Does your stubborn belly fat make you uncomfortable? Do you want to effortlessly restore your waistline? If you have ever tried losing potbelly and never got impressive results, I got you covered.
People with belly fat are vulnerable to diseases like diabetes and blood pressure. Losing belly fat is not only beneficial to your health but also prolongs your life.
How does having a flat belly affect your daily life?
Oh, that’s a nice question!
By the way, having an hourglass shape boosts your confidence and makes you feel beautiful. Plus, a juicy figure lure men, drawing their attention (Just kidding). The secret is, if you have determination and discipline, getting a flat stomach is achievable.
Some people argue that you can’t specifically target the waistline. That’s true. However, there are proven ways of getting rid of excess belly fat. Well, in this article, I will give you five sure hacks that will help you achieve a flat stomach.
The ideal waist for a man is 40 inches while in women its 35 inches. Anything above that is abdominal obesity.
Below are some natural ways of cutting belly fat;
1. Avoid Sugar and Sweetened Soft Drinks
Some people find it hard to avoid sugar for a long time. To some, a day can’t pass without eating sugary foods. But remember, consuming excess sugar means excess waistline. Consuming high levels of sugar badly overloads your liver forcing it to turn sugar into fats.
Furthermore, studies reveal that sugar has a high content of fructose; this leads to the accumulation of fats in the belly and liver. Consumption of sugar sweetened beverages is highly destructive to your health. The truth is, soft drinks have vast liquid calories that the brain can’t ‘register’ as compared to solid calories.
As that’s not enough, further research reveals that sugar-sweetened drinks contribute to 60% of the obese children cases. It is, therefore, strongly recommendable to do away with sugary food and adopt a habit of eating whole fruits. Whole fruits are more effective since they have fibre which negates the effects of fructose.
2. Perform Aerobic Exercises
Workouts are super vital if you want to live long, avoid diseases, and live a healthy life. Aerobic exercises keep you fit, energized, and in good shape. However, understand that spot reduction (losing body fat in one spot) like belly fat is impossible. There are no exercises that specifically target your belly fat.
Unfortunately, even after six weeks of abdominal muscles training, there can be no difference in the belly fat. Meaning, doing ab exercises alone does not reduce your waistline.
The good news is, doing some general exercises like walking, swimming, jogging, and running are effective in losing belly fat. Supplement these with yoga, crunches, plank exercise, biking, and any other stretch exercise.
Likewise, doing some aerobics is equally essential if you don’t want to gain weight. Working out prevents you from regaining abdominal fat after Above all, exercises lower blood sugar, reduce inflammation, and mitigate other metabolic abnormalities associated with abdominal fat.
3. Consume Foods Rich in Viscous Fiber
Eating foods rich in fibre is helpful, especially if you want to lose weight. Although that’s true; not all fibres are created equally. Note that dietary fibre is highly discouraged because it is an entirely indigestible plant matter.
On the other hand, viscous fibres have a significant effect on your weight due to their high solubility. This type of fibre binds water to form a thick gel that ‘sits’ in the gut. What’s the importance of this gel? The gel lowers food movement through the digestive system. As a result, there will be slow digestion and nutrients absorption.
Therefore, you will feel full, and your appetite recedes. Daily consumption of 10 grams of fruits with soluble fiber lowers your abdominal cavity fat by 3.7%. Thus, soluble fiber is essential in losing harmful abdominal obesity. Although there are many other sources of fiber, fruits and vegetables are also rich in soluble fiber. Legumes are equally recommendable. Add on some oats and cereals.
4. Take Lots of Water
Water naturally suppresses your appetite, cleanses your body, and increases your metabolic rate. Failure to take adequate water means that there will be no channel for food nutrients to other parts of the body. Also, water is helpful in food digestion; thus, it prevents bloating.
If you drink enough water, there will be no water retention in your body; meaning you will have no water weight. That’s not all, water is critical in calorie burning, reduces overall liquid calories, and is essential in body waste removal.
If possible, replace that glass of soda, alcoholic beverage, or fruit juice with a glass of water. You will see and feel the difference. According to the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, a study conducted in 2008 revealed that people who take two glasses of water before breakfast consume 13% fewer calories in a meal.
If you drink water before taking meals, you will feel fuller, and thus you consume fewer calories. Besides, water keeps you hydrated without taking more calories. There are a lot of benefits of staying hydrated throughout the day.
Sometimes, a lot of people mistake thirst for hunger and end up taking food, although their body only needs hydration. Whenever you feel hungry or crave for high-calorie food, grab a glass of water. You may end up feeling full, saving you some calories.
5. Track What and How Much you Eat
You are what you eat!
Most people can’t clearly comprehend what they eat. Don’t be among them! It is pretty much essential to watch your food intake. Know the value of every food you take and how helpful is it to your body. If I may ask, how many calories do you take per day?
Watch your eating habits and avoid consuming too much food. Bear in mind that exercising goes hand in hand with dieting. Eating lots of food leads to bloating and so, portion control is critical if you want to shed some weight.
Wait, I don’t mean you will measure your food for the rest of your life. If you do it for a week or two, then, you will realize you can naturally consume less food. In case you want to improve on your protein intake, measure the amount of proteins in a meal than consuming lots of protein at once.
A Bonus Tip
People tend to confuse whole fruits with fruit juice. These two are different. Whenever you are about to take fruit juice, remember whole fruits have fibre, which is beneficial. Otherwise, fruit juice contains sweetened sugars meaning high-calorie content.
Conclusion
Losing belly fat requires discipline and consistency. Do not eat junk daily and expect a flat tummy. Junk cafes will always be there; it’s up to you to choose to eat healthy foods for the sake of your health and life. Choosing junk and sweetened beverages is choosing short life and diseases.
Health and Fitness 
Nice piece
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Thank you so much for reading. God bless you.
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