Effective tips and techniques to lose belly fat.
Losing belly fat can be a very difficult task. But with the right approach and proper way, it becomes achievable. In this article we’ve noted some effective tips and techniques, to give you a complete guide about “how to lose belly fat”. So, you are requested to read this article completely.
This article will be very effective in shredding your belly fat and you can achieve a flatter abdomen and, a healthier stomach.
Understanding Fat Loss
Many people have questions, “What is Fat?”, “What is its role in our body”, and “How to lose belly fat?”.
Fats are also named ‘lipids’ or ‘fatty acids’, three molecules are joined together to make Fats. This three-molecule structure is called “triglyceride”. Human bodies produce some necessary fats naturally, but there are also some fats that our bodies can’t produce, these fats are also required.
We can obtain these fats from foods only. These fats are known as “essential” fats because it is essential for our brain function. These essential fats include Omega-3 fats (found in foods like eggs, fish, and flax seeds) and Omega-6 fats (found in foods like nuts, seeds, canola, and corn oil).
There are 2 main types of fat found in food
- saturated fats
- unsaturated fats
Why does the body need some fat?
Getting enough fat in your diet is important for a healthy life. Skipping fats in your meal is not recommended to lose belly fat. We need fats in body because:
- Fat helps your body to absorb vitamins, like vitamins A, D, E, and K
- Fat retains our skin healthy
- Omega-3 fat is important for heart health
- Unsaturated fats from plant oils can help to reduce levels of LDL cholesterol and keep blood pressure under control
- Fat adds flavor to food increase taste and helps us feel full.
Importance of Fats in body
A limited amount of fat is essential to a healthy and balanced diet. Fats from the diet are the only source of essential fatty acids that the body cannot make. Fat helps the body to absorb vital nutrients and fat-soluble vitamins.
Fats provide needed energy in the form of calories and reserve energy which helps the body maintain a constant temperature. Omega-3 fatty acids are the essential building blocks of our brain which plays an important role in learning and memory.
The Science of How to lose belly fat
Before starting to lose belly fat, you should know about the basics of energy balance CICO (calories in vs. calories out). CICO is an easy way to explain the Energy Balance Equation. Most people think it is very simple, when you consume more calories than you burn, you gain weight. And when you consume fewer calories than you burn, you lose weight.
But measuring energy intake and output is much more complex than that. The Energy Balance Equation includes all energy consumed by our bodies, including our organs and brains. Also, the impact of hormones, sleep quality, age, and psychological factors affect how much energy our bodies consume and use.
Role of Metabolism to Lose belly Fat
Metabolism is defined as the chemical reactions in the body of living organisms that convert food into energy, which is necessary for life. In simple words, it is the rate at which your body expends energy or burns calories. Metabolism is genetic and mostly out of our control.
If your metabolism is high, it means your calories will burn fast meanwhile in rest or during activity. That’s why some people can’t gain weight even if they eat more. And if your metabolism is low, you will burn fewer calories at rest and during activity and therefore have to eat enough to avoid becoming overweight.
You can increase your metabolism rate faster by following some guidelines:
- Increase the quantity of protein in your diet.
- Eat whole food instead of ultra-processed food.
- Nourish your gut microbiome.
- Limit your caffeine intake.
- Go to sleep earlier.
- Daily Exercise.
- Don’t lose weight too quickly.
Reasons for belly fat:
Some reasons cause gain in belly fat, include an unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, Depression, Genetics, and Hormonal changes. You can lose belly fat by improving the quality of your diet and using high-nutrition foods in your diet. And by increasing your physical activity, or by changing your behaviors and lifestyle.
Types of belly Fat:
Belly fat refers to fat around the abdomen and stomach. There are two major types of belly fat:
- Visceral Fat: Visceral fat is hidden fat that surrounds a person’s organs.
- Subcutaneous Fat: Subcutaneous fat is visible and stored under the skin of your body.
Health Risks with the excess of these fats
Subcutaneous is the layer of fat that is stored directly under the skin. This fat is less harmful than visceral fat and it also serves as a safeguard for your organs as well as control your body temperature. It is visible in your body and you can pinch it. Abdominal obesity is a bit unsightly.
