Losing belly fat is no easy task. It will demand hard work from you along with close monitoring of your everyday habits. You might have a mindset that working out for hours and hours will help you get rid of belly fat easily, but that is not entirely true. In fact, you can lose belly fat with minimal to zero exercise, as long as you make the correct lifestyle choices and develop the right habits. If you are in search for how to lose belly fat naturally or the best diet to lose belly then this is where your search should stop. This article will has all the necessary habits you need to build up to lose fat fast.
Without further delay, let us jump into the 20 effective tips to help you get rid of your belly fat (with scientific reasons!).
Table of Contents
1. Add more soluble fiber to your diet
Soluble fiber is a component that absorbs water and transforms into a substance gel-like consistency. This helps to slow down the digestion of the food you eat, as it travels through your digestive system.
Studies suggest that this fiber helps to burn fat by making you feel full. It also decreases your calorie intake and helps you to lose stomach fat. Try to consume more high fiber foods. Your belly fat diet should consist of some such sources of soluble fibers:
- Flax seeds
- Shirataki Noodles
- Brussels sprouts
- Avocados
- Legumes
- Blackberries
2. Avoid trans fat
Your belly fat diet should consist of a lot of things but not trans-fat. Trans-fats are developed when hydrogen is pumped into unsaturated fats, for example, soyabean oil.
They are also found in certain kinds of margarine and spreads. They are often added to packaged foods, but lately, many food companies have stopped this practice.
Trans-fats can be linked to heart diseases, insulin resistance, inflammation, and of course, abdominal fat gain in studies.
A 6-year study found out that monkeys who consumed a diet rich in trans-fat gained 33% more abdominal fat than those who consumed a monosaturated fat-rich diet.
While eating anything out of a packet, make sure to read the ingredient labels properly and stay away from food that has trans-fats. Introduce this into your diet to lose belly fat. This is one of the best ways to reduce belly fat:
3. Cut down your alcohol intake
Alcohol can be beneficial when consumed in small amounts, but it is extremely harmful to your health if you drink too much.
Studies show that too much alcohol consumption can also make you gain stomach fat.
Observational studies link heavy alcohol intake to a high risk of developing central obesity (excess storage of fat around the waist). If you cut back your alcohol consumption, then that might help you lose stomach fat. So, if you looking for an answer to how to reduce your waistline, drink in moderation or abstain completely.
4. Eat a diet high in protein
When it comes to weight management, protein plays a pretty important role. If you increase your protein intake, then that would increase the secretion of the ‘fullness hormone’ PYY. Now, this hormone decreases appetite and promotes the feeling of fullness.
Protein also increases your body’s metabolic rate and assists you in retaining muscle mass during the entire weight loss procedure. Many studies suggest that people who consume more protein tend to gain less fat in the waist area.
Hence, consuming protein is an easy diet plan to lose weight. Some important protein sources include the following:
- Eggs
- Fish
- Meat
- Dairy
- Whey protein
- Beans
5. Don’t take stress
Research has shown that stress will make you gain belly fat as it triggers the adrenal glands to secrete cortisol, also known as the “stress hormone”. High cortisol levels increase appetite and enforce stomach fat storage.
Women who already have a broad waist, tend to secret more cortisol in response to stress. This further leads to fat gain around the waist.
Try indulging in activities that relieve stress, for example, yoga, meditation, exercise, etc.
6. Cut down your sugar intake
Sugar contains fructose and that is linked to numerous chronic diseases when its intake is high. These diseases include heart disease, diabetes, mellitus, obesity, and fatty liver disease. Studies indicate a relationship between elevated sugar consumption and increased stomach fat. It is even necessary to realize that while refined sugar can lead to belly fat at a greater extent, the intake of healthier sugars, like real honey, should also be reduced.
7. Avoid Processed Food
Stop eating fried food, sugary treats, packaged food or other processed food. Snack on whole foods and consume a healthy balanced meal of protein, carbs, and healthy fats. If you are serious about getting rid of that fat belly, then cut back on processed food. The more veggies you include in your diet, the better because vegetables work as a great stomach fat burner.
8. Lower your carbohydrate intake
Reducing carbohydrate consumption can prove to be very helpful for belly fat loss. Diets that have at most 50 grams of carbs can help obese people lose belly fat. It can also help people with type 2 diabetes and women suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Research suggests that simply replacing refined carbs with unprocessed starchy carbohydrates will improve your metabolic rate and reduce belly fat.
