Everyone has belly fat. In most case, there are some with a lot more than others. And in most cases the fat around the belly is visceral fat, which is there to provide support for your organs. But hey, we don’t have to give in and live with the extra weight. Anyone can defeat the beef. With some hard work of course.
Too much visceral fat is caused by a bad diet that leads to high blood pressure, heart disease, and even cancer.
The older and less active you get, you will see weight gain. And too much of it will cause your body to store fat in crazy places. For women mainly in the abdomen, triceps, hips, buttocks, and thighs. In men you will see visceral fat mainly appear around the chest, neck, and abdomen.
Visceral fat is mother of the term “pear” and “apple” shape to define the body.
But hey, look on the bright side. You can change and become a healthier person. Thank God for the fitness freaks who became experts in burning fat.
If you did not know, losing belly fat is more than just doing a few extra crunches. So I've compiled a list of my favorite tips on changing your diet and losing that belly fat
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| photo: Foodforbetterhealth |
Too much visceral fat is caused by a bad diet that leads to high blood pressure, heart disease, and even cancer.
The older and less active you get, you will see weight gain. And too much of it will cause your body to store fat in crazy places. For women mainly in the abdomen, triceps, hips, buttocks, and thighs. In men you will see visceral fat mainly appear around the chest, neck, and abdomen.
Visceral fat is mother of the term “pear” and “apple” shape to define the body.
But hey, look on the bright side. You can change and become a healthier person. Thank God for the fitness freaks who became experts in burning fat.
If you did not know, losing belly fat is more than just doing a few extra crunches. So I've compiled a list of my favorite tips on changing your diet and losing that belly fat
.
The Fittest list: How to lose belly fat
1. Get off your couch. This should be a no-brainer. Go ahead and think about all the hours you spend sitting and watching TV. Yes we know Empire us on tonight, so cut out all the extra unnecessary hours of watching reruns and shows each week. To only watching the shows you care about the most.
2. Lift first, cardio second. When you lift first, your body has hopefully reached its anaerobic threshold. Meaning when you start your cardio, the stress will have a greater effect on your body’s instinct to turn calories into energy. And not converting excess calories into the enemy (fat).
3. Rent yourself some motivation. Motivation is a great feeling that tends to fizzle away after a short time. So watch an inspiring movie or YouTube video at least 3 times a week. You’ll be ready to hit the gym running.
4. Reduce the amount of sugar in your diet. Now I know this isn’t anything new and exciting, but you’d be surprised how often people will continue to eat or drink sugary saturated goods. The fructose in sugar can only be metabolized by the liver in certain amounts. When the liver gets submerged with excess fructose, the body is forced to turn it into fat.
5. Eat more protein. Eating more protein has been proven to help reduce belly fat. The amino acids of protein will rebuild your muscle after a workout, which will in effect cause you to have more muscle mass (or maintaining muscle mass). Muscles need calories for energy. More muscles lead to more calories being burned which lead less calories being converted into fat. Synergy.
6. Join a league. There are literally dozens of local sports clubs. You can find Co-ed volleyball, basketball, football, dodgeball, and even softball clubs in absolutely every city and county in the United States. Go and join one! Not only will you stay active, but it is often a great way to network with others in and outside your industry. And of course there are the perks of fraternizing with people who you find attractive.
7. Drink a glass of water before your meal. This is a simple trick everyone can do. The water takes up real estate in your stomach. Making you feel more full, and simultaneously reducing your appetite.
8. “Can I substitute that?” In which the server at the restaurant will reply “FOH.” Just kidding, servers will go out of their way to have your meal prepped the way you like. Everyone likes to go out to eat and grab a drink with friends and family. But instead of getting that extra side of mac and cheese, substitute your sides with healthier options. I would suggest artichoke heart, asparagus, or brussel sprouts if they have it (healthier options with a good amount of protein).
9. Lift weights! That sounds simple right? But you would be surprised how many people will actually avoid lifting weights in their attempt to lose and keep off fat. Don’t be idiotic. Lift and feel the burn, love the burn, be one with the burn. Even if it is just 15 minutes a day, you will be doing your body a solid.
