Have you ever heard that losing belly fat is easy? Maybe you have. Or maybe you haven’t. Sometimes you may lose weight only to regain it all later. You may have tried virtually all the fad diets out there over the past years, because there are certainly many preached at us by the diet industry. But what many of us have actually found is that losing belly fat is a fairly slow process in general. It may not be as quick and easy as it sounds. However, there are 5 tips to lose belly fat that you can try starting today that will help you get on the right track.
A slimmer belly will come with weight loss but don’t expect to get rock hard abs unless you do a lot of targeted exercises over time.
If you plan to start a weight loss plan of any kind, always remember to first consult with your doctor or medical professional to ensure a safe plan that will work for you.
Tip 1 to Lose Belly Fat: Get Good Sleep
Get enough sleep. This may sound fundamental or even a little strange. But the more we learn about how the mechanics of the body work, the better we can help it assist us in delivering the goals we want.
Sleep is not only fundamentally important for our basic survival, but it also is critical in helping the body to lose weight.
Did you know that poor sleep on a regular basis can actually increase your hunger hormones?
That’s certainly not a good thing, especially when we want to curb our appetites so as to not overeat.
The hormones ghrelin and leptin are involved in the fat storage and hunger departments.
Ghrelin is the hormone responsible for signaling to your brain that you are hungry.
This gets adjusted accordingly before and after you eat.
The hormone leptin is one that gets released from fat cells and tells our brains that we are full and satisfied after eating.
Studies have found that not getting enough good quality sleep affects these hormones. When things are out of balance, more ghrelin gets produced and less leptin is made.
That leads to the body feeling more hungry and less satisfied. The end result can be an increase in your appetite.
So if you want to help your body make it easier for you to lose belly fat and weight in general, try and get more sleep.
The Sleep Foundation suggests 7-8 hours per night is the best medicine.
Tip 2 to Lose Belly Fat: Get Moderate Exercise Regularly
I know what you’re thinking…exercise! Of course, and probably weekly hours of boot camp routines, right? Actually you don’t need to do endless hours of hard core activity to burn your belly fat.
As we get older, weight does tend to creep onto our waistlines.
But it doesn’t have to be something you choose to accept.
If you want to work on targeting your belly fat, the most effective way to do that is with cardiovascular exercise.
In other words, brisk walking can help you to reduce belly fat.
Although you may think that you have to do a ton of crunches and targeted waist exercises to get results, the most effective way to blast the deep visceral fat that lies around your waistline is through cardio exercise.
Cardiovascular exercise essentially burns fat from all over your body, but it will help tremendously with your waistline.
Try to aim for at least 30 minutes of brisk walking (moderate intensity), jogging or biking at least 3 days a week.
As you get stronger, up that strategy to 5 days per week. If you can, do this exercise for up to 60 minutes. Over time you will see that belly fat start to decrease without even having to do one crunch.
Keep track of your progress and monitor your intensity.
It won’t be long before you start looking and feeling better which will encourage you to keep going!
Tip 3 To Lose Belly Fat: Know Your Carbs
Anyone who’s ever tried to lose weight has heard about carbs. Carbohydrates are essential for our survival but did you know that not all carbs are created equal.
Some are definitely better than others when it comes to having a healthier body!
If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s very important to know about the difference between fast carbs and slow carbs.
Essentially this just means that some carbohydrate foods will be digested more quickly or more slowly depending on what you’re eating.
Basically, carbs are what the body uses for energy.
Carbs release glucose into the bloodstream which means they can either be directly used up for energy, or stored as dreaded fat when there’s too much of them or the fast kind.
The best carbs to eat are slow digesting carbs. Slow releasing carbs don’t spike your insulin when they enter the bloodstream, which makes them an optimal choice for a healthier lifestyle.
Fast releasing carbs would be things like potatoes, starchy foods, sugary sweets, bakery items and candy.
Most things that come out of a box or a package are probably going to be a form of fast releasing carbs.
In the end, it is important to find the right belly fat burning foods to keep you satisfied and nourished.
Tip 4 To Lose Belly Fat: Be Mindful
There are so many things to consider when you want to shed weight.
And keep in mind that every body will react slightly different because we all are our own unique beings.
There really is no set remedy that is the perfect fit for every single person. 
So it will help for you to learn how you react to different strategies and stick to what works for you.
If you don’t like the taste of something, don’t force yourself to eat it just because you’re “supposed” to.
And, if one form of exercise is too tough on your body, try something else until you find one that feels right.
If you didn’t have a great sleep last night, don’t sweat it. But do try to think about how your daily actions impact your body.
Be kind to yourself and pay attention to how you think about things.
Always speak to yourself in a kind voice, no matter how difficult that may be.
You are your own best friend and you’ll walk through life with only this one body. So make better choices for yourself and work towards your goals.
You can get to where you want to be with a plan and action!
Tip 5 To Lose Belly Fat: Lower Your Stress
Stress is a problem most people encounter. It can wreak havoc with your body and emotions.
The problem with too much stress in your life is that it elevates the cortisol hormones in your body. When there is too much cortisol streaming through your bloodstream, you end up with more belly fat.
Too much cortisol in the body can actually create a build up of visceral fat around your organs. This is the most dangerous type of fat that can lead to heart disease, hypertension and type 2 diabetes.
In addition, all that extra cortisol can lead to reduce your insulin sensitivity. This can make losing weight very difficult.
So it is important for your overall health to try and reduce stress. Lowering cortisol levels is paramount for optimal health.
Consider trying exercises like yoga. Take a quiet break and meditate if you can. Practice deep breathing. Find a way to relax that works for you.
The Take Away On 5 Tips To Lose Belly Fat…
You didn’t end up with those extra pounds overnight.
They took time to build up on your body.
But the more you learn about how your body works, the better you can make good decisions that will help you shed unwanted pounds.
We aren’t made to be perfect beings and we will fall off the wagon and be tempted by the wrong choices sometimes.
But if you start with the above 5 tips to lose belly fat and try to incorporate them daily, you will start creating new habits that will lead to lasting change.
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