After a long and well rested holiday many of us have found ourselves with belly fat due to the overindulgence of food and alcohol during the festive period. And what better way than to kick start the year by losing all that belly fat which you have gained during the holiday season.
Belly fat is more than a nuisance that makes your clothes feel tight but also increases the risk of developing certain chronic diseases such as heart disease, liver problems and diabetes.
However, there is hope as there are several things you can do to reduce excess amounts of belly fat.
Here are three easy ways to help you lose belly fat
Plan a good eating plan, not a diet
It is important to pick a healthy eating diet plan and stick to it. According to Kerry Stewart, Ed.D. and director of Clinical and Research Physiology at Johns Hopkins, says that the benefit of a low-carb approach is that it simply involves learning better food choices—no calorie-counting is necessary. In general, a low-carb way of eating shifts your intake away from problem foods—those high in carbs and sugar and without much fiber, like bread, bagels and sodas—and toward high-fiber or high-protein choices, like vegetables, beans and healthy meats.
Eat food that contains high Protein
Healthline urges individuals who wish to lose belly fat to eat food which contains a high protein.
Protein is an extremely important nutrient for weight management.
High protein intake increases the release of the fullness hormone PYY, which decreases appetite and promotes fullness.
Protein also raises your metabolic rate and helps you to retain muscle mass during weight loss
Many observational studies show that people who eat more protein tend to have less abdominal fat than those who eat a lower protein diet
Be sure to include a good protein source at every meal, such as:
- meat
- fish
- eggs
- dairy
- whey protein
- beans
Exercise: Aerobic exercise or cardio
Exercising is the most important part of losing weight as it helps burn abdominal fat.
“One of the biggest benefits of exercise is that you get a lot of bang for your buck on body composition,” Kerry says. Exercise seems to work off belly fat in particular because it reduces circulating levels of insulin —which would otherwise signal the body to hang on to fat—and causes the liver to use up fatty acids, especially those nearby visceral fat deposits, he says.
The amount of exercise you need for weight loss depends on your goals. For most people, this can mean 30 to 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise nearly every day.
Also while embarking in this journey it is important to cut alcohol intakes or reduce it along with all unhealthy food and drinks.