Some subcutaneous fat is good for your body but too much body fat can lead to some serious health issues including Diabetes, Heart disease, and stroke. The limit of subcutaneous fat in women is around 20% to 35% and in men is around 8% to 25%.
On the other hand, visceral fat is more harmful to your health than having a subcutaneous fat. Visceral fat exists around the liver, stomach, and other abdominal organs. The range for visceral fat is around 10% of your total body fat is normal, but having high levels of visceral fat can cause some serious health issues with an increased risk for chronic diseases such as High cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, High blood pressure and certain types of cancer.
Some diseases with the excess of belly fat
Some diseases are caused by excess belly fat, to avoid these diseases first you need to lose belly fat.
- Diabetes
- Heart Disease
- High blood pressure
- Fatty liver
- Stroke
- Dementia
- Osteoarthritis
- Sleep apnea
- Kidney disease
- Insulin resistance
- Cancer
Nutrition to lose belly fat
Foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and certain antioxidants are highly recommended for those people who are trying to lose belly fat, it may help promote fat loss in your body. Certain beverages, including coffee, green tea, and protein shakes also have metabolism-boosting properties. A high metabolic rate can help you lose body fat faster.
1. Fatty fish
Trout, Salmon, herring, sardines, Tuna, and other fatty fish contain omega-3 fatty acids, which may help you lose some inches of belly fat and shed your body faster. Fish is also a good source of high-quality protein, which may lead to greater feelings of fullness and can help increase your metabolic rate.
2. Coffee
Coffee is the most popular beverage worldwide. It is a great source of caffeine; caffeine has increased your metabolic rate by 3% to 11% which may help you burn belly fat faster. Drinking black coffee as a pre-workout or post-workout can help to burn high calories.
3. Eggs
Eggs are relatively low in calories and are a good source of protein. Egg is considered the perfect healthy balanced diet for fat loss. Eating up to seven eggs every week can help you burn fat while keeping you full and satisfied.
4. Green tea
Green tea has a range of good health benefits also including fat loss because green tea is rich in nutrition and is a good antioxidant, which may boost your metabolism rate and reduce belly fat faster. Drinking around 3-4 cups per day increases your body energy expenditure, and decreases your body weight.
5. Whey protein
Whey protein is effective in fat loss, whey protein boosts fat fat-burning process and promotes weight loss. If you are in dieting for weight loss whey protein shake is a quick meal or snack option that promotes fat loss and may help improve your muscle mass.
6. Full-fat Greek yogurt
Full-fat Greek yogurt is a completely nutritious food. It’s an excellent source of calcium, protein, and potassium. According to Some research eating high-protein dairy products can boost weight and fat loss. Eating 2 servings of Greek yogurt daily may provide many health benefits. But make sure to eat plain, full-fat Greek yogurt.
7. Vegetables
All kinds of Vegetables can assist you with weight loss. For example, leafy green and brassica vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and cabbage are high in fiber and vitamins and help to improve digestive issues. These vegetables are very nutritious and great for burning belly fat.
8. Water
To lose belly fat water plays a significant role in our body. 60% of the human body is composed of water. According to some researcher’s brain and heart consist of 73% of water, the lungs have 83% of water and the bones have 31% of water. So Drinking water is a good habit in our daily routine, without drinking enough water our body can’t perform well any activity. Dehydration causes many problems in the body.
While water does play a vital role in fat loss. Water isn’t a food, but it’s an important part when it comes to healthy weight loss. It may reduce your appetite, boost your metabolism, and help your body to perform exercise well and more efficiently. 9 glasses of water for females and 13 glasses of water for males is most recommended, so be sure to stay well-hydrated.
Drinking warm water right early in the morning, squeezing lemon in water, and boiled or filtered water are the best ways to lose belly fat.
Why Do You Need a High Protein, High Fiber Diet during Fat Loss?
Both of these nutrients are essential for long-lasting healthy life. These two vital nutrients promote longevity, as protein helps to boost energy and metabolism. Fiber promotes gut health because the stomach cannot digest protein easily. A study showed that the people who eat more fiber and protein in their diet during fat loss lost more body fats than others.
