7 Effective ways to Lose Belly Fat

If you’re carrying a few extra pounds, you’re not alone. But this is one case where following the crowd isn’t a good idea. Carrying extra weight — especially belly fat — can be risky.

The trouble with belly fat is that it’s not limited to the extra layer of padding located just below the skin (subcutaneous fat). It also includes visceral fat — which lies deep inside your abdomen, surrounding your internal organs.

Regardless of your overall weight, having a large amount of belly fat increases your risk of:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes
• Colorectal cancer
• Sleep apnea
• Premature death from any cause
• High blood pressure

Here are the seven effective ways to reduce belly fat :-

1. Avoid Foods that contain Trans Fat

Trans fats, found in processed foods, are an inexpensive way to extend the shelf life of foods. While trans fats have been helpful for food manufacturers, they’re considered harmful for humans—which is why it’s so important to eliminate trans fats in your family’s diet. They are unnaturally produced through the process of hydrogenation, where hydrogen is added to liquid vegetable oil. This process converts the oil into a solid fat at room temperature.

Trans fats are most often found in fried foods, savory snacks, frozen pizzas, baked goods, margarines, ready-made frosting, and coffee creamers.

Consuming trans fats has been linked to increased levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol, lowered levels of “good” HDL cholesterol, and increased plaque in blood vessel walls. This increases the risk for developing heart disease.

2. Don’t drink too much alcohol

According to a study from the International Journal of Obesity, daily consumption of alcohol was associated with an increase in visceral and abdominal fat. 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.

While the relationship between alcohol consumption and obesity remains unclear as per many studies, there are good reasons to think that alcohol may play a role:

• It stops your body from burning fat.
• It is high in kilojoules.
• It leads to greater hunger and less satiety (the feeling of being full).
• It causes poor food choices.

3. Reduce your stress levels

Stress is something that your body needs, however in unfiltered amounts it can cause a lot of damage. Your adrenal glands kick into action to produce cortisol anytime you are put in a threatening situation. The release of cortisol is needed to trigger the cells in your liver, fat, and muscle tissues to release the energy your body needs to get through the threatening situation.

This release of cortisol is known as fight or flight mode.  Your body will naturally reduce your appetite and shut down other processes such as reproduction and tissue repair – which are not 100% necessary for survival – so that it can focus solely on safety. This response was great when we were running away from predators, or charging after our food.  Over the centuries, society has developed in such a way that this response is not needed in such drastic measures.

Yet, it remains a natural part of our life.  When stress levels remain high enough to continue producing cortisol for long periods of time, unhealthy and dangerous changes will begin to occur within your body. The belly fat created begins to act as an endocrine organ – sending hormones directly into the circulatory system.  These hormones increase inflammatory compounds within your body damaging cells, compromising your health, increasing your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and many other diseases.

4. Don’t eat a lot of sugary foods

Belly fat can be tough to lose, but doctors say cutting out sugar may be one giant step in the right direction. There are massive health benefits from cutting back on your sugar intake, one of which is losing stubborn belly fat.

Sugar can create an inflammatory response in the body, putting the body in a stressed-out state. When the body experiences inflammation and stress, the preferred storage site for fat is in and around the belly. Not only does sugar promote this fat storage, but sugar and refined carbs spike insulin levels in the body, which signals the body to store fat. When we eat refined carbohydrates, they are absorbed quickly into the bloodstream. When a lot of sugar is added into the bloodstream at one time instead of a slow, steady release that happens when one eats unprocessed plant foods, the pancreas senses the spike in sugar and produces a lot of insulin to manage the sugar spike. The job of insulin is to move the sugar out of the bloodstream into cells so it doesn’t damage the blood vessels and organs.

Replacing sugary beverages with water will help dramatically cut down your sugar intake, and then once you’ve taken that step, you can figure out how to cut down on foods that are high in sugar. If you have a sweet tooth and need to put that final accent to your meal, eat an apple, melon or fresh berries. Just remember, fruit is not a substitute for vegetables.

5. Get plenty of restful sleep

If you’re not getting enough sleep, you may be at higher risk for having more unhealthy belly fat. The researchers found that people in the restricted sleep group had up to a 9% increase in belly fat and an 11% increase in unhealthy belly visceral fat, which surrounds the organs deep inside the belly and has been strongly linked to heart disease and other conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

Findings show that shortened sleep, even in young, healthy and relatively lean subjects, is associated with an increase in calorie intake, a very small increase in weight, and a significant increase in fat accumulation inside the belly. Normally, fat is deposited just under the skin, but a lack of sleep appears to redirect it to the deeper, more dangerous position around the organs.

Improvement in sleep quality is significantly associated with overall weight loss, especially belly fat.

6. Drink green tea

One of the most consumed beverages across the world, green tea has been linked to an array of health benefits. Tea, particularly green tea, has gained widespread attention as a natural weight loss product. Many studies have demonstrated that drinking green tea can help people shed the pounds and melt away the unhealthy belly fat effectively.

Green tea is packed full of nutrients and antioxidants that may increase fat burning, help you lose weight, and boost health in many different ways. But that doesn’t mean you should use green tea as a substitute for your healthy diet and exercise programme. The fact is that a combination of healthy diet and exercise regimen can help you build and achieve sustainable fitness lifestyle. For best result, you can drink green tea as a supplement to your weight loss diet.

7. Do aerobic exercise (cardio)

There are many exercises out there, but not all are created equal when it comes to banishing belly fat. However, scientists and doctors alike agree that incorporating physical activity into your daily routine is a great way to burn off unwanted belly fat.

Your first step in burning off visceral fat is including at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise or cardio into your daily routine. Studies show that aerobic exercises for belly fat help to reduce belly fat and liver fat.

Some great cardio of aerobic exercises for belly fat include:

• Walking, especially at a quick pace
• Running
• Biking
• Rowing
• Swimming
• Cycling
• Group fitness classes

When choosing a cardio activity, make sure it’s something that you enjoy doing. This way, you’re more motivated and will look forward to your exercise routine.