Best Ways to Lose Belly Fat - 3 Weight Loss Tips
If you want a flat stomach then you need to be sure that you’re practicing these weight loss tips.
When you know exactly what to avoid and how to ensure your body is running smoothly then you will start to notice a slimmer waistline.
By the end of this article you will have the knowledge on how to attain the slim and sexy stomach you always wanted!
Know What to Avoid
I know you’ve heard it before, but you NEED to avoid junk food. There’s a reason it’s called that; it’s pure junk! If it comes in a box or bag and it’s prepackaged, just waiting for you to pop it in your microwave to eat then chances are you DO NOT want to eat it. Food companies are raking in millions of dollars with these products because it’s so cheap for them to make and the ingredients in them are sometimes addictive.
Add in a low price, make it easy to cook and most of the people in the world will be hooked.
But flip the box over and look at the ingredients and the nutrition data. You don’t want this stuff in your body! If you bought healthy food and cooked it yourself, you’d end up eating less of it because it actually fills you up and keeps you feeling full. And you’re going to feel a lot better because you won’t be consuming ingredients that your body doesn’t need. You also need to pay attention to what you’re drinking.
Yes, you are going to need to cut down on your happy hour outings because alcohol is your enemy when it comes to weight loss. Alcoholic drinks are packed with calories, give you late night “munchies” and they mess with your blood sugar levels. Don’t let the light and low carb versions fool you; you’ll end up drinking more calories than you think. But calories aren’t the only issue… let me introduce you to acetate.
When you consume alcohol it’s not all converted to fat, but it still will give you a “beer belly” because it’s converted into something called acetate. And when acetate is in your body it halts all your fat burning and instead your body burns off the acetate. So when you’re drinking, your body isn’t going to be burning fat at all! Think about all the time your body’s fat burning is turned off when you just drank a six pack or more. But there’s something a little harder to avoid that might be messing with your weight loss.
You need to try your best to avoid being stressed out. High levels of stress cause your body to produce cortisol. What has high levels of cortisol in your blood been linked to? You guessed it… increased abdominal fat! So if you want to continue to lose fat then you need to change things about your environment so that you can live in a calm atmosphere. There’s one more thing you should avoid, but you need to be sure that you’re avoiding the right kind.
All Carbs Aren’t Created Equal
I know that you’ve heard about the low carb craze, but when most people go low carb then end up trying to avoid all carbs, which isn’t what you should do. There are two main types of carbs: complex and simple. What kind do you think most people get a surplus of? If you guessed simple carbs, then you’re right.
Simple carbs are found in sugars and syrups and are actually included in more food than you think. High fructose corn syrup is found in SO many different types of food and it’s actually worse for you than regular sugar. You need to avoid this and be on the lookout for “corn sugar” because they’re trying to change what they have to label it as. Simple carbs are absorbed into your bloodstream a lot quicker than complex carbs so that’s why you get that energy crash after eating a bunch of sugar.
If you get too much sugar in your diet, you’re still getting calories but the energy doesn’t last so you find yourself eating again. But if you focused on complex carbs you would end up eating less because you’d stay full longer. The food industry makes things even harder for you by refining carbohydrates into things like white bread to increase its shelf life. This makes for a product that has less nutrients than it should have. So not only do you want to lower your intake of regular sugar but you want to avoid products that list words like "bleached" or "dehydrated" in their ingredients.
There’s nothing wrong with eating a lowER carb diet, just make sure that the carbs you’re reducing are simple and refined carbohydrates. If you want to ensure that you don’t overeat then you need to be sure that you’re eating enough grains, beans, vegetables and fruit. Fruit!? Isn’t that packed with a lot of sugar? Ah yes, but you’re forgetting about another type of carbohydrate.
Focus on Weight Loss with Every Fiber of Your Being
Did you catch that? Yes, fruit contains sugar but it also contains fiber. The fiber in fruit actually slows the absorption of sugar so that the energy lasts a bit longer. But you want to avoid guzzling down fruit juices because you’re going to miss out on a lot of the fiber that way. That’s beside the fact that a lot of fruit juices have added sugar, but back to fiber.
By eating fiber you’ll control your blood sugar, stay full longer and you can even trim your waist some. If you eat enough fiber every day then you’ll stay “regular” and avoid being constipated, which is always a good thing. But this also keeps you from being bloated and holding onto pounds you don’t need. If you’re constipated then your stomach is going to bulge because it’s full of a bunch of undigested food waiting to meet your porcelain bowl. So fiber will not only help you stay slim by satisfying your appetite longer but it will also help you “battle the bulge”. By knowing what food to consume you ensure that your body stays as slender as possible.
These are proven weight loss tips that will help you lose belly fat but they’re not to be used as a temporary fix. When you make these changes to your diet you will trim down your waistline but don’t give up once you reach your goal. You now have the knowledge to achieve a flat stomach but it won’t mean anything unless you make these changes permanent.
© 2010 Ben Guinter
Related
What Are YOUR Weight Loss Tips?
Hi I really liked all ur lines Bendo13 tnx a lot.
- AUTHOR
Hey emma,
It appears that glucomannan fiber has been found to be slightly better than other kinds of fiber supplements, or no extra fiber supplement at all... but I would recommend that you try to get your extra fiber from food that naturally has fiber in it. Your body will appreciate it, deal with it better and you'll probably save some money.
I'm sure you already eat a decent amount of grains, but up your fruit, veggie, nut, seed and bean intake and you'll have no need for a supplement.
how do u fill about glucomannan fiber
- AUTHOR
That wouldn't be horrible, sammythrone... but it's a bit better if you keep your cheat days to once or twice a month. One mug of beer, once or twice a month won't do too much damage... especially if you don't binge on junk food while you drink.
It won't give you the same effect as a cheat day does (tricks your metabolism in a good way), but it I know a lot of online fitness "gurus" that still have an occassional drink.
If you plan for it, then you can plan around it and make sure that it is just a mug and you'll be right back on track the next day.
Hi Bendo,
I agree that alcohol is a BIG cause to belly fat gain. What's your opinion on a mug a week? Do you think this is a good balance between not giving up drinking yet not adding to the unwanted fat around the belly? Thanks in advance for your comment.
- AUTHOR
Glad you got something out of it, htodd... thanks for reading!
Great weight loss tips ..Nice.
- AUTHOR
That's an awesome goal, Danette Watt! And it's good that you practice portion control even on your "cheat" snacks. The less temptation the better! Thanks for reading!
Very nice hub and I agree with what you've said here. And portion control is a big part of it. My weaknesses are chocolate and salty items. If I want chips, I will go to the store and buy just a little snack bag. Sometimes I don't even eat all of that and will save it for another day. With the chocolate, that's more of an addiction and again, I try to buy small, individual types of choc. I love working out though and weight train 3/week. Lately I've been doing some "training" (such as it is) for a 5k I want to run on 9/11 - first time, so we'll see how it goes.
Looking forward to reading more of your stuff.
- AUTHOR
Glad I could help boost your knowledge on fat burning, NiaLee! It'll come back off if you stick to it, it just takes a little longer as you age and you just had 9 months of eating for two. You'll get there!
Bendo13 thank you so much. Your hub is complete, encouraging, fun and easy to absorb!
Now, I will definitely be more careful about all those things, especially when I know but the cravings beat me!!! It is funny I have always been an healthy eater, really in good shape but after baby number 3, I just feel like I am not losing the weight fast enough. It has only been 2 months so I am going to be more patient with myself and get back on healthy mode. Thanks again fot cortisol and acetate that I discover here.
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Glad I can help, prektjr.dc! I hope you reach your fitness goals!
Lots of great information...I am working on the carbs and the fiber, but had not heard anything about the acetate. I am not much of a drinker, but will definitely avoid it now! Thanks for the info...Good hub..voted up, useful and interesting!
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Glad you got something out of it, Mark! It's nice to see when friends' habits rub off on you in a good way!
Bendo13, I really appreciate having information like this available! I'm a college guy and my friends are going to the gym six times a week and always talking about things like carbs, so they've rubbed off on me some. awesome, voted up!
- AUTHOR
Erika, you'll just want to make small changes then... nothing too drastic like a huge drop in calories. You could baby step month by month and make a new change each month.
Like the first month you could start making healthy subsitutions for things you normally eat... the second month you could start being more active by walking some places you normally drive or go for a walk every other day... the third month you could start working on portion control... the fourth month you could throw in an interval training session or two each week.
Little changes will go a long way if you stick to them long enough and the changes won't be as noticeable when you slowly advance through them.
Hope that helps!
I'm a young girl who wants to loose weight but I don't want to make it noticeable How do I do this
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My pleasure, I hope my tips help you sancra!
thanks youre a star that was fast getting back to me i will try and get back to you in the future fingers crossed
- AUTHOR
Being a diabetic can make things a lot more difficult in terms of weight loss. And I don't think it's right for your partner to come down on you about your weight, I'm all about giving support, but that's none of my business.
If you follow the three guidelines above you'll start to see a difference! Try to get your whole family on the bandwagon and it'll be easier for you. Clear all the junk food out of the house and start looking up healthier recipes.
And then once a week you can all go out to eat and get whatever you want. It's good to have this cheat meal to keep you from quitting. And plus everyone will get to feast on whatever they want, dessert included. But DON'T bring any of it home!
When you have junk food in your house you're going to eat it eventually, so don't tempt yourself all week... just wait until your cheat day.
Another tip is to not have food near where you usually spend your day at home. If you're on the computer a lot then don't have bags of chips near you or anything like that. If you do, then you'll be tempted to pop your hand in the bag because it's right there. So make sure that the food stays in the kitchen so that when you want to eat you have to make an effort to get it.
And lastly, portion control. Don't sit down with a whole container of anything and think that you'll "just have a little bit". You'll end up eating 3 times what you should be. Take a plate and and put on it what you plan to eat and then don't go back for seconds when you finish. Your stomach takes a little bit of time to tell your brain that you're full, so trust me.. you'll be satisfied.
Just aim to get a carb, protein, dairy and a fruit or vegetable with every meal. A portion of each should be about the size of your fist... but don't be afraid to double of on vegetables!
Hope that helps.
i am a diabetic and could really use some good advise i have a big tummy and abdomen and cannot shift it for nothing especally after having 3 kids and am getting a lot of grief from my other half please can you help me asap
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Yeah Tummyfat, I'm not sure that anyone really finds belly fat appealing on men or women... especially if you're looking at your own gut in the mirror!
So take the simple steps and stick to them to melt that gut away.
Belly fat in women is not attractive and more importantly it is not healthy. Getting rid of women’s belly fat should be the number one priority for any woman.
- AUTHOR
I'm laying on the ground next to a fire I built for one of my daily celebration videos... random, I know! haha
Just a quick unrelated question but what are u standing infront of in that picture??
- AUTHOR
My pleasure, AbbyR!
Oh ok, thanks for all your help! :)
- AUTHOR
Hey AbbyR...
Crunches will help you build up muscle strength BUT there is a layer of fat above your abs... so no, crunches aren't going to help you lose that layer so that your stomach is flatter.
The only way to flatten it is by losing fat, through your diet and activity.
That's great that you've given up a bunch of junk food. And you should actually schedule cheat days or cheat meals where you allow yourself to have those cookies.. so that you don't feel guilty and give up.
The best diet is a balanced one... you'll have to ensure that you're not eating excess calories but you want to aim to get lean sources of protein, complex carbs, fruits, vegetables and low fat dairy. I personally eat 6 times a day (3 meals, 3 snacks) and try to balance things out each time I eat.
For your meals you can aim to get a serving of each (protein, carbs, fruits or veggies, and dairy) and for your snacks you can aim to get maybe a serving from two of the above.
I don't want to recommend a mainstream diet because they are temporary and I don't want things to be complicated for you. Keep things simple and the results will come and last longer! Feel free to read the rest of my articles for other suggestions on how to mold your diet.
Hello, I'm abby. I'm 14 and about 5''8 but I want a flatter stomach... Obviously alcohol doesnt factor into my not-so-flat tummy. But do crunches help at all? or what kinda diet should I be on?? I love junk food but I've given most of it up.. Just the occasional cookie and such... What would you suggest?
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Yeah I do a little bit of everything I enjoy, Sylvia... my fitness method is called Dynamic Plateau Training.
I'm glad to see that you aim to eat the way that's best for your body! Thanks for reading!
I'm not sure if you're actually in the health & fitness industry (what with the clothing store & everything) but your advice is absolutely, bang on! Awesome!
It's time to get back to the "pioneer days" in regards to food. All they had was the raw fruits, vegetables, grains & meats & from that they prepared their meals. Rare is the occasion where I'll include any ingestible that's pre-made & in a package.
- AUTHOR
I'm glad you enjoyed it and that I could help, diana!
Great article.I thorougly enjoyed reading it and you explained it very thoroughly easy reading and helpful. I see I definitely need to eat more fruit. Thanks.
- AUTHOR
I know how that can be, DNemesis.. you just have to remind yourself how good it feels to reach your goals and switch things up to keep progressing.
I hope this info will help your friends out.
Very good advice. I know of people who spend months in a plateau and dont know how to get out of it. Eventually, they give up and gain whatever they had initially lost.
I will forward this to a few.
- AUTHOR
That doesn't appear to be a bad option, naina... seems very versatile in how you can use it.
Something I would suggest over that would be milled flax seeds, but they'll have a slight flavor and won't dissolve completely.
hi only just got done readin your post , very helpful . one question i have , what about these fiber sure products the have out now ,how helpful are they for someone who does'nt get a lot of fiber in their diet
- AUTHOR
You're welcome, Lisa... I hope they help you stay fit!
thanks for these tips i am going to try them and start looking out for such things as corn sugar on packaging from now on!
- AUTHOR
Yeah, it's not just the calories that matter in beer! All those low carb beers are missing the point, but people fall for it hook, line and sinker.
Thanks for reading, fastfreta!
Oh so that's where the beer belly comes from. Very good Bendo13, loved it.
- AUTHOR
Glad you got something out of it, stern.. thanks for reading!
Thanks for the info. Very helpfull!!
- AUTHOR
You're welcome... thanks for reading, Glemoh101!
Thanks fort his helpful information.
- AUTHOR
Thanks... thanks for reading, Str8up Hookups!
Good stuff!
Thanx for sharing!
- AUTHOR
No problem, mohamed.. hope it helps!
thanks for this interesting helpful information
- AUTHOR
Thanks for reading AlanZimmerman, it's good to see other health-minded people!
- AUTHOR
Thanks shaekelly... Always glad to have new readers!
I cant believe i haven't been following u your hubs are great.
- AUTHOR
Thanks for reading jfarnsw2! I'm glad to see you're eating a lot healthier. Yeah spaghetti squash does have a little more sugar in it than fiber, but the fiber should slow some of the absorption down.
I don't think it'd be a horrible thing at all to include in your pasta dishes. You could even go half and half with wheat pasta and spaghetti squash to help you feel full even longer.
Thanks for the article :) I have changed my diet recently to foods in their natural form. I have pasta once and a while now, but only the wheat pasta with a home made sauce (I can't believe how much sugar is added to store bought sauce!). I only eat meat once in a great while. If I am in a hurry for lunch, I will have a natural peanut butter and bananna sandwich on a extremely thin wheat bread (it's only 100 calories for two slices-most bread contains that many calories per slice). This satisfies my sweet tooth, and isn't bad. I do have to have coffee in the morning, otherwise I don't get much done and I will put creamer in, but I use as little as I can. This article has helped me a lot. I've read lots of articles of what to eat, so it's nice to know what to stay clear of and what to add. What is your opinion of spaghetti squash? I've been told that it's high in sugar, but it is the natural sugar, so is it better than pasta?
- AUTHOR
I hope it helps, Tankadin! It seems the thickest place for fat is the stomach for most people so if they don't stick to it long enough they never finish the job... Make the changes above and stick to them and I'm sure you'll see results!
Thanks For this info. I have been dieting and cannot seem to lose the fat in my stomach, I will try these tips.
- AUTHOR
Thanks for reading Hello, hello, many more tips to come!
Thank you for a great hub and your tips make a lot of more sense.
- AUTHOR
No problem, dallas9344... thanks for reading!
Great advice. Thanks for sharing.
- AUTHOR
Yeah I agree Shona, I mentioned HFCS in the carb section... I guess they're trying to change what they have to call it to "corn sugar" since HFCS has a negative connotation... It'll take a little for people to catch on.
And yeah, aspartame is horrible! It has adverse effects even outside of weight loss.
The best diet to stick to is one that contains as many natural foods as possible, in their unprocessed form.
High fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, sugar and sweeteners such as aspartmane also need to be avoided, as aspartame causes severe side effects when consumed by many people, and high fructose corn syrup aka corn syrup, is a major contributor to obesity as well.
Aspartame has also been proven to cause cravings for even more sweetened foodstuffs and beverages, thus enforcing a vicious circle of obesity and overeating.
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