Excess belly fat is uncomfortable and unhealthy. As a teenager you want to be as fit and healthy as possible. But you also want to make sure you develop habits that allow you to become a healthy and fit adult. By making small changes in your diet and lifestyle, you can get rid of excess belly fat and become healthier and more fit in the process.
Eat Frequent Smaller Meals
When your body is deprived of food for long periods of time, such as skipping breakfast, it thinks it is starving. This causes the body to hold on to food it has and store it as fat to prepare for another long period without food. To avoid this and help raise your metabolism, eat smaller, more frequent meals. Eating every three hours will help break this cycle, raise your metabolism to help you burn fat, and may help you eat less overall.
Include Strength Training
Strength training helps you increase the amount of lean muscle mass on your body. The more pounds of muscle you have, the better your body gets at burning calories and fat, including belly fat. If you do not have a gym you can go to, you can use your own body's weight at home by doing push ups, lunges, the plank pose and pull ups in a circuit of 10 to 12 repetitions per set and one to three sets of each exercise. Take a one minute break between each circuit and perform the circuit three times, two to three days per week.
Healthier Fast Food
Sometimes fast food is your only option if you have not brought healthy food with you. However, you can still make healthier choices when it comes to fast food. Opting for chicken that is grilled and not fried, ordering a salad with a low fat dressing, and choosing water instead of soda or juice are ways you can put healthier food in your body. Doing this will help decrease belly fat that exists due to a poor diet.
Increase Your Cardio Exercise
If you are not currently doing any type of cardiovascular exercise such as participating on a sports team, running, walking, biking or similar activities, then starting to do some of these activities will help get rid of belly fat by burning calories. Choose the activity that appeals to you the most, such as walking around the mall or using exercise DVDs at home. You are more likely to stick with your exercise of choice if its something you enjoy. If you do not want to exercise alone, get a friend to exercise with you. Do your cardiovascular exercise for at least 20 minutes three to four days per week.
Drink Water
Drinking water helps to get rid of belly fat because it causes you to be more full, helps to flush toxins out of your body, and replaces the excess calories associated with drinking juices and sodas. Even if you drink diet sodas, there is a chance that the sugary taste in the soda is limiting your body's ability to know when it is full and stop cravings. When your body experiences these cravings, you may eat more food leading to an intake of excess calories. The excess calories get stored on your body as fat. Practice replacing your regular juices and sodas with water and keep a reusable water bottle with you to make it easier to always have water with you.
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