According to Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital, when you hit age 30 you start to lose muscle and gain approximately 2 percent fat per decade -- particularly if you have a sedentary job or don't get much physical activity. If you're carrying a spare tire around your middle section, it may seem daunting to think about trimming down, but making small lifestyle changes can lead to big benefits when it comes to losing belly fat.
Eat Mini-Meals
Eat five to six small meals throughout the day, consisting of approximately 300 calories each. According to Tosca Reno, author of "The Eat Clean Diet," this is the key to keeping your metabolism stoked throughout the day. Reno recommends combining complex carbohydrates with lean protein for each meal. Examples include a piece of fruit and handful of almonds, black beans in a whole-wheat tortilla, or string cheese with whole-grain crackers. Or have a salad with a safflower-oil based dressing. A 2009 study published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," says women with type-2 diabetes who consumed 1-2/3 tsp. per day lost two to four pounds of belly fat.
Don't Skip Breakfast
Eat breakfast to kick-start your metabolism so that you burn more calories throughout the day. A Harvard University study shows that people who ate breakfast, particularly whole-grain cereal, were 20 percent less likely to die of heart disease than those who did not. As an added bonus, The American Heart Association states that people who eat breakfast every day not only have a lower rate of obesity, they have 35 to 50 percent less risk of insulin resistance syndrome, which is a precursor to diabetes. Quick-cooking oats are a healthy whole-grain breakfast that can be prepared in only one minute. Cook hot cereal with skim or soy milk to add calcium without too many added calories.
Cardio and Weight Training
Combine cardiovascular exercise such as walking, dancing or swimming with weight training to build muscle. Muscle burns more calories than fat, meaning you expend more energy even when you're at rest. Brigham and Women's Hospital reports that a pound of muscle added through weight training burns 50 calories a day. Certified personal trainer James Orvis recommends working out with weights 20 minutes every other day and lists lunges, push-ups and crunches as effective muscle-building exercises. By harnessing the resistance of your own body, you don't have to invest in a gym membership or expensive home exercise equipment to reap the benefits of weight training. As for cardio, aim for at least 30 minutes five days per week.
Member Comments