How to lose my belly fat

Question
QUESTION: Hello i want to know how i can lose my stomach fat by this i mean my love handles and my abdomen i want to get a toned stomach and sit ups just aren't working for me . I eat healthy but  i think that may be one of the reasons why i binge on junk when i get the chance please help .!! i need ideas on how to get rid of my fat and tone up my abs

ANSWER: Dear Elicia,

Thank you for contacting allexperts.com.  Fat stores that are caused by highly processed foods are significantly different in structure than fat stores from healthy foods.  One of the types of fat that results from processed foods is cellulite.  This is most often found in women.  Another type of fat is the body fat that collects around the abdomen and "love handles" as you call it, and is more often noticed in men.  However, either gender can have cellulite or belly fat or love handles.  It is not limited to one or the other.

Eating well is the key.  Removing all packed and processed foods from your diet is important. You will find that the fat that you have stored is VERY VERY resistant to being lost.  If you read my blog at http://everydayhealthandwellness.blogspot.com in the article about cellulite, you will understand why this is the case.  Your body is protecting its vital organs from poisoning by encasing this poison in super-strong fat stores. This is the LAST type of fat that is broken down and used by the body.  This is why you will often see men who are otherwise NOT fat who will have a "beer belly" or love handles.  This is why you will see a slender woman who has cellulite.  It is almost IMPOSSIBLE to get rid of once you have it.

However, over a period of time your body will reduce the amount of fat stored if you follow a healthy diet.  By healthy diet I mean 75 percent whole, natural, and unprocessed fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds and vegetable oil. Preferably raw and preferably organic.  You must eliminate those "binges on junk food" that you indulge in because this is precisely the kind of thing that will prevent you from losing the fat you are trying to lose.  Instead you must concentrate on eating UNPROCESSED foods that contain no chemicals or other unhealthy ingredients.

In addition it is VITALLY IMPORTANT that you drink a great deal of water so that you can flush out the impurities of your body as the fat releases them back into your system. The best formula to use is to drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces per day.  For instance, if you weigh 160 pounds, you should drink 80 ounces of water per day - 1/2 before noon and 1/2 after noon.  Also, please space drinking the water out.  Do not drink the whole 40 or 80 ounces at one time.  This can kill you!  Drink 8 ounces roughly every hour for 10 hours. (eight ounces is NOT very much water).  You will be flushing your body of toxins and poisons and you will also be hydrating your body which is highly beneficial.  Most people are dehydrated and do not know it.  Dehydration is responsible for a lot of medical conditions and illnesses.

Best of luck to you. Feel free to write any time and please check out my blog for more interesting information.

Tasha

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: i think i should have mentioned that im a bored snacker and this is one of the reasons i eat unnecessarily and i find it hard to sleep at night i don't know why i eat properly 94% of the time and i drink from 5-7 glasses of water a day but i find it hard to sleep do you gave ant ideas that will help me because i think if im tired i will go to bed early and avoid the whole snacking after means thing. I know that my sleeping will stop me form eating because i read in an article that my body will try to get what it needs from sleep from food if im not sleeping enough/im tired. please help me find ways to sleep..!

Answer
One of the best ways to get a good night's sleep is to engage in vigorous physical activity in the fresh air during the day.  Ideally, you should be doing some form of low impact exercise during the day which will improve your overall physical health, help you reduce fat by burning additional calories *and* as an added benefit, help you sleep.

Many people in this country are victims of insomnia or other unpleasant sleep disorders. There is a great deal of information on the internet about "sleep hygiene" and how to go about getting a good nights sleep. Some of the factors are:  Set up a nightly sleