You might even be surprised to find that at least 75 per cent of your belly fat is visceral fat — a type of fat stored deep in your abdomen. Visceral fat has been linked to several health complications such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea.
You need to focus on these 6 tips to get rid of your belly fat.
Cut down carbohydrates, not fat.
Although it sounds strange, you need to cut down on carbs than fat to get rid of belly fat.
Generally, all simple carbs are digested and coveted to glucose in the gut. These are absorbed into the blood and used for energy production.
However, suppose you consume a high amount of carbs. In that case, there is excess glucose after the energy production, part of which is stored as glycogen in the liver and muscle tissue. The rest is converted to fat and stored, especially around the abdomen.
Experts suggest that diets high in fat but low in carbohydrates are healthier for the supply of energy and weight loss.
The keto diet is one of the best examples of this type of meal. The basis of the keto diet is low carbs, high amounts of fats and a moderate amount of proteins.
In a keto diet, the body switches from fat to energy production, thus mobilizing fat stores around the abdomen.
Research also shows that a low carbohydrate diet is more effective in weight loss than a low-fat diet.
A realistic approach is to reduce the quantity of carbs foods, opt for a whole meal and avoid foods containing simple sugar, such as cake, biscuits and ice cream.
More protein in the diet can reduce belly fat.
If you want to reduce belly fat faster, add more protein to your diet. Protein works through several mechanisms, but the most important is protein changes the levels of weight-regulating hormones in the body.
Some evidence indicates that a high protein diet increases the levels of appetite-reducing hormones in the body, improves the metabolic rate, and thus helps reduce weight.
Protein intake also burns more calories and reduces your late-night cravings.
When combined with regular exercise, a high protein diet can build your muscles and reduce fat stores around your belly, thus giving you strong abs.
Avoid sugary foods to reduce belly fat.
Sugar in candies, cookies, beverages, or other processed foods is bad for your health.
Many processed sugary drinks contain a high amount of fructose syrup. So that it increases the unwanted calories in your food, raising the risk of chronic problems such as obesity, diabetes and several other metabolic conditions.
A study reports that visceral fat volume is significantly higher in high fructose consumers than glucose consumers.
So to reduce belly fat, you should reduce the consumption of sugary foods. This will significantly enhance your efforts to lose fat.
Aerobic exercises help to reduce belly fat.
Exercise is one of the best things you can do to reduce belly fat faster.
30 minutes of daily physical activity burn out glucose and start burning glycogen. But if you want to burn the fats, you need to exercise beyond 30 min. The ideal is to exercise for 30 to 60 min.
Researchers have found that exercise reduces belly fat and a signalling molecule called interleukin-6 also assists in this process.
It has been shown that interleukin-6 regulates energy metabolism and stimulates the breakdown of fat molecules, thus reducing abdominal fat.
Therefore, engaging in more than 30 minutes of exercise is suggested. Also, some workout routine helps to strengthen your abdominal muscles.
Try not to stress out.
Stress not only affects you psychologically but can also influence your physical health.
A stress hormone called cortisol can change your metabolism and make you obese.
Evidence indicates cortisol is specifically correlated to an increase in visceral fat. Cortisol stimulates the carbohydrate metabolism along with stimulation of insulin release. The result of all these processes is an increase in hunger that can lead to weight gain.
Therefore if you want to reduce belly fat, try not to stress out. Instead, engage yourself in activities such as meditation, yoga, or prayers that make you feel relaxed.
Work on your sleep schedule.
Although not seems significant, sleep schedule has a great impact on your quality of life.
A disturbed sleep pattern can make you lazy, interfere with your daily activities, and even make you obese.
According to the experts at Sleep Foundation, sleep disturbances create an imbalance in the levels of body hormones that can promote weight gain.
Sleep deprivation also releases cortisol (stress hormone) in the body, stimulating fat storage around your abdominal area.
So to overcome all these fluctuations, it is necessary to work on your sleep routine. You should make a proper schedule and follow it to reduce belly fat.
The Bottom Line
If you’re looking for ways to reduce belly fat, this list is for you. It’s made up of 6 of the best fat-reducing tips I’ve discovered and used during the last few months.
Increasing protein and reducing carbs intake, including sugary drinks, is essential. In addition, more than 30 minutes of exercise with quality sleep and stress-free life is the secret to reducing belly fat.
