One of the toughest challenges when it comes to losing weight and getting fit is figuring out how to get rid of stomach fat. Your stomach is one of the toughest areas of the body to shed inches and get into shape. Having a big belly can not only cause you to feel unattractive and uncomfortable, it can be dangerous to your health as well. Belly fat is a form of visceral fat that may form between your organs and lead to chronic inflammation and put you at higher risk for diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. So use these following tips to shed your belly fat to look better and feel healthier.
1. Eat A Healthy Breakfast To Jump Start Your Metabolism
Eating a healthy breakfast helps jump start your metabolism and keeps your insulin levels steady. When your metabolism is boosted, it will burn fat rather than storing it. Include high-fiber foods and protein as part of your breakfast such as eggs, multi-grain cereals, vegetables and fresh fruits. Avoid unhealthy foods like sugary cereals and donuts.
2. Drink Lots Of Water Throughout The Day
Drinking water during the day can help to keep your metabolism active. It also helps to flush unhealthy toxins from your body. You should aim to drink approximately 64 ounces of water or more each day. Avoid, or significantly cut back on, sugary drinks and alcohol.
3. Skip The Crunches And Focus On Interval Training And Strength Conditioning Instead
Many people mistakenly believe that doing endless crunches and sit ups will give them a flat stomach. Although performing these exercises may build some muscle, there will still be a layer of fat hiding the muscles. Interval training, where you alternate performing high intensity exercises with lower intensity ones, has been shown to be very effective at shedding weight and building muscle. In fact, this is one of the most important how to get rid of stomach fat tips of all. You can do wind sprints combined with slower walking. Treadmills, stationary bikes and elliptical machines also come with interval training modes that you can use to vary the intensity of your workouts. In terms of strength conditioning, aim for full body workouts rather than just focusing on your stomach and abdominal muscles to achieve the best results.
4. Eat A Healthy, Low Calorie Diet
Since it is body fat that is covering up your stomach muscles, it is important to eat a healthy and low calorie diet to shed those unwanted inches off your stomach. You wont accomplish that by going on a fad diet. Instead, eat a healthy and balanced diet that incorporates lean cuts of protein, plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, fiber and healthy fats.
5. Get Plenty Of Sleep
Not getting enough sleep can actually cause you to gain stomach fat. Lack of sleep can interrupt your bodys natural biorhythms and hormone production, particularly your cortisol levels which can lead to belly fat. Aim for getting at least 7 hours of sleep per night.
If you start to incorporate the above tips into your daily routine, you will soon start to see results. Just stick with your healthy routine and dont fall for fad diets or miracle ab machines. You will succeed in having a flat and attractive stomach in no time.