10. The 20% rule. The 20% rule is something I like to do with my clients. 9/10 times you will want to stop at the max rep your exercise requires per set. But in actuality, many workouts don’t add in your will power into the mix. Any and every one, can put an extra 20% to any given workout. You can always do more than you think you can. So when you’re doing 10 walking lunges to finish your set, just go the extra mile by doing 2 more reps. this goes for every exercise you choose to do. Give it that extra 20%, and you will be seeing results faster than you expected.
11. Eat foods filled with Fiber. Not just any kind of fiber will do. You want to make sure most of the fiber is viscous. These fibers bind with water and form a thick gel that sits in the stomach. The gel will drastically slow down the movement of food through your stomach and intestines. Causing slow digestion and better absorption of nutrients. Thereby reducing your appetite throughout the day.
12. Use vinaigrette dressings on your salad. As with all the tips, there have been studies done that show that acidic foods such as vinegar and lemon juice increase carb combustion 20%-40%. Which slows down the rate on which food will exit your stomach.
13. Eat a big meal right after your lift. I have mentioned this on earlier posts about the importance of immediately eating after a workout. Not only are you refueling your body, but it actually takes calories to burn calories. Crazy right? Researchers at the University of Nevada learned that it takes 73% more calories to process that food after a workout then if you hadn’t worked out at all. Sounds like a win-win situation to me.
14. Floss at least twice a day. When I learned about this I laughed. Many of my friends laugh at the fact that I walk around in the public flossing my teeth. But it actually makes sense when you think about it. Those who floss often are inclined not to snack as much. They took the time to clean their teeth and would like to keep it that way. A study from Brazil found out that men with the highest level of inflammatory agents in their body were most likely to gain unwanted weight and periodontal disease. Which is caused by terrible dental hygiene (the most common source of inflammation).
15. Brush your teeth, a lot. A Japanese study shows that men who brushed their teeth frequently were leaner than men who did not. A coincidence? I think not. You also will be keeping inflammatory agents low, but there is also a psychological aspect to it. You just brushed your teeth, you want to keep your breath fresh. Thereby stopping you from snacking on unhealthy food such as chips and cookies.
16. Don’t waste your time avoiding certain foods. You ever get that feeling that the more you avoid something, the more you will want it? That happens with food also. Those cravings can back fire on you. So instead of avoiding bacon or butter, just have a smaller portion to satisfy your cravings. This prevents bingeing.
17. Reignite the motivations flame. Time after time people will get inspired about something and want to “get in shape.” But soon after that flame fades out. They go back to being lazy. Find your motivation each and every day. You may want to seek motivation weekly, but you have a better chance of staying motivated through daily reminders. Pictures of bodies with your face pinned to it. Following motivational pages on social media. (hey I have one of those on facebook) Or even youtubing “ fitness inspiration.” You’re guaranteed to stay motivated.
18. F*** long distance runs, adopt the sprint. Not only is it my personal opinion that HIIT training of sprinting variations is the best form of cardio for weight loss, it is actually starting to take over the fitness industry as a top cardio exercise. So instead of hopping on your treadmill this week for 10 mile jog, find a field or basketball court. And sprint at 85-100% effort full court or 100 meters, then sprint back. That will be one set. Do this 7-10 sets (20-30 second rest in between). Feel free to mix it up with hills. Your body will be exerting a higher amount of calories which are being burned through the increase blood flow to your aching legs, abs, and shoulders. Thereby emptying you calorie tanks and forcing you to burn fat for energy. However, if you have knee problems, I do not recommend the full 7-10 sets. Test yourself out with 1 or 2 and you be the judge.
19. Eat more yogurt bro. Yogurt is full of calcium. Calcium has been proven to help the body burn and also store less fat in the body.
20. Never starve yourself. If you go on a diet and start starving yourself, the body will feel as if it is being deprived of nourishment. The body will react accordingly and pull whatever nutrients it can from what you’re providing. Then when you get off that diet, the body may not be able to adjust and catch up to what you are putting in it. The body will start storing calories and nutrients from food into the enemy (FAT).
21. Get the hell off your ass and get out there! Get to the gym. Go workout with friends, join a Zumba or cycling class. Get active. Anything is better than you sitting here reading this awesome post.
Did you have any tips to add to the list? Let me know my commenting below. And don’t forget to share and like the post. You know you want to.
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