Of areas to target for losing weight, the stomach and belly region is one of the most common. The weight-loss industry offers hundreds of products that claim to help you reach your weight-loss goals in that and other areas. Among these, drinking tea can be surprisingly effective -- especially when you compare its cost with the costs of competitively effective options.
Spot Reduction
The idea that you can specifically target your stomach or belly for weight loss is a myth called "spot reduction." The bad news is that you can't actually do it: weight loss comes from your body as a whole, and there is no way to direct your body to remove fat from any given area. The good news is that your stomach is part of your "body as a whole." The generalized fat loss from any weight-loss program will inevitably include some fat reduction from your belly.
Tea Ingredients
Black, green and oolong teas all contain caffeine. Herbal teas may contain caffeine or other stimulants such as ginseng or guarana. These stimulants help you lose weight in three ways. They push you to be more active, thus burning more calories. They act as a mild appetite suppressant, so you eat fewer calories throughout the day. They are also diuretics, making you urinate more often and retain less water. Though these are effective, stimulants can also be habit-forming and have side effects including irritability, anxiety and increased blood pressure.
Tea as a Liquid
One of the most powerful weight-loss characteristics of tea is that it is a zero-calorie beverage. According to CNN Health correspondent Dr. Melina Jampolis, drinking a serving of zero-calorie beverage, such as tea, before each meal can help you control your portions and eat less at the meal. This strategy is also effective as your first response to any between-meal snack cravings. This technique works only if you drink your tea unsweetened and without cream or other calorie-laden additives.
Context
Tea can be a valuable adjunct to your weight-loss efforts, but you'll never get a flat belly by drinking tea alone. Like other weight-loss attempts, it's best practiced as part of a structured plan for losing weight. Bottom line: Tea can help you shed fat from your belly, but ultimately your choice of specific weight-loss techniques isn't nearly as important as a committed decision to observe a weight-loss program.
Member Comments