The term "muffin top" is sometimes used to refer to excess belly fat that hangs over the top of your pants, resembling the crust of a muffin. Belly fat is easy to put on and hard to get rid of. A combination of diet and exercise is the only way to lose the flab, but proper nutrition is paramount. To lose belly fat, you have to lose overall body fat by creating a daily calorie deficit.
Step 1
Assess your current daily calorie intake by making note of the foods you normally eat in a day and adding up the total number of calories consumed. If you aren't sure of how many calories are in the foods you eat, you can use a calorie counting resource such as website Calorie Lab.
Step 2
Figure out how many calories you burn each day during your daily activities, e.g. eating, sleeping, cleaning the house, exercising. You can refer to a resource such as the activity calculator at website Calories Per Hour to find out how many calories you burn during each activity.
Step 3
Calculate the difference between your daily caloric intake and your calories burned. You will probably end up with a calorie intake number that is higher than calories burned. Your goal now is to reduce your caloric intake so it is at least 100 calories less per day than your calories burned.
Step 4
Eat a nutritious diet consisting of whole foods. Whole foods are as close to their natural state as possible. They are minimally processed and refined and have no added sugar or fat. Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and poultry, fresh fish, legumes, nuts and seeds are whole foods.
Step 5
Watch your portion sizes with everything but vegetables. Meats, dairy, grains, nuts, seeds and fruit are good for you, but the body is unable to use large amounts of these foods, and whatever is left over will have to be stored as fat. Plan your meals so that vegetables make up the largest portion. Eat them raw, steamed or sauteed in a little bit of olive, coconut or palm oil.
Step 6
Cut out sugar. If you really want to lose belly fat, you have to go without sweeteners, especially refined sugar. You can substitute a small amount of maple syrup or honey, but the best option is to go without it.
Step 7
Start by counting calories in a food journal so that you are being held accountable for not eating junk food. As you become more used to eating a whole foods diet and proper portion control, counting calories becomes unnecessary.
Member Comments