10 More Ways To Slim Down

Wanting to lose belly fat is one of the most popular reasons why people start a weight loss plan. And losing belly fat is a very difficult task for most people. However with the right guidance and some personal drive you can get a flat stomach. Here are our 10 rules for losing belly fat.

1. Exercise Intensively and Often

A very common mistake people make is to do one long cardio session each weekend. This does not really help you lose weight at all. Research has shown that the best way to lose weight and to trim belly fat is to perform regular intensive workouts. You need to push your body to its limits several times during a workout, and workout 3 to 6 times per week.

Intensity is not just the measure of speed but also power. Lifting weights makes you more powerful and also burns a lot of calories. So head to the gym for some weight training exercise. Lift free weights, perform squats, bench press, military press and rows.

2. Keep Well Hydrated

Ensuring that you are taking plenty of water on board helps your lose belly fat for a few reasons. Firstly, many people mistake thirst for hunger, and so eat when they should drink!

Secondly, when you are well hydrated your body becomes more efficient at digesting food and transporting fuel to muscles. This means you burn more fat.

3. Eat Often and Eat Slowly

Like exercise you should increase the frequency of your meals, but unlike exercise you should slow down.

Eating smaller meals more often keeps your metabolism raised which means you are more likely to burn fat than store fat. By eating slowly you become more concious of your food and your appetite and are more likely to stop eating sooner when you feel satisfied.

4. Always Eat a Healthy Breakfast

Simply starting the day healthy is a great way to lose weight. A healthy start with slow release carbohydrates and lean proteins sets you up for he day, gives your more energy, helps muscles recover after exercise and stops you snacking on junk food mid-morning.

5. Sleep 8 Hours a Night

Studies have shown that getting a good nights sleep helps you lose weight. Tiredness leads to overeating and also affects hormones that alter your metabolism. Tired people put on weight.

6. Ditch the Booze

This is a hard one for most people to swallow, but alcohol, and beer especially, contains a lot of calories. If you are drinking on a regular basis you never give your body the opportunity to burn fat for energy.

7. Eat Raw Food and Eat Like a Caveman

This is now a very popular trend. Eating like a caveman, or cave woman, means consuming a pre-agricultural diet. And this means no junk food, no processed food, no refined food. If you cannot pick it, dig it up or kill it, then you cannot eat it. Cooking is of course allowed, as we know cavemen cooked meat on fire.

8. Find a Fitness Buddy

This applies more to women than to men. Studies have shown that when women exercise with friends they lose more weight and get fitter. Researchers have speculated that this is due to a combination of factors. When women exercise together they enjoy exercise more and become less aware of the less pleasant aspects of exercising – they often talk through the pain!

Also women become very competitive and want to prove to their friend that they are really committed to losing weight. It is as if some animal instinct kicks in and the women are competing for the position of female leader of the pack. Competition is a good thing with fitness and exercise.

9. Walk More

By this we do not mean join the Ramblers Society (although this will get you very fit) but to just walk more often. Find opportunities to walk. Walk to the local shops or walk the children to school if possible. Most people now get in the car rather than walk a mile. 1 mile if really a very short distance, but people these days feel that they cannot afford to “waste” 20 minutes walking a mile.

10. Believe in Yourself and Your Goal

Possibly the most important difference between people that lose their belly fat and people that fail to get a flat stomach is those that lose their bellies remain committed to the task and believe in their own ability. The failures start to suffer low self esteem and start to convince themselves that they just cannot do it.

If you are the sort of person that suffers from low self esteem at times then this is another reason to join a weight loss group to find some moral support and friendship to help your stay on track. For more advice read our full guide to losing belly fat.

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