How to lose belly fat?

HOW TO LOSE BELLY FAT

The cause and the cure!

When wanting to know how to lose belly fat it is helpful to know the cause. First, on this page, I'll answer your question in some depth, and then, at the bottom of this answer, provide you with page links leading to programs, plans, and lists, that will guide you in greater detail, at you own pace.

Over-consumption of refined processed carbohydrates is a major cause of stomach or abdomen fat. The accumulation is usually encouraged by a degree of insulin resistance. Many, many people, nowadays, have a degree of insulin resistance, often without being aware of it. Let's now look at how to reverse this through avoiding refined processed carbohydrates. If you are unsure what these foods are, at the bottom of this answer you will find a page link leading to a full list.

As deliciously addictive as refined processed carbohydrates are, we are not designed to eat them. Our ancient ancestors did not have these foods in their diet. Hence, our ancestors were fitter and leaner. Many people have a problem with refined carbohydrates because our bodies are extremely similar to the bodies of our ancestors.

In fact, less than 1/10th of 1% of our genes have changed in the last 10,000 years. In terms of evolution, it is not that long ago! Consequently, our bodies are not equipped for our current this way of eating.

Moreover, the diseases often referred to as diseases of Western civilization, such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, dental caries, and others, became pervasive in the twentieth century primarily because we consume too many refined processed carbohydrates.

THEREFORE, HOW TO LOSE BELLY FAT THROUGH EATING

To stop fat accumulating around the abdomen or stomach, or to reverse or decrease insulin resistance, eliminate refined processed carbohydrates from your diet (apart from an occasional treat).

Over-consumption of refined processed carbohydrates is a major cause of such things as insulin resistance and fat accumulating around the belly or abdomen, unwanted weight gain, obesity, hypertension, borderline and type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and many other diet related conditions and diseases. Therefore, eliminate or strictly limit refined processed carbohydrates. See the list of these foods on the page link given at the bottom of this answer.

Some people mistakenly think that it is not possible to target belly fat. However, this is a mistaken belief if insulin resistance is causing the belly or abdomen fat. Therefore, we can have an abundance of body fat around the abdomen or stomach, whilst we are not necessarily fat elsewhere. Alternatively, we can be fat elsewhere but it is out of proportion to the amount of body fat accumulating around the abdomen or stomach.

The apple shaped figure that is becoming increasingly prevalent.

Replace refined processed carbohydrates with specific fat burning proteins and make good use of the fat burning thermic effect of these nutritious foods. If you are unsure what these foods types are, you will find a list of the specific fat burning proteins, plus more about the thermic effect of these foods, via the page link given at the bottom of this answer. Drink plenty of water to enable you body to possess these foods.

Eat several small meals per day in order to avoid food cravings. You will not be eating consuming more: you will simply be spreading it throughout the day. In addition, by doing this, your body does not assume that you are starving and begin to consume muscle instead of fat. Our bodies need to hold on to a certain percentage of fat. If we go too low, our body starts to tear down muscle, which works against us.

Eat low carbohydrate non-starchy vegetables, and low carbohydrate fruits such as berries. In addition, remember that what you put in your body (nutritionally) will reflect on the outside. By decreasing refined processed carbohydrates and other high carbohydrate foods, while increasing fat burning proteins, plus adding low carbohydrate (non-starchy) vegetables, and only a small about of fruit such as low carbohydrate fruits such as berries (fruit contains a lot of fructose/sugar/carbohydrate), you will increase you metabolism and change it from carbohydrate burning to a fat burning.

An excellent book (covering all the above in detail) that takes you by the hand and explains how to lose belly fat in a simple step-by-step way is the Belly Fat Blast by Anna Wright and Dennis E. Bradford, Ph.D. (Paperback or Kindle, which you can borrow or buy from Amazon.) It also shows you how many carbohydrates to eat daily and explains why you won't be hungry when you are eating those specific fats and those specific fat burning proteins from natural sources.

IN THE CASE OF HOW TO LOSE BELLY FAT, EXERCISE IS PURELY OPTIONAL

Unlike the need to lose weight overall, in the case of belly fat exercise is optional. If you so wish to add exercise, use cardiovascular (cardio) exercise and weight/strength training. Pick a cardio sport, exercise, or activity that you enjoy and increase the difficulty levels. Be more patient if over 50 years of age. Maintain a balance between the energy input from food and the energy output from daily activities.