Importance of Protein:
- Protein helps reduce appetite
- Beneficial in Fat loss
- Boost the metabolism.
- Build Muscles
- Maintain Blood Pressure
- Maintain body weight
- Reduces ages related muscle loss
Importance of Fiber:
- Reduces the risk of cancer
- Soluble fiber helps to reduce hunger
- Control blood sugar level
- Helps improve digestion
- It helps improve gut health
Timings of Meal to lose belly fat
The timing of your meals plays an important role in your healthy weight loss strategy. Eating frequent meals in small quantities is always a good option. Do not take too much time between your meals because it can cause you to overeat when you have your meal.
Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day. It is highly recommended to consume a high-protein breakfast between 6 AM to 10 AM when trying to lose belly fat.
Mid-morning snacks are not so necessary, it all depends on your hunger. If you cannot bear hunger for a long time, it is advised to have your mid-morning snacks 2 to 4 hours after your breakfast.
Lunch You must at all costs eat your lunch before three o’clock. Researchers agree that people who had their lunch earlier were able to lose their weight by several kilograms.
Evening snacks Just like your mid-morning snack, Evening snacks should be taken 2 to 4 hours after lunch. Both of these snacks keep you away from overeating. Try to Eat nuts, fruits, and smoothies in your snacks.
Dinner Doctors advise that dinner should be very light and should be eaten before seven o’clock so that dinner is properly digested before going to bed at night. It can help you lose your belly fat faster.
Effective Exercise to Lose belly fat
Exercise helps you lose body fat in many ways. It burns a lot of calories, which could cause obesity in your body and increase your belly fat, and helps to build muscle mass It’s strengthening your body. this Exercise is a great strategy to maintain body weight and to lose belly fat. You can do any kind of exercise but here are some exercises that are highly recommended during fat loss.
Cardiovascular exercise
You don’t need any machinery or a lot of equipment for cardiovascular exercise. There are many cardio exercises a person can do at home with no or few equipment. Cardio training improves your heart health, manages blood pressure, improves your mood, and burns your belly fat faster.
Here is a list of some cardiovascular exercise
- Swimming
- Cycling
- Running
- Dancing to music
- Arm circles
- Single leg stand
- Jogging
- Jumping rope
- Air squats
- Stair climb
- Squats
- Pushups
- Squat to front-kick
- Butt kick
- Screamer (lunges)
- Bear Crawl
Suggested routines and duration.
Early morning to mid-morning is a very suitable time for cardiovascular exercise. This is the best time to burn your belly fat, as your stomach is empty and your body is primed for hard work at that time. Daily 30 minutes, five days a week is recommended for this exercise
Strength Training
Strength training exercises make your muscles stronger and harder. It increases your muscle strength, muscle size, and power. As it requires more energy to maintain muscle, it burns more calories which helps you decrease your belly fat. Meanwhile, try to increase your protein intake, a minimum or more of 1 gram per KG of your body weight per day, suppose your body weight is 65 kg you need more than 65 grams of protein intake per day. A well-designed strength training exercise helps you burn more calories and belly fat faster.
A Simple 7-Day Workout Routine of Strength Training:
- Monday: Upper body (Chest, Arm, Back, Shoulders)
- Tuesday: Lower body (Squats, Deadlift, Glute muscles, Leg press)
- Wednesday: Core exercises
- Thursday: Cardio exercise
- Friday: Upper body + Lower body
- Saturday: Cardio + Core
- Sunday: Rest
Core exercises
This exercise trains your core muscles like the abdomen muscles, Lower back, Obliques, and Glutes in an organized way. Strong and stable core muscles prevent the body from injuries and allow us to perform at our best. There are two main functions of core muscles
- Help to protect your spine from excessive load
- Distribute weight evenly between your lower and upper body
Some important core exercises to lose belly fat:
- Plank
- Pilates
- Crunch
- Bird dog exercise
- Single leg bridge
- Bridge
- Dead bug
- Modified side plank
- Leg raises
- Hip Raise
Lifestyle and Behavioural Changes
However, lifestyle and Behaviour changes can often help people reduce levels of belly fat protect against diseases, and improve overall health.
