fat burning.
Natural prebiotics can be found in greens and fibrous vegetables and these feed the good bacteria in the colon. Eventually, the byproducts of metabolism in the gut can dictate the fat metabolism in your body.
Prebiotics also regulate bowel movements, reduce constipation and help in toxin clearance from the GI tract, probably having a direct effect on fat storage and weight management. More research is currently underway in evaluating the exact mechanisms by which prebiotics can help with weight loss but initial data appears promising.
One HMO, 2’-Fucosyllactose, is available commercially for management of irritable bowel syndrome. Some scientists believe this may have a role in reducing obesity but definitive data is still not out yet.
As mentioned above, chronic dehydration can lead to deficiencies of electrolytes such as potassium and magnesium. These can lead to high blood pressure, obesity, immune dysfunction and poor muscle function.
If you exercise like you should and make all the dietary modifications as discussed above, you will need to supplement your hydration with a drink such as MAGNAK® to avoid long term depletion of these vital minerals that are responsible for numerous cellular reactions in the body.
Losing belly fat is not easy—it takes time and work. But with a proper exercise regimen, dietary modifications and hydration practices, this can be done, so not only do you look better shedding that excess fat, but you also feel better doing so.