Contrary to popular belief, ab exercises do not target the fat around your mid-section. Doing ab exercises can define stomach muscles but you must first get rid of the fat that is hiding them. Otherwise, you will look even worse.

There are different degrees of cardio exercise ranging from mild to intense. Any exercise, sport or activity that increases your heart and respiration rate for a specific period is cardiovascular (cardio) exercise. Intense cardio exercises include running, interval training, and graded exercise protocol. Brisk walking is an example of mild cardio exercise. There are page links to several free cardio exercise plans given at the bottom of this answer -- two mild cardio plans and one intense cardio plan.

HOW TO LOSE BELLY FAT, SUMMARY

Strictly limiting refined processed carbohydrates to reduce/reverse insulin resistance and to stop excess body fat accumulating around the stomach or abdomen again. Replace refined processed carbohydrates with 'fat burning' proteins and take advantage of the fat burning thermic effect of those foods.

Get your natural carbohydrates from low carbohydrate (non-starchy) leafy green vegetables, and just a moderate amount of low carbohydrate fruit such as berries. Remember, that most fruit is high in (glucose/sugar/carbohydrate).

Exercise is purely optional in the case of belly fat. If you don't want go exercise, or you are unable to exercise, you can still achieve excellent results, and improve your overall health, by following the dietary changes outlined on this page and given in detail via the page links listed at the bottom of this answer.

The book mentioned earlier -- Belly Fat Blast, by Anna Wright and Dennis E. Bradford, Ph.D -- (paperback or Kindle, which you can borrow or buy from Amazon) covers all the above dietary and foods details, and the thermic effect, clearly and in greater depth. It shows you step by step how to lose belly fat without hunger, and sets out the stages, which you simply follow.

For the plans and lists, see the links below.

1. HOW TO LOSE BELLY FAT WITH THE BELLY FAT BLAST - the step-by-step guide
2. LIST OF REFINED PROCESSED CARBOHYDRATES (to avoid or strictly limit apart from a rare treat)
3. FAT BURNING PROTEINS and more about the thermic effect (use these foods to replace the refined processed carbohydrates)
4. MILD CARDIO EXERCISE PLAN 1 (the easier plan)
5. MILD CARDIO EXERCISE PLAN 2 (the slightly harder plan)
6. INTENSE CARDIO EXERCISE PLAN
   

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If you have any known condition or disease, please seek the approval of your own physician before changing your dietary or exercise habits.





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Refined processes carbohydrates are addictive!

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Answer by LiposuctionExpert Confidence votes 31 Many people believe that by doing crunches or sit-ups, they will reduce their belly fat. This is a myth. Sure, you can enlarge your stomach muscles by doing sit-ups, and make it look like you have less belly fat, which isn't a bad thing, but you will still possess the belly fat you had way before you began doing 100 sit-ups every day.

In order to successfully lose belly fat, you have to exercise. Exercise burns calories and fat. Mix in a brisk walk after dinner, join an aerobics class or join a gym, and with regular exercise you can trim fat off your entire body, including your stomach.

Nutrition is important. In the pursuit of a flatter stomach, many people diet or starve themselves. Little do they know that by starving themselves, they are slowing their metabolism and forcing their body's to go into starvation mode.

Basically, their body's think they're dying, and so they store as much energy in fat as is possible, in order to be used at a later date. This means that they are actually gaining more fat when they do eat, than they would if they ate regularly. Starving yourself also leads the way to binge eating and eating disorders, two things you definitely don't want to get.

Instead, follow a healthy diet plan, that lets you eat several small portions of food on a daily basis. Vegetables, fruit, whole grains and lots of water, are a good place to start. It is nearly impossible to healthily lose all of one's belly fat in a week. However, one can remove it over a month. This can be achieved by skipping desserts, fatty meals, eating small meals frequently (about 6) throughout the day (healthy of course, not fast food or fried foods, baked foods are better) and exercising daily for half an hour. Using this method, one can get rid of belly fat in 2-3 weeks, depending on how vigorous the exercise, and how much belly fat you have.

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