Belly fat can imperil your health and has been linked to serious health problems such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and dementia. While many products claim they can help you easily lose belly fat, you can do it yourself from the comfort of your own home. The key is to get plenty of exercise, drink water, get plenty of sleep and cut out bad habits.
Step 1
Keep your body hydrated. It sounds backward, but if your body is dehydrated, you actually retain water, as your body panics and struggles to hold onto the water it has left, which can cause bloating. Dr. Brenda Davy of Virginia Tech found that people who drink a glass of water before they ate consumed 75 fewer calories than people who did not drink a glass of water before a meal. Davy's research also suggested that if your body is dehydrated by even 1 percent, your metabolism slows down, and you can't burn as many calories. This makes it much more difficult to lose belly fat. The Mayo Clinic says you should drink at least eight 8 oz. glasses of water daily.
Step 2
Eat breakfast every morning. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day because your metabolism cannot start burning calories until you put fuel into it. Once you eat breakfast, your body begins burning calories, so the sooner you eat breakfast, the more calories you can burn during the day. Eat a breakfast filled with protein such as eggs, peanut butter and yogurt.
Step 3
Get enough sleep. When your body doesn't get enough sleep, it is tired, making it much more difficult to find the energy to exercise. Your metabolism is also not as effective when your body is sleep-deprived. The National Sleep Foundation says you should get seven to eight hours of sleep every night.
Step 4
Exercise to easily lose belly fat. Exercise is the fastest way to drop your belly fat, and you can squeeze it into your daily routine without life-altering changes. Park your car farther away from the office, go on a walk during your lunch hour or take the stairs instead of the elevator. The Mayo Clinic says you should get at least 2.5 hours of strenuous exercise every week, and the more exercise you get, the faster you lose your belly fat.
Step 5
Cut sodium from your diet. Too much salt in your diet makes you bloated and sluggish. Your diet has more than enough salt already without adding any from the salt shaker. Most foods--especially dry, canned, jarred or seasoned--are already heavily salted when you buy them. Season your food with pepper, oregano, dill or nearly any dried herb. The Mayo Clinic says you should consume no more than 2,400 mg of sodium per day.
Step 6
Stop drinking alcohol. There is absolutely no benefit to drinking alcohol when it comes to your waistline. Alcoholic drinks are full of empty calories that make it harder for you to burn belly fat. Cutting out alcohol is one of the easiest things you can do to eliminate belly fat.
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