Having too much belly fat increases your chances of having diabetes, high "bad" cholesterol, heart disease and certain types of cancer, according to MayoClinic.com. Methods that claim to offer "fast results" often don't fully consider your long-term success in keeping off the belly fat. The fastest way to lose belly fat and keep it off is to attack it with multiple permanent lifestyle changes.
Calorie Burning
The most potent way to lose belly fat is to perform moderate-intensity exercises at least two hours and 30 minutes spread throughout every week. Alternately, get in at least one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise throughout the week. Cardiovascular exercises such as jogging and biking help you burn calories faster than any other type of exercise because they require you to exert more energy. Supplement your workout with 20 or 30 minutes of weight training twice per week to tone your major muscle groups and increase your rate of abdominal fat loss, recommends Harvard Health Publications.
Better Eating
Exercise alone can help you burn off belly fat but you will have trouble making a distinct difference in your appearance if you continue to eat more calories than you need. Emphasize low-calorie meals by filling most of your plate with plant-based foods. Vegetables, fruits and whole grains such as brown rice are generally low-calorie foods but are highly nutritious. Since you also need some protein, focus on lean sources such as beans, fish, skinless poultry and tofu. When you do consume foods that tend to be high in saturated fat, limit portion sizes. For example, a cut of steak should be no larger than a deck of cards. Replace most saturated fat with unsaturated sources such as vegetable oil, nuts, seeds and avocados.
Daily Abdominal Toning
Spot-toning exercises such as crunches can help tighten your abdominal muscles but they won't burn off the harmful belly fat. However, abdominal toning exercises can help your belly look flatter as long as you also burn off the fat layer that covers your muscles. One spot-toning exercise that targets your deeper muscles is called abdominal hollowing. Begin by dropping onto your exercise mat on your hands and knees, allowing your stomach to hang down toward the mat as you deeply breathe in. Then, after fully exhaling, draw your navel in and up as if it could go all the way back to your spine, recommends MayoCinic.com. Hold this tightened position for 10 seconds, rest for another 10 seconds and repeat up to 10 times.
Decreased Stress Levels
Constant stress can cause your body to release more cortisol, a hormone that can lead you to develop extra fat around your abdominal organs, according to the Yale Office of Public Affairs & Communications. Being well-rested every morning and making a conscious effort to engage in a relaxing activity every day may help you lose belly fat. Examples of relaxing activities include yoga, meditation, deep breathing and expressive hobbies such as writing and dancing.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Belly Fat in Women: How to Keep it Off
- Harvard Health Publications: Abdominal Fat and What to Do About it
- MayoClinic.com: Belly Fat in Men: Why Weight Loss Matters
- USA Today: Belly Full of Danger
- Yale Office of Public Affairs & Communications: Stress May Cause Excess Abdominal Fat in Otherwise Slender Women, Study Conducted at Yale Shows
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