If you want to lose belly fat, you must be highly disciplined. While genetics, age, and gender have a lot of influence on your six pack potential, the choices you make can have a significant impact on your ability to lose belly fat. Your diet is even more important for achieving a flat, sexy stomach than exercise. Of course, some hard work in the gym will blast calories and boost your metabolism, accelerating your results. Having a sexy stomach is fantastic for your health and appearance, but it doesn't come without sacrifice and determination.
Here are my 5 top tips to lose belly fat fast...
#1 Cut the junk from your diet.
To lose belly fat you should focus on "living off the land." Natural food sources are easier for your body to digest. The more efficiently something can be broken down and converted into energy, the less likely it is to be stored as fat instead of used as fuel. Processed foods are calorically dense and provide significantly less nutritional value than natural food sources.
Plus, most artificial foods are full of simple sugars, fat, and salt. Each of these ingredients helps keep your flat stomach buried under insulation. For example, simple sugars give you immediate energy that raises your blood sugar level. When you have high blood sugar your body has a lot of energy available so it doesn't need to burn fat for fuel. For a flat stomach, fill up on colorful, fresh foods. Stick to whole grains, lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables and remember "if it doesn't grow, let it go."
#2 Blast your belly fat with cardio and strength training.
You have to burn more calories than you consume to lose belly fat and total body fat. Exercise is the best way to blast calories and it helps strengthen your determination to eat right. Kickboxing is a great aerobic workout that blasts tons of calories and whittles your waist, but the best type of cardiovascular exercise is whatever you can stick to and enjoy regularly.
Strength training increases your muscle mass which raises your metabolism. Whether you use machines or body weight exercises, make sure you engage in a variety of movements that work your entire stomach. Crunches alone can't do the job as they only isolate and work one of the four muscles that make up your abdominal complex.
I always recommend learning some Pilates exercises because they really work all of your abdominal muscles, suck you in, and help you stay long and lean. Remember to always work your back when you work your abs to ensure you are keeping your core balanced to achieve long term functional fitness in addition to creating an attractive physique.
#3 Get enough sleep.
When you don't get enough sleep, your body doesn't burn fat properly. A lack of sleep interferes with the hormones that regulate your energy levels. In an effort to cope with sleep deprivation, your hormones can cause you to crave sugary, fattening foods as quick sources of energy. Hormone imbalance can also negatively affect your cellular and immune function making it harder to get quality shut eye when you do have a chance. You can't lose belly fat unless your body has the energy to flush out fat efficiently. Getting adequate sleep makes losing weight and waist much easier.
#4 Manage your stress.
Chronic stress interferes with your regulatory hormones and can contribute to weight gain around your midsection. It is okay to have stress that energizes you, but if it is paralyzing you, you may be damaging your health. Excessive stress can have negative effects internally and externally. For example, the emotional eating that chronic stress sometimes triggers can hinder your ability to lose belly fat and lead a healthy lifestyle. In this case, learn to recognize and 'digest' your emotions, not surplus calories.
Figuring out how to stay sane despite the pressure you're under is a vital skill that will save your sanity and your life. For a short term fix whenever things get crazy, take a moment to breath deeply. This will help you refocus, slow down, and it will flood your body with oxygen so you feel re-energized.
#5 Limit Your Alcohol Consumption.
Alcohol provides no nutritional value and as the famous "beer belly" stereotype shows, it goes straight to your gut. Besides having more calories per gram than carbohydrates, protein, and fat, alcohol often lurks in settings that contain other calorically dense, salty food sources. Having lowered inhibitions when you want to lose belly fat is a not a position of power. If you drink to excess, the associated health risks can be more serious than a stubborn paunch. However, even if you indulge in moderation, it can affect your ability to do the other four belly busting tips effectively.
In reality, you can unwind with a drink occasionally and still enjoy a toned tummy if you make eating healthy and physical fitness a priority. However, if washboard abs is what you're after, you probably have to choose which six pack you want more.
Following these five tips will make it much easier to lose belly fat fast. Discipline is the difference between stomach flab and stomach fab. By incorporating these five tips into your lifestyle as real priorities, you will get fantastic overall results that will not only help you lose belly fat fast but will improve your overall health and happiness.
Catherine Toops is the creator of www.Perfect-Body-Fitness-Tips.com, a site that provides practical advice about healthy eating, physical fitness, and developing a healthy body image.
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