9. Replace your cooking oil with coconut oil
Coconut oil falls in the list of some of the healthiest fats you could have. It can help in boosting metabolism, decreasing fat storage and leads to belly fat loss. It is high in calories nevertheless, so instead of adding it to your diet, consider replacing other fats you consume with coconut oil.
10. Avoid beverages sweetened with sugar
Sugar-sweetened beverages have an elevated level of liquid fructose, and that can make you gain abdominal fat. These can also lead to fatty liver disease and are worse than the sugary solid foods. Your brain won’t process liquid calories as it does with solid calories. So, these liquid calories will be stored as fat, or even worse, specifically as stomach fat. Make a rule to avoid sugar-sweetened beverages like soda, cold drinks, etc. if you are serious about getting rid of belly fat.
11. Get proper sleep
Going to bed a little earlier doesn’t only help you stop snacking late at night. Missing out on a good night’s sleep slows down the metabolism of your body, so if you want to restart your body’s calorie burning mechanism, plan on sleeping at least seven hours daily. Becoming a night owl won’t help in burning belly fat, so complete your work fast and get to bed quickly!
12. Drink more water
Keep consuming fluids! Being dehydrated allows the body to store water, which gives you 4 extra pounds of fat around your waist. Target at least eight glasses of water or other fluids per day. This is a great way to shed your fat.
13. Don’t skip meals
This is a very important tip that you must follow: Make sure to eat every 3 or 4 hours and that would include breakfast as well. Research suggests that people who don’t have breakfast, experience a spike in the hunger-related hormone later in the day. Daily snacks like fiber-filled carbs and protein will keep you feeling full and burn fat and your calories at a steady pace. Many people have the wrong notion that if you skip meals and starve yourself then that would help them to melt belly fat.
14. Include nuts as snacks
Research says that eating nuts can reward you with a lower circumference in the waist. Nuts are high in monounsaturated fats, making them healthier than potato chips. Make sure you snack on the unsalted ones to stay clear off the sodium-induced puff. So, cut off the intake of salted snacks like biscuits, chips, and sweet ones too like candy, cakes or cookies. This would help you develop healthy food habits and would help you lose belly fat fast.
15. Eat Slowly
Instead of gulping down meals, make sure you chew each bite at least 10 times before swallowing. Plus, you’re more likely to swallow air when you eat quickly, which can increase the risk of feeling a little puffy. Doctors say that in such cases, the body will have to work more to break down food in the stomach and intestines and this could lead to major gas problems and indigestion.
16. Quit Chewing Gum
You swallow extra air when you chew the gum which contributes to bloating. However, it tricks the body into believing it’s about to be fed and it starts preparing itself for food–there’s an abundance of stomach acid that induces bloating once again because there’s no food for it to handle. So maybe it’s time to suppress the seemingly harmless, minty habit.
17. Try Intermittent Fasting
Nutritionists suggest that if you fast for 16 hours, then your blood sugar and insulin levels will go down and the HGH (human growth hormone) will increase. This is turn will increase your metabolic rate by up to 14% in some. Then your body will have no choice other than burning your body’s stored fat. This way you will get rid of your belly fat fast.
One way you could practice intermittent fasting is by eating all your meals within 8 hours and fast for the remaining 16 hours of the day.
18. Cut back on salt
To help you beat bloating tummies, cut back on your salt consumption. Experts say reducing salt to just 3 grams a day, by eliminating all refined foods, would help your body release the water it has accumulated to help dilute high levels of salt in your body.
Replace table salt with natural sea salt as it has lower sodium levels. Also, stay away from soy sauce that has high levels of sodium and can induce bloating instantaneously.
19. Walk
If you can’t hit the gym, try getting a 30-minute walk per day. This is a simple yet effective way to lose body fat. The easy metabolism boost will allow you to more efficiently burn the waistline fat. So, if you want to work out, ignore those tools that promise remarkable abs in minutes. A Kansas State University study found that most machines designed to improve abs (think infomercials) don’t live up to their claims.
20. Yoga
Yoga might not be a hardcore aerobic workout but it has plenty of stomach-flattening effects. Never underestimate the power of yoga. Yoga has several benefits and is one of the best ways to lose belly fat. A simple yoga routine will relax your tummy and tone it without the need for crunches. Power yoga works great as a belly fat burner. It is healthy for both your body and mind.