Role of sleep to lose belly fat
Poor sleep cause lowers your metabolism, making it difficult to burn calories. Setting up healthy sleep habits can support your fat loss efforts. Along with a healthy diet and exercise, it is very important to get sufficient sleep during weight loss. A minimum of 7 hours or more of sleep are suggested.
Tips for improving sleep quality:
- Stick to a sleep schedule. Don’t sleep more than seven hours a night.
- Finish eating and drinking at least two hours before bedtime to allow for proper digestion and a restful night’s sleep.
- Set a restful and relaxed environment.
- Limit daytime naps.
- Add a gym workout to your daily routine.
- Stay away from tension and worries.
- Turn off electronic devices (mobiles, tabs, TV) 1 hour before bed.
- Keep your bedroom quiet and at a comfortable temperature to sleep better.
Impact of stress on fat storage and appetite:
Chronic stress can lead to either weight gain or weight loss, as it disrupts both physical and mental processes that deregulate appetite, metabolism, and overall well-being. Stress affects the production of stress hormones, which can lead to changes in appetite and metabolism rate.
That’s why stress may lead to weight loss or weight gain in many people. This is because, as stress affects many of the body’s functions, and can lead to changes in eating habits. A person experiencing stress may start overeating
8 Effective stress-reduction techniques
- Exercise. (Work out)
- Yoga. (Meditation)
- Relax Your Muscles. (Stretches)
- Deep Breathing. (Inhale, Exhale)
- Eat Well. (Balanced diet)
- Take a Break during work (Rest)
- Manage Time for Hobbies. (Entertainment)
- Talk About Your Problems. (With your lover once)
How does Yoga help to reduce stress?
Yoga combines physical movement, breathing, and mental focus, to reduce stress and promote relaxation. Yoga uses physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation to improve overall body health. Meditation focuses on ‘breath’ and ‘how your body moves with each inhalation and exhalation’. Yoga was developed as a spiritual practice thousands of years ago, but today it has become an exercise which led to reduced stress levels.
Consistency and Patience to lose belly fat
Importance of maintaining healthy habits over time; Adopting new, healthier habits may save you from serious health problems like obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. New habits, like a healthy diet, staying hydrated, and regular workout, may also help you manage your weight and keep you agile and energetic. If you follow these changes strictly, it can become part of your daily routine.
Healthy habits help us achieve long-term fitness goals. If we break down our goals into small steps and incorporate them with easy and manageable habits in our routine, they become more achievable and supportable with time. Healthy habits, such as regular workouts, a balanced diet, and enough sleep, improve your physical and mental well-being.
Workout plays a vital role in maintaining body weight and fat loss. Activity that burns 1,500 to 2,000 calories per week is recommended during fat loss, especially belly fat. But actually, it depends on your body weight and your diet.
Fat Loss vs Weight Loss
Weight loss and fat loss are related, but their concept is different from each other. Your body weight consists of all things. Like bones, mass, water, organs, healthy fat etcetera. Weight loss causes a decrease in overall body weight from stored carbs, protein, water, and fat.
The concept of fat loss is weight loss only from your body fat. Fat loss is also a subset of weight loss. Fat loss is a healthier way to maintain body weight than weight loss, since weight loss may include water and muscle loss, which cause weakness and fatigue. That’s why sometimes you may analyze if you build muscle but lose fat, your body weight may not decrease, remains the same. However, one of the advantages of building more muscle, that easier your body is to burn calories.
Common Mistakes Avoid to Lose Belly Fat
- Sleep (minimum of 7 to 8 hours)
- Skipping meals
- Setting unrealistic goals
- Calorie counting
- Dehydration
- Not eating enough protein
- Dietary fiber
- Alcohol addiction
- Excessive protein intake
- Sugary beverages
- Carbs creep
- Excessive exercising
- Avoid too many liquid calories
- Very low-calorie diet
- Skipping your snack meal
- Skipping Strength training
- Less intake of necessary fat