Have you tried various home remedies, diet plans, dietary supplements, and weight loss pills to lose belly fat with no results? How often have you fallen prey to false advertisements promising quick results without making any lifestyle changes? If yes, you are not alone! We have curated this article for you!
We have created a comprehensive belly fat reduction guide that you can use to lose fat naturally and effectively. This article is an up-to-date guide that will help you get a toned stomach when you don’t know where to begin!
10 Effective Tips to Lose Belly Fat Naturally
It is established that weight loss requires consistency. If you want to lose belly fat, you can’t rely on shortcuts or quick fixes. Taking the time and being committed to it is necessary.
Here are 10 science-backed tips to help you lose belly fat and keep it off.
1. Get More Sleep
The importance of sleep in weight loss has been underestimated. Sleep research society published an article in 2020 suggesting a link between sleep restriction and appetite.
One possible explanation is that sleep duration affects hormones governing hunger like ghrelin and leptin. We are more likely to overeat if we sleep less. Lack of sleep can also contribute to fatigue leading to less physical activity and thus making it difficult to exercise. In order to prevent fat gain, one must sleep for at least seven hours every night.
More than quantity it’s the quality! A study published stated that having caffeinated drinks 4-6 hours before bedtime can result in deteriorating sleep quality by keeping the brain cells active whilst you sleep.
Read About: Best Mattress in India from Top 10 Brands
2. Cut Back On Added Sugar
Sugar is a calorie that has no nutritional value. Prolonged consumption of sugar can result in hyperglycemia which can, in turn, result in insulin resistance. Insulin resistance can cause fat accumulation.
With that said, it is true that sugar cravings exist, so let me share a tip to help you curb them. One of the best ways to control sugar cravings is to eat sugar along with healthy fats, proteins, and fibers. By doing this we reduce the sugar spike and hence reduce the craving.
3. More Soluble Fiber
As we digest food, soluble fiber attracts water and forms a gel-like substance, which helps slow digestion and satiates our appetite for longer. Flaxseeds, avocados, legumes have plenty of soluble fibre.
Psyllium husk is an excellent source of fibre that aids in weight loss around the belly area.
4. Do Not Skip Meals
There is no doubt that the timing of your meals is perhaps the most crucial factor that determines whether your food is converted into energy or fat. Contrary to popular belief, starvation does not help you lose belly fat.
Metabolism is the ability of the body to burn fat for fuel. The best way to boost metabolism is to eat regularly. Crash dieting can disturb the metabolism and hence affect fat breakdown. Skipping meals will stress the body and in turn, hold on to the body fat.
Instead of avoiding meals, pay extra attention to portion sizes. Portion control can work wonders. So say NO to starving!
5. Stay Hydrated
This one you’ve heard a million times, and for good reason – it works. It aids in the flushing out of toxins and boosts the metabolism when you drink enough water. Because it can cleanse your system, it can reduce constipation and bloating that can add inches to your belly.
In addition to this, drinking water can prevent dehydration, which is relatively common during workouts. Lack of water consumption can impair the body’s overall performance.
If drinking water is boring, add some chia seed to your bottle. Besides helping you stay hydrated, chia seeds are also rich in fibre.
Warm lemon water or apple cider vinegar is also a good way to start your day.
6. Avoid Alcohol
Binge drinking alcohol can overwhelm the liver, which prioritizes metabolizing alcohol over other nutrients. The liver then stores the protein, carbohydrates, and fat in the form of abdominal fat in the body.
Alcoholic beverages are often mixed with sugary beverages and the two of them together is a recipe for abdominal weight gain.
7. Eat More Proteins
Researchers have shown that switching from carbohydrate to protein reduces hunger hormones and promotes several satiety hormones.
Studies have also shown that protein intake is inversely correlated with abdominal weight, so choose high-protein snacks like yogurt, nuts, beef, hummus, vegetables, cheese & crackers, and eggs.
Proteins are the building blocks of the body and hence they can play a very crucial role in replacing fats with muscles.
Read About: 10 Best Whey Protein Powder in India for BodyBuilding
8. Calorie Tracking
I cannot stress the importance of calorie tracking. Burning more calories than you consume is the key to losing weight. I discovered that I consume more calories than I thought I did by using the app called, ‘HealthilyMe’.
Mindfulness is synonymous with awareness. By keeping a track of your daily food intake, you can make better choices. When working toward achieving a goal, you can optimize your diet by tracking calories.
Self-worth is often equated with eating habits. The moment you begin severely restricting foods, especially those you love, it can create a climate of guilt if you ever give in to temptation.
With food tracking, you can eat guilt-free! If you’re primarily measuring progress by calories, it becomes more acceptable to consume foods considered to be less healthy if you adjust your diet accordingly.
9. Lift Before You Run
The main culprit in the rise of abdominal obesity is a sedentary lifestyle. Strength training is essential if you want to lose belly fat, and even more so if you’re trying to keep it off for a long time. Lifting weights can help you tone your abdominal muscles and replace fat.
Muscles are metabolically active, so you’ll continue to burn calories even after working out. Thus, your body fat percentage will decrease!
For those of you with no time to hit the gym, here are ten bodyweight exercises you can do at home to burn belly fat. It is important not only to train your abs but also your back at the same time.
- Dead Bug
- Side Bends
- Russian Twists
- Leg Raises
- Superman’s
- Flutter Kicks
- Heel touches
- Standing Crunches
- Bicycle Crunches
- Back extensions
A combination of strength training and abdominal exercises can show results fairly quickly.
10. Try Intermittent Fasting
People practice intermittent fasting when they eat only during the non-fasting hours and fast the remainder of the time. Many studies prove that intermittent fasting can help you lose weight and belly fat without counting calories.
There are multiple methods and formats of IF that are available. If you are ready to try it, you can pick the method that suits you best and give it a go.
The 16/8 method is the most popular setup. In this format, you can eat for 8 hours and fast for 16 hours.
Read More: INTERMITTENT FASTING & HUMAN METABOLIC HEALTH by Ruth E. Patterson PhD, Gail A. Laughlin PhD, Andrea Z. LaCroix PhD, Sheri J. Hartman PhD, Loki Natarajan PhD, Carolyn M. Senger MD, María Elena Martínez PhD, Adriana Villaseñor PhD, Dorothy D. Sears PhD, Catherine R. Marinac, Linda C. Gallo, PhD.
Food Items To Help You Reduce Belly Fat
Making healthy food choices can boost the process of belly fat loss. Here’s a list of food items you should include in your diet and those you should avoid.
| Eat This | Not That |
| Apple/Orange | Mango/Grapes |
| Flax Seeds | Fried snacks |
| Green Vegetables | Processed Food |
| Fresh fruits/fruit juices | Packaged fruit juices |
| Black Coffee | Tea with Milk |
| Honey | Refined sugar |
| Oats | Gluten |
| Probiotics | Sweetened Milk/Condensed Milk |
DON’T GIVE UP!
Probably the most important tip is to never quit! Weight loss is hard and it takes a toll on you physically and mentally but hold your ground. Measure your progress in inches and not in kilograms.
During my weight loss journey, I frequently encountered situations when my weighing scale wouldn’t budge no matter what I did. However, I was losing inches on my waist because I was building more muscles.
When you step on a scale, it lets you know your weight, but it does not tell you how much of it is fat, water, bone, muscle, or organ tissue. Muscles are always good news!
Be kind to yourself and take REST days. Give your body a break. You don’t have to work out every day. If your body needs a break, make sure to take it.
You May Also Like To Read:
7 Day GM Diet Plan For Weight Loss | Indian Version
How To Use Apple Cider Vinegar For Weight Loss?
Takeaway
Changing your lifestyle is not easy but it is not an impossible task to achieve. It can be difficult and even discouraging at times to break old habits and develop new, healthier ones! To succeed, you must be patient and persistent.
There are no shortcuts to belly fat reduction. By simply taking a good hard look at your diet and making a few modifications that you can adhere to will get your belly in shape. By adopting some or all of the strategies mentioned in this article, you will no doubt be able to reduce your waistline.
To get started, pick any 3 tips for this week and follow them and notice any change. If you found these tips useful, let us know.
