You probably know it: you want to lose weight, go to the gym and try to eat less, but that stubborn belly just won’t go away. Irritating. Belly fat is one of the hardest types of fat to get rid of, and there are many myths and nonsense on the Internet about tackling it.
In this article, you will read what you should do (and most importantly, not do) to kiss your belly goodbye. Should you want a specific plan with losing, gaining or maintaining weight as a goal, make an appointment with a nutrition expert and a family doctor. Every body is different.
How to lose weight and leave belly fat behind
That it is more difficult to get rid of belly fat than to develop it is, unfortunately, no myth. All fat cells form for the same reason: you ingest more calories than you burn. Yet not all fat is the same. In our bodies we have two types of fat: alpha and beta cells. Whereas beta cells respond well to fat burning and speed up the process, alpha cells respond poorly to the process and make burning harder.
The ratio of the two types of fat varies by body part. In the parts with more beta cells, you see results much sooner than the places where the alpha cells have the upper hand. So it is not surprising that after working out you see changes sooner in the legs, arms and face. After all, these consist predominantly of beta cells. The alpha cells tend to accumulate on the hips, abdomen and thighs, so these body parts can be a problem when losing weight. In men, this is especially visible in the form of a belly.
But you have no disadvantage over other people; breaking down alpha cells is equally difficult for everyone. Should you not see quick results when working out your belly, remember that the stubborn alpha cells are the culprit and all it takes is a little more patience. If you want to read more about this complicated process, have funhere. Some knowledge in biology is not a luxury here.
Losing weight: 5 tips for a belly
If you still have the same amount of belly fat after three months, then there might be more going on than just the stubborn fat cells that are giving you a hard time. ‘How to lose weight belly,’ is a massively entered search term on Google. Here are a few things to look out for.
1. Make sure you get enough sleep
Aside from feeling tired the next morning, poor sleep affects fat burning. If you don’t sleep enough, your hormones get out of balance, making you hungrier than usual the next day. In addition, you make the hormone that makes you feel full after eating less after a bad night’s sleep. So after a night of bad sleep, you are hungrier and eat more. You just feel less full and less too satisfied.
2. Just training your belly doesn’t help
In fact, you cannot burn fat locally. So working out your abs doesn’t necessarily help you burn belly fat. You simply have to burn more calories than you take in. In addition, it is also partly hereditary. Some people get a belly faster than others, who in turn grow fat faster on the hips, for example. So make sure you always do a workout that trains your entire body. The abdomen is a place where excess energy is stored, so make sure you use as much energy as possible during exercise for best results. Bonus tip: walk a lot, a lot.
3.Avoid too much sugar
This may seem like kicking in an open door, but make sure you eat very little sugar if you want to lose weight. Especially if you want to lose belly fat. Fats and sugars are two different things, but sugar is a big culprit when it comes to obesity. So be careful with sports drinks full of sugars and don’t be fooled by packaging that says it has almost no fat in it. In fact, in many cases the fat in these products has been replaced by sugars, so always check the ingredients on the package.
Try to avoid the following products:
- Sugar
- Soft drinks
- Candy and chocolate
- Cookies
- Pastries
- Chips
- Ice cream
- Desserts
- Fruit yogurt and yogurt drink
- White bread
- White pasta
- White rice
- Wraps
- Muesli and cruesli
- Gingerbread
Also watch out for fruit. Of course it’s healthy to eat fruit, but too many natural sugars won’t benefit your tummy either.
4. Watch out for too many carbohydrates
Also try to eat fewer carbohydrates, such as pasta and bread, but again don’t overdo it. Less is good for growing that tight tummy, but you need it to stay healthy, so don’t throw them out of your diet completely. Want to know more? Readhere what’s best to eat and what not to eat for that tight belly you dream of.
5. Stress and crash diets
If you suffer from stress, it might be a good idea to deal with the cause of the stress first, before working on your tummy. This is because when we stress, we produce a hormone that increases our cravings for sweet snacks full of sugar. This is because these snacks offer our stress-filled body a quick boost of energy and pleasure. Obsessively wanting to shed pounds and keeping a strict diet and workout schedule can also cause stress. So don’t type in “How to lose weight belly” on Google like a maniac to immediately start working out like crazy.
Also, eating extremely little, the so-called crash diet, is disastrous for getting rid of excess belly fat. These diets seem to give immediate results, but are not sustainable in the long run. Therefore, people often fall back into old habits and it is incredibly bad for your body. Check also these tips against the yo-yo effect.
Losing weight: what to do and what not to do?
The answer is actually quite simple: exercise enough and eat healthy. Avoid bad food and make sure you get the good stuff. Exercise enough so that you burn more than you eat and pay attention to stress from daily life.
As much as we would like to tackle our belly fat alone, it is not possible. There is no such thing as a clever trick. Persevere and be patient. If you want to get rid of your belly, you will have to work for it. Train your whole body, work on your fitness and eat a healthy and balanced diet.
Allow 12 weeks for results
The fat around your belly needs more time to break down. If everything goes well, you will see the first clear results after 12 weeks.