Achieve the flat stomach you want
Keep in mind, these suggestions to lose belly fat are not quick-fixes, gimmicks, or fads. These tips are science-based, and you must be patient with belly fat loss. It takes years to put on belly fat, so you should expect at least a few months to get rid of it. Do not blame genetics, having children (unless you recently had a baby of course!), menopause, or being busy. Just attack the problem.
Belly fat loss
- Keep a food diary. The purpose of a food diary is not just to count calories. It is to show you your macronutrient short-comings, meal layout, and other problem areas. Even people who think they’re eating low-carb, high protein, or whatever, tend to significantly over or underestimate. It is not necessary to track your food for the rest of your life, just do it for a few weeks, you’ll likely be surprised. When you write things down, there is nowhere to hide.
- I might sound like a broken record here, but ditch processed sugars, fructose, and chemical artificial sweeteners. If you are craving something sweet, treat yourself with a serving of fruit. Try to select fruits lower in fructose. And most important, eliminate high fructose corn syrup and sugary beverages. *The brain does not register liquid calories the same as solid food.* In other words, even though you consumed calories in a drink, your brain does not signal fullness. In fact, your appetite will likely increase. Once you ditch sugar for a couple weeks, you’ll be amazed at how sweet and delicious fruit tastes!
- Eat lots of vegetables. By “lots”, I don’t mean just a side salad with dinner. L-O-T-S!!! 8-10 servings per day! Veggies are high in fiber and nutrients, reduce inflammation inside the body, and fill you up which reduces cravings for unhealthy choices. Usually when I tell people to eat 8-10 servings of vegetables, they look at me like I’m crazy, and even say it’s not possible. YES it IS. Buy them, then eat them. Steamed, raw, in salads, at every meal and snack.
- Do low to moderate intensity cardio AFTER strength training. Low to moderate does not mean bootcamps. And while you can’t spot reduce belly fat, it’s clearly important to do lots of ab and core work.
- Increase protein and omega 3 fats, and reduce carbs. I’m not suggesting to eliminate carbs completely. You should consume an appropriate amount for your activity level. Healthy fats are coconutoil, avocados, a high quality fish oil, and pasture raised animal fats.
- This might sound kind of backwards…Make sure you are eating enough. This ties in with keeping a food journal. I find that more people are eating under 1000 calories per day than pigging out on ice cream and pizza. Extremely low calorie diets are actually worse for you than over-eating!
Anyone can lose belly fat, and these tips can help you achieve that goal!