How To Lose Belly Fat – 4 Tips for a Flatter Stomach – WebMD
Looking for ways to lose belly fat? Well, you’re not alone. Millions of people struggle to lose belly fat or abdominal fat. Even folks who have lost weight are far from achieving their health goal since they still find it difficult to get a flat tummy.
The main issue with belly fat is that it indicates the possibility of heart disease and other lifestyle-related ailments.
With the struggles you’ve put through, you might wonder, “Why is it so hard to lose belly fat?” It gets to a point where you question whether there’s something you’re doing wrong.
Don’t beat yourself up because this post will outline WebMD belly fat recommendations on how you can get a flat tummy.
Why You’re Not Losing Belly Fat
According to Mayo Clinic, belly fat is dangerous. It’s nothing to joke about. Belly fat goes beyond the visible subcutaneous fat. The invisible visceral fat surrounding your internal organs can cause harm to your body.
Too much visceral fat surrounding vital organs in your body could increase the risk of:
- Colorectal cancer
- Sleep apnea
- High blood pressure
- Type 2 diabetes
- Insulin resistance
- Cardiovascular disease.
So, despite your weight management efforts, why are you not losing weight, especially abdominal fat?
You’re Eating the Wrong Foods
You are what you eat. As a result, it’s not surprising that you might be struggling with weight gain because you eat the wrong foods. Bad fats and excess carb intake can potentially lead to weight gain.
It’s crucial to focus on weight loss by eating healthy, nutritious foods. Increase your protein and veggies intake, and cut down on carbs. Now that you’re trying to reduce belly fat, steer clear of bad fats and red meats. Opt for white meats, like fish.
You’re Into Food
Apart from eating the wrong foods that make it difficult to lose abdominal fat, it’s likely that you tend to overeat. Consuming more calories than you burn will eventually lead to weight gain. To maintain a healthy weight, you must cut your portions.
Age and Genetics
In some cases, you can’t blame yourself for the abdominal fat you’re finding it daunting to lose. Research shows that age and genetics can impact your ability to lose weight. The more you get older, the more you lose muscle mass.
Worse, consuming more calories than the body can burn makes it difficult to lose weight.
Information from Mayo Clinic also indicates that your genes will impact how your body stores fat. Some people will store fat in their thigh area, whereas others will store it around the waistline.
You Like Beer
If you’re a huge fan of beer and you struggle with weight, it’s part of the reason why weight loss is getting more difficult by the day.
According to the WebMD network, it’s not just beer and the carbs it has. All types of alcohol have carbs. So, your weight loss campaign won’t be easier if you can’t cut back on alcohol.
You’re Not Working Out
There’s no magic bullet to the so-called better health. You must work for it. WebMD does not provide you with the weight loss pill you’ve been looking for. Therefore, you must incorporate aerobic exercise into your daily routine.
Keep in mind that regular exercise shouldn’t be all about losing weight; think about how a healthy lifestyle will help you maintain good blood pressure. Focus on the bigger picture and source your motivation from within.
4 Tips to Get a Flat Stomach
Now that you have some info on belly fat and why you struggle to lose it, here are pointers to help you get a flat belly.
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Perform Intense Full-Body Workouts
It’s nearly impossible to get a flat belly with only diet weight management. While what you eat matters a lot, engaging in intense exercises will also get you the results you want. Not just any type of exercise will do. You must increase the intensity of your workouts. This means that walking every day won’t get you ripped in 30 days.
Besides the normal physical activity you usually engage in, ensure you find time to lift weights. Increasing your muscle mass will help the body to burn fat effectively.
Luckily, you don’t need to be an athlete to do intense exercises. The goal is to challenge your body. Another advantage of intense exercise is that you won’t have to work out for hours. 30-45 minutes will do.
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Strengthen Your Core
When was the last time you did a plank exercise? Planks are good for your core. This exercise will strengthen your core and improve your overall health. Of course, this doesn’t mean that planks alone will reduce belly fat. You need to incorporate aerobic exercises and strength training into your program. The more you’re strong, the better you will be when it comes to managing the fat around your waist.
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Stay Away from Alcohol
I understand that I may be harsh here, but the reality is that your health and well-being is very important. Sitting around and waiting for your waist to exceed 40 inches is a joke. Binging on your favorite drinks will only make you prone to diabetes and other related diseases.
It’s time to take charge of your health. Research shows that alcohol is nothing but empty calories. Besides contributing to excess belly fat, alcohol will affect your organs if not consumed moderately.
So, if you want to reduce your waist to below 35 inches, consider staying away from alcohol. You’ll thank yourself later for taking this bold step toward better health.
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Adopt Healthy Eating Habits
We’re creatures of habit. Our habits often determine how we live our lives. This applies to all facets of our lives. Your food fitness goal should be to eat right. Sure, there are days when you won’t be disciplined enough to stick to your routine, but your awareness will help to steer you in the right direction.
Before you put anything in your mouth, ask yourself whether you’re hungry or are eating because it’s time to eat.
The truth is that we’re not mindless eating machines. Belly fat is something we can manage. The only issue is that we’ve been lazy to adopt healthy eating habits. Decide to change and start munching on foods that give your body energy. To reduce your body fat, aim to increase your intake of protein and fats. Stick to good fats.
Bonus Tip: Eat More Proteins
We can’t stress enough the value of increasing your protein intake. Proteins will help you shed off the excess pounds around your belly. Why? Because they keep you satiated. It prevents you from consuming excess calories, a habit you are accustomed to.
Get doctor approved health tips by consulting your dietician on how much protein you should consume.
Signs You’re Burning Belly Fat
Contrary to what most folks believe, there are no sudden changes you should notice when your body burns fat. Losing weight sustainably is a gradual process, and you should expect physical changes to happen gradually.
For that reason, you should be patient with yourself. Listen to your body cues and focus on the overall goal of enhancing your overall health and well-being. Here are signs that you’re losing fat.
- You can exercise in a fasted state
- You’re losing weight
- Your sugar cravings have dropped
- Your clothes fit differently
- Your energy levels have stabilized
- You feel good about yourself
- You look leaner
Over to You
You now have all the info you need on how to lose belly fat. Evidently, there’s nothing strange about getting a flat stomach. It all comes down to your willingness to commit yourself to your health goal.
Stick to this health diet guide and embrace the pointers discussed herein. Information is power. You’re now equipped with handy information that will push you an inch closer to your goals.
Yes it’s not easy to burn belly fat, but it’s not impossible. Always motivate yourself to focus on your overall goal to improve your health.