18 Tips To Lose Belly Fat
Can you actually lose local belly fat? What’s the Best Way to Lose Belly Fat Fast? Losing belly fat is very frustrating for many people. Although the scale often indicates fewer pounds after a while dieting, little seems to change about that belly. It is true that every person has a different fat distribution, which makes us all look slightly different. But the belly is the hardest place to burn fat for almost everyone.
Can you lose belly fat locally?
Yes and no. If you want to lose belly fat, you will have to encourage your body as a whole to lose fat. As we know, we do this by eating less and exercising more. As soon as your body is short of calories, it will start burning fat. It automatically gets that fat from different places in your body.
Some people lose weight more quickly on their buttocks or breasts, others on their face or stomach. Although this fat distribution is largely individually determined and makes each body unique, it is still possible to influence this a little. The fat distribution is also determined by your hormone balance.
Due to a high accumulation of stress hormones such as cortisol, you will store more fat around your waist. And cortisol also makes it much more difficult to lose belly fat. That’s because belly fat has up to four times more cortisol receptors than other types of fat in your body.
The best way to lose belly fat fast
To burn belly fat quickly, you will first have to lose weight and lose fat by exercising and eating with a calorie deficit. To lose belly fat locally, it is important to look at how you can eat and exercise optimally to positively influence your hormones.
When less stress hormones are present in the body, your stomach will also hold onto these fats less hard. Fortunately, it is not as difficult as it seems. With these 18 tips you can conjure up your six-pack before the summer!
18 Tips To Lose Belly Fat
1. Use an eating schedule
An eating schedule ensures that you get the right number of calories and macronutrients. Because if you want to lose weight you need a calorie deficit, but this should not be too great. Your body experiences a too-strict diet as a stress factor in which it wants to preserve belly fat
2. Avoid fast sugars
Fast sugars have a major impact on your blood sugar. A stable blood sugar level is one of the most important factors for weight loss, in addition to a calorie deficit. An insulin level that is too high tells your body to store fat. With a stable blood sugar level, fat can be released for burning.
Eat less often
Eating less often also has a positive effect on your insulin level. Snacking throughout the day does not help keep your combustion high, but it does help your insulin level. Your body can safely go without food for a while. And it is precisely when your body can no longer burn sugars that it will switch to fats.
4. Skip your breakfast
Skipping breakfast will lengthen the time you don’t eat. This has a positive effect on your insulin level, your testosterone and your growth hormone. This principle is known as intermittent fasting and is a very effective way to train dry.
Eat enough fats
It seems contradictory, but to lose belly fat you have to keep eating enough healthy fats. Fats have a satiating effect and are necessary for the building of important hormones such as testosterone. And as you already know, the correct hormone balance ensures that you can lose belly fat and build muscle.
Eat more vegetables
Most vegetables contain more than 90% water and a lot of fiber. Hence, they are very low in calories yet very satiating. Vegetables also contain many important vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, zinc and vitamin K that make you feel fit and energetic and lower your cortisol levels.
Drink coffee
That’s a nice tip! One or two cups of coffee in the morning, ideally combined with intermittent fasting, strongly activates fat burning. Avoid coffee later in the day. Because this affects the quality of your sleep, causing you to produce more cortisol.
Have an appetizer
By taking a healthy appetizer such as a soup or salad you will quench your first hunger. When you start on your main menu you can control yourself much better and with a small portion you will have enough. This also removes the urge to have dessert and makes you feel like a real Zen master.
Eat more vegetable
Plant-based products such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and legumes are super healthy and contain more fiber and fewer calories than most animal products. If it is difficult to lose weight because you like to eat a lot, you can focus on more plant-based nutrition. This way you can easily eat more and satisfy your hunger without taking in too many calories.
Of course, this only counts for healthy unprocessed food. Fast sugars are also vegetables but are high in carbohydrates. It is, therefore, better not to use it too much in an eating schedule to lose weight.
10. Stay sober
Converted alcohol contains more calories per gram than sugar. Your body experiences alcohol as a toxic product and this puts pressure on the liver. For example, an overloaded liver is unable to break down its own estrogen, which causes estrogen dominance in both men and women. This ensures more storage of belly fat in both sexes. Alcohol also increases the production of cortisol again!
11. Drink plenty of water
Drinking plenty of water is purifying for your body. It helps the liver and lymphatic system to expel waste products from the body. Drinking enough water also helps against hunger and is of course extremely important for your energy level and all body functions.
12. De-stress
The body is very resilient, but our busy and hectic way of life causes too much stress. And again: it is precisely this stress that is the main driver of cortisol production. So do less, read, laugh, play music, meditate, sunbathe or dance and get a toned stomach and good mood in return.
13. Do strength training
We often think that exercise is important for burning calories. But this is only half the truth. An important effect of sports, and especially strength training, is that you build muscle and increase your testosterone level. Make sure you don’t train for too long: workouts of more than an hour will again increase cortisol production.
Eat fatty fish
The Omega-3 fatty acids in fatty fish are known for their positive effect on the heart and blood vessels. As mentioned before, healthy fats are essential for weight loss. Fish is easy to digest, so you won’t feel lazy after a meal. This way you still have energy for walking, for example. Omega-3 can also lower cortisol levels.
15. Go to bed on time
Your sleep is essential for recovery. Only with sufficient qualitative deep sleep you produce growth hormone, an important hormone to keep your body in balance. Your deep sleep is usually in the early part of the night. Those who go to sleep on time can therefore take maximum advantage of this.
16. Eat enough vitamin C.
Citrus fruits in particular are packed with vitamin C and this helps to lower your insulin levels. Fruit is always healthy, and thanks to the abundance of water and natural sugars, it can give you a solid energy boost for your next workout.
17. Eat consciously
How you eat is at least as important as what you eat. If you eat a healthy meal without chewing while you’re still quickly replying to an email, your digestive system is not going to be happy about this.
Sufficient chewing and eating slowly ensures a relaxed feeling and better digestion. A lighter digestion ensures that you quickly feel like moving again.
18. Book a vacation
Let’s end with a super tip. A relaxing holiday is an ideal way to de-stress. In addition, you can enjoy a portion of vitamin D in the sun.
As soon as you book a vacation, there is also a deadline in your agenda to lose your belly fat. Undoubtedly, this is the best motivation to take action and apply any of these tips.
