5 Proven Ways to Lose Belly Fat

We all have belly fat. When we talk about how to lose belly fat, there two kinds of fat we are looking to get rid off. They are visceral fat and subcutaneous fat. Visceral fat is much harder to identify as it is stored around internal organs in the abdominal region, while subcutaneous fats are stored directly under your skin. Visceral fat is necessary to cushion your organs. Too much visceral fat can interfere with the way the liver functions and can interrupt hormonal communications between vital organs. If the visceral fat is way beyond normal there are risks of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and dementia. The more weight you gain, the more develop weight around your vital organs such as the heart and liver. To measure how much belly fat you have, get a tape and start at the belly button and wrap it all the way round. A healthy ratio for a waistline for a female is 35 inches or below while for a male is 40 inches or below. Lifestyle changes including diets and exercise will help promote the usage of visceral fat and lower your risk factor for developing heart diseases.

1. Adopt and maintain a healthy and balanced nutrition plan.

You will need to get rid of sugar. Research has shown that when the liver is filled with fructose and sugar, it is then forced to turn it to fat. Excess sugar makes your liver a fat churning machine instead of a fat burning one. Excess sugar over time increases belly fat and creates a fatty liver which leads to metabolic issues and insulin resistance. Fizzy drinks and sweet alcoholic drinks will be registered by the brain as the same as solid foods. More sweetened beverages equal more belly fat. If need be, work with a dietician to design a nutrition plan for you that will help you to lose weight and also lose belly fat and improve your health.

2. Increase the intensity of your exercises

High-intensity exercises tend to be best exercises to lose belly fat. Exercise at least 30 minutes daily. It helps in burning calories. When you lose about 10 percent of your body weight, it helps reduce visceral fat stores. To achieve this, your daily caloric balance (i.e calorie consumed minus calories burned) needs to be negative. Your calorie deficit should be at least 500 calories per day if you are looking to lose a pound a week. You can try circuit training, biking, brisk walking or any activities that would get your heart rate up.

3. Use coconut oil

Studies have shown that coconut oil helps to reduce belly fat. Coconut oil is known to have saturated fat, however unlike the long-chain triglycerides (LCTs) found in foods like cheese and meats, the medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) found in coconut oil is easily digested. MCT is absorbed quickly by the intestines so the fatty cells do not store them, rather it bypasses them. It is, therefore, more likely to be stored as energy.

4. Practice healthy lifestyle habits

To live a healthy lifestyle, there are a few things you should avoid, they are; smoking, drinking, eating high-fat and processed foods. Get plenty of sleep and take the time to relief yourself of stress.

5. Avoid late night meals and snack

It can be very tempting to just have a little snack after a long day of work. Also, you may be very hungry especially if you did not eat well during the day. Late night meals and snack often cause belly fat as there is not enough time for the food to digest well before you go to bed. If you must take a late snack, make sure to take it at least 2 hours before bed and drink lots of water.

Featured image credit: www.healthcare-online.org

Chinye Onwamaka

Chinye Onwamaka is a professional makeup artist and fashion consultant based in Lagos Nigeria. She writes about fashion, beauty and relationship tips for young people.