Belly fat is more than a nuisance that makes your clothes feel tight. It’s seriously harmful. One type of belly fat — referred to as visceral fat — is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other conditions.
Many health organizations use body mass index (BMI) to classify weight and predict the risk of metabolic disease. However, this is misleading, as people with excess belly fat are at an increased risk even if they look thin. Though losing fat from this area can be difficult, there are several things you can do to reduce excess abdominal fat.
Here are effective tips to lose belly fat
1. Start Your Day Early
2. Running
Running is an aerobic activity that is very efficient for weight loss and belly fat burning. It activates several muscles at once, and it requires muscle resistance while improving your physical stamina and cardiorespiratory endurance. All of this helps to boost your metabolism, which will activate fat burning.
One way to speed up weight loss and belly fat burning is to do interval training, which should be done at a high intensity. This consists of alternating between periods of effort and rest to further increase metabolism. Rest can be active or passive. This type of training must be supervised by a personal trainer to avoid injury and to ensure that the activity is being carried out at a high intensity.
Read More - 6 exercises if you want to lose that belly fat
3. Eat healthily
The kind of food you will eat in this period is vital in bringing about any change. Natural foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grain bread, and kinds of pasta, chicken, beef, fish, and low-fat dairy should replace processed foods full of sugar.
The secret to a slimmer stomach in no time? A whole lot of fiber in your diet. Although many people are loath to add carbs to their diet when they're trying to lose weight, adding the right, fiber-rich foods can help you to reduce belly fat quickly.
Sometimes, to whip your body into shape, you have to get a little nutty. While nuts are high in fat, it's that very fat that makes them such powerful weapons in the war against a ballooning belly.
4. More Vitamin D
While few would suggest you start hitting up the tanning beds for better health, getting some natural sunlight can help you get rid of belly fat in a matter of weeks. Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center found that vitamin D-deficient overweight women between 50 and 75 who upped their intake of the so-called sunshine vitamin shed more weight and body fat than those who didn't. To practice safe sun, make sure you're limiting yourself to 15 sunscreen-free minutes per day.
Read More - 10 Amazing Benefits of Exercise
5. Drink water
6. Don’t drink too much alcohol
Alcohol can have health benefits in small amounts, but it’s seriously harmful if you drink too much.
Research suggests that too much alcohol can also make you lose belly fat.
Observational studies link heavy alcohol consumption to a significantly increased risk of developing central obesity — that is, excess fat storage around the waist.
Cutting back on alcohol may help reduce your waist size. You don’t need to give it up altogether, but limiting the amount you drink in a single day can help.
One study on alcohol use involved more than 2,000 people.
Results showed those who drank alcohol daily but averaged less than one drink per day had less belly fat than those who drank less frequently but consumed more alcohol on the days they drank.
Read More - 5 Exercises That Boost Brain Health
7. Eat fatty fish
Fatty fish are incredibly healthy. They’re rich in high-quality protein and omega-3 fats that protect you from disease. Some evidence suggests that these omega-3 fats may also help reduce visceral fat.
Studies in adults and children with fatty liver disease show that fish oil supplements can significantly reduce liver and abdominal fat.
.webp "Eat fatty fish")
Aim to get 2–3 servings of fatty fish per week. Good choices include:
- salmon
- herring
- sardines
- mackerel
- anchovies
8. Bicycle Crunches
Lie on your back with your legs stretched and arms resting by your side. Put your hand behind your head (do not interlock them) and try to lift your shoulders and upper back off the ground. At the same time bend your left knee and bring it towards your chest and move your right elbow towards the center. Your knees and elbow should meet in the middle. Pause and then take your leg and hand to the starting point. Perform the same exercise with the other elbow and knee.
Read More - What foods are good for losing weight?
9. Sit-ups
Lie down on your back with your knees bent and feet placed firmly on the ground. Place both your hands behind your head, without pulling on your neck. Now lift your upper body off the ground up toward your knees. Do not forget to breathe out when you do so. Hold on for 2-3 seconds then slowly lower yourself down, to return to your starting point. Breathe in when you go down.
10. Flutter kicks
Lie on your back with your legs together and hands underneath your buttocks. Lift your right leg off the ground slightly past the hip height. At the same time lift the left leg so it hovers a few inches off the floor. Your back should be on the ground. Hold this position for 5 seconds, then switch the position of the legs, making a flutter kick motion. To make this exercise more challenging, lift your head and neck off the floor.