Excess weight in your midsection can be annoying—not only because it’s so darn tough to ditch, but because it also has an impact on your overall health.
Extra belly fat ups your risk of issues such as heart disease and diabetes, and, is filled with sneaky little saboteurs that make putting on the pounds in this area way too easy.
Due to changes in hormones, daily stresses, lack of sleep, coupled with possibly pregnancies, the fat women gain is often stored increasingly in the belly area.
And while you can’t exactly spot reduce, you can make lifestyle changes that can help you lose belly fat.
Here are 5 best science-backed strategies for reducing abdominal fat.
1. Clean up your diet
If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a million times: Abs are made in the kitchen.
Unfortunately, if you regularly eat ultra-processed foods (think chips, store-bought baked goods, and candy), you won’t be able to see yours.
These foods are produced using sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup, which in high amounts has been shown to promote visceral fat accumulation in the liver, leading to weight gain, inflammation, and related diseases.
Instead, opt for eats that have healthy amounts of soluble fiber such as oatmeal, sweet potatoes, avocado, and citrus fruits. Research reveals that an increase in these foods is linked to a decrease in visceral—aka belly—fat.
2. Cut down alcohol consumption
Reducing alcohol intake can also help, says Fine. Alcohol contains about seven calories per gram—just a lesser amount than actual fat, which equates to nine calories per gram.
And because alcohol is absorbed quickly, when over-consumed, alcohol metabolism impairs metabolism of other macronutrients, such as carbs and fat. In turn, it promotes fat storage rather than fat breakdown.
While you’re rethinking your drinks, limit your consumption of carbonated beverages as well. Fizzy drinks, though yummy, can cause belly bloat.
Instead, stick to water, which can act as an appetite suppressant, as well as help flush out your body to decrease the feeling of being bloated.
3. Start exercising
Working out is good for more than just adding years to your life, boosting your brain health, and reducing stress levels—it can also help you rein in your gut. In fact, research in the journal Cell Metabolism reveals that exercise specifically helps reduce visceral fat.
The key to losing belly fat with exercise, though, is making sure your sweat session is intense. You’ll want to be working at 85% of your max heart rate at least.
The higher your heart rate, the higher the release of epinephrine into the bloodstream and cells.
A positive side effect of epinephrine is that it also activates greater release of abdominal fat into the bloodstream to be used for energy.
So what type of exercise is best when it comes to burning belly fat? Intense weight training, Tabata interval training, sprint-style cardio, and kettlebell exercises.
4. Get enough sleep
Falling short on zzz’s is also a surefire way to put your waistline in jeopardy. That’s because sleep deprivation knocks your hunger hormones out of whack, leading to an increase in ghrelin, which stimulates appetite, and a decrease in leptin, which signals when you are satiated.
What’s more, research has shown that when you aren’t well-rested, you’re also more likely to reach for junk food (hello Ben & Jerry’s!)—and it may even become harder for you to build muscle mass.
To help keep belly fat in check, aim to cuddle with your pillow for at least seven to eight hours each night. And if possible, hit the hay at the same time each night—one study found that women who did so and clocked around eight hours of sleep per night had lower body fat.
5. Control your stress
Stress, which can come in many forms, can wreak havoc on your health. Whether it’s something you consider to be a “big” deal, like working on a project to meet a crucial work deadline, or something smaller, like someone cutting you off on your morning commute. Your body treats it all the same way—by enacting your fight or flight response.
As your body’s perception of stress increases, cortisol, often called the stress hormone, is released from the adrenal glands. Normal levels are released when you wake up in the morning or during exercise. Chronic stress can lead to increased cortisol and other stress hormones, leading to increases in sugar in the bloodstream, weight gain, digestive issues, depression, and a host of other health effects.
A study in Psychosomatic Medicine confirms the link between stress and weight gain, revealing that women who are most vulnerable to the effects of stress are more likely to have excess abdominal fat and higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
One reason could be that women tend to eat more, especially sweets, on days they are stressed.
Which is why it pays to keep your cool.
One way to do so: practicing mindfulness. According to a 2011 Journal of Obesity study, women who experienced the greatest reduction in stress by effectively mastering stress-reduction techniques tended to lose the most deep belly fat.
So go ahead and take some deep breaths, hit the mat for some anxiety-relieving yoga, or open up one of those guided-meditation apps. Your belly will thank you in the long run.
One last thing… you should try this 2-minute “after-dinner ritual” that
burns up to 2 pounds of belly fat per day…
“All
this by a 2-minute “after-dinner ritual?” I asked.
I
met an old friend for lunch last month and I was super impressed with how good
she looked.
She
said, “It’s not so much about the “after-dinner ritual”, but more about how it
gives you a regenerative form of deep sleep that is responsible for everything
we need to dramatically increase our fat burning metabolism and improve our
health and appearance.”
Even
though I was skeptical, I’ve been struggling with my weight over the last few
years, so I gave it a shot and watched the same video she did.
Well,
it’s only a couple weeks later and you know what they say about how “you can’t
transform your body overnight”…
They’re
right – it actually took me 16 days to lose 22 pounds.
Now
it’s my girlfriends asking ME what I’M doing differently 💅
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