Belly fat is more than just an aesthetic concern. It can also be a health concern because it is linked to diseases like diabetes and heart disease, but aside from that, stubborn belly fat can pull at our self – esteem. It can make it hard to fit into that body-hugging dress, and it can also result in your spending a lot of money on shapewear to hide it. All in all, it is an issue that could lead to long-term problems. Getting on a path to help you lose stubborn belly fat has many health benefits and can also help you live a longer healthier life.
Whether you are someone who has a lot of weight to lose or someone who is working on their midsection only, taking steps to reduce belly fat can be beneficial.
The Starting Point
Before we start, you will want to grab a tape measure and measure your waist. As with any weight loss plan, it is important to know your starting point. Knowing where you are, will help you chart your weight loss progress better.
Being Realistic About Losing Belly Fat
As with anything, you can always find tons of information that will tell you how to lose belly fat fast, or drink this tea and lose 10 lbs, or those fat burner supplments. I will always be honest about any fitness related content that I share. While I do not want to knock anyone’s hustle, I do not believe that it is possible to drink a tea and suddenly have a flat stomach. Diet and exercise go hand and hand, and this guide will be filled with information that will help you with your fat loss journey.
How to Lose Stubborn Belly Fat
Reduce Your Carb Intake
Simple carbs like white bread, sugary foods (desserts), and some grains are low in nutritional value but high in calories.
To combat taking in too many bad carbs, try to replace them with complex carbs like fruits and vegetables.
One of the quickest ways to cut belly fat is by cutting down on your carb intake. When you cut carbs, your appetite goes down, and you begin to see the weight fall off. The reason why you start to see a reduction in your weight is that the consumption of excess carbs makes your body retain water. The weight that you will initially begin to lose will be the built-up water weight.
While I mentioned above that, I do not believe in those “lose weight quick” products. There are ways to shed excess belly fat faster. If you are looking to shed weight more quickly, could reduce your carb intake down to 50 total grams of carbs per day.
If you have ever watched the show My 600 lb Life, you will notice that Dr. Now puts his patients on a high protein, low carb diet. You will also notice how quickly those who follow his instructions see dramatic fat loss results and they also lose weight.
Add More Protein to Your Diet
Protein is a vital nutrient when it comes to keeping your weight under control. But, the key is to make sure that you consume high-quality proteins like lean meats, fish, and legumes, and nuts for those of us who do not eat meat.
When you consume more protein, you reduce your overall cravings because a high protein diet helps you feel full for longer periods of time. When we are full, we do not overeat.
Studies have also shown that maintaining a diet that is high in protein has been linked to reduced belly fat and it boosts your metabolism.
Good sources of protein are:
For Meat Eaters:
Fish
Shrimp
Lean Beef
Lean Chicken Breasts
Eggs
For Vegetarians/Vegans:
Almonds
Oats (I prefer steel cut)
Broccoli
Quinoa
Peanuts
Lentils
Brussels Sprouts
See this post for more sources of protein for vegetarians and vegans
Eat Your Fiber
Does anyone remember those old school Metamucil commercials, or am I the only old one here? Fiber; specifically soluble fiber is a big part of losing belly fat. It is one of the best ways to lose body fat naturally because it decreases the number of calories your body absorbs from food.
Fiber works in the body by binding to water and forming a thick gel in the gut. The benefit is slower digestion of your food and more absorption of vital nutrients.
Try to consume soluble fiber on a daily basis. You can do this by adding flax seed to a smoothie, eating avocado, or fruits like blackberries.
Reduce Your Sugar Intake
If you are the kind of person who reaches for the sugary sports drinks after a workout, I want you to stop doing that now.
High sugar intake has a direct link to excess abdominal fat. When you consume excess sugar, you overload your liver with fructose, and your body turns that fructose into stubborn belly fat.
I do not want you to read this and think that I am referring to all sugar. The culprits here are added sugars like those found in sports drinks, fruit juices, and sodas.
This also applies to those “sugar-free” soda’s, but don’t even get me started on those, that is another post within itself.
It is still safe to consume natural fruits because they contain natural sugars, but as I always preach, everything in moderation.
All healthy foods are not created equally
Be smart about what you put in your body. Also, know that all healthy foods are not always healthy. Be sure to read the labels when you grocery shop. Many health foods like energy bars and breakfast bars contain high amounts of sugar.
Another thing to be mindful of is healthier sugars like honey. You should use it in moderation as well.
I like to drink my green tea with lemon, and when I drink coffee, I add coconut milk only, no sugar.
Reduce Stress Levels
Ever hear of the term stress eating? When we are stressed, we tend to grab the first thing that is in our sight to eat. In most cases, we crave foods that are not always the best for us, and we make bad food choices.
You may have heard me mention this before, but stress increases the amount of cortisol that our bodies produce. Increased cortisol production leads to an increased appetite and abdominal fat storage.
To reduce stress try to take up yoga or even meditate.
The important thing to note here is that our bodies do not differentiate between different kinds of stress.
- Our bodies are exposed to food stresses through processed and synthetic foods
- Not getting enough rest
- Life stress
To lose belly fat, you must first identify your body’s sources of stress. Problems arise when your body is consistently in stress/survival mode.
Perhaps you have been working out, and not seeing results with losing belly fat
If you have been weight training, but not seeing results, you may be doing a few things wrong. A lot of the time when people want to lose weight, they turn to cardio. Doing only cardio will put your body in a stagnant metabolic state. When you just do one exercise, your body gets used to it, and this stunts your results.
Salt Consumption
You may be consuming too much salt. We tend to add seasonings and flavors to our foods, but you may be overdoing it. Try to use other flavorings like cayenne, chili powder, pepper, ginger, turmeric, and cumin.
Salt makes our bodies retain water, which will hinder your ability to lose stubborn belly fat.
Consuming too much alcohol
Alcoholic beverages can be a big culprit when it comes to losing belly fat. Try to avoid sugary drinks like margaritas, mojitos, and daiquiris. If you want to have a drink, opt for drinks that do not contain excessive sugars.
Increase your magnesium intake
Magnesium is associated with lower levels of insulin and glucose which can help you to lose belly fat. Increase your magnesium intake by eating more green leafy vegetables, nuts, and beans.
Replace Unhealthy Cooking Oils
You may be cooking healthy foods, but what you cook them in is also extremely important. Try to replace vegetable oils with coconut oil. Coconut oil has been shown to boost your metabolism and decrease the amount of fat your body stores.
Exercising to Lose Belly Fat
So you probably knew that I was not going to get through this post without sharing some workouts, right?
Working out is one of the most effective ways to get rid of stubborn belly fat. Working out can help you to lose weight, burn fat, reduce the size of your waistline, and build muscle.
Keep in mind that it is not the best use of your workouts to try to spot reduce fat. What I mean by this is doing just crunches every day will more than likely not give you your desired effect.
Even though the goal here is to lose belly fat, we must work our entire body.
You can achieve this by incorporating light cardio and lifting weights.
If you are a complete beginner, check out my posts with beginner exercises, and how to build lean muscle to help you along your fitness journey.
To do these exercises, you will need a yoga mat and a couple of dumbbells. If you are a beginner, start with a low amount of weight, and work your way up as you incorporate these exercises into your routine.
Fasted Exercise
Working out in a fasted state has many benfits that can aid in fat loss. What this means is that when we eat food, our insulin level’s rise. This feeling or “fed” state can last anywhere from two or more hours depending on what you eat. Once your body processes the food, your insulin levels drop to a stable level, and they stay there until you eat your next meal.
To put this in perspective, when you eat dinner for example, you go about your evening, and then go to bed. If you wake up and go straight to the gym, you will be working out in a fasted state.
I have done weight training in both a fasted and fed state, and my personal preference is to wake up and hit the gym before I eat anything.
The benefits of training in a fasted state are that you body is able to burn more fat when your insulin level is stable versus when it is elevated shortly after consuming a meal.
Typically, when I finish I fasted workout, I will come home and have a protein shake to aid in muscle recovery.
Some of my favorite gut-busting and fat burning exercises are below.
Click the links below to see a demonstration of each exercise.
Basic Crunches
Lie on the mat on the floor with your feet on the ground and knees bent
Interlock your hands and place them behind your head
Lift your torso off the floor and go back down
If you are a beginner, do 3 sets of 10
If you are more advanced, do 4 sets of 15
Side Crunch
Lie on the floor with your hands behind your head
Put your legs to the side and bring your torso off the floor
Beginners, do 3 sets of 10
Advanced, do 4 sets of 15
Lunge Twist
Stand with legs hip width apart
Take a big step forward with your right foot, keeping the left leg bent and pointed downward
Keep your spine straight and twist your torso
Beginners, do 2 sets of 10
Advanced, do 3 sets of 15
Vertical Leg Crunch
Lie on the floor on your mat and extend your legs up toward the ceiling
Breathe in and lift your torso off the ground, exhale as you go down and repeat
Beginners, do 3 sets of 10
Advanced, do 4 sets of 15
Working Out
I like to incorporate the workouts above with full body workouts. I want you all to keep in mind, that the goal here is not to do hundreds of crunches. You will want to incorporate these ab exercises into your routine with light cardio and weightlifting.
A key lesson here is to understand that the belly is only where your body stores fat. Just because it is stored in the belly where it is most visible, does not mean that other parts of the body do not have excess fat that needs to be worked off.
Because of this we still need to take a full body approach to get rid of belly fat.
Do Not Expect Instant Results
It is called stubborn fat for a reason. While it is easy to accumulate fat cells, it takes a lot of work to get rid of them. When you are working to lose weight, it can become frustrating when you do not see results right away. I want you to take a very realistic approach to your weight loss and understand that things will not happen overnight. Losing weight is a lifestyle change. Stick with it, and you will notice changes.
Avoid Fad Diets
Cutting what you eat dramatically might help you lose weight in the beginning, but it can hurt you in the long run. Remember above that I mentioned decreasing your carb intake can be beneficial. You will want to avoid doing things like skipping meals, or only drinking liquids. These kinds of crash diest can do more hard than good for your body.
Losing stubborn belly fat is not an overnight thing. It will take time, effort, and dedication. Be consistent, track your progress, and stay motivated, and never let the views of others affect how you see or feel about yourself!
If you want to lose fat, I want you to remember that fitness is a marathon, not a sprint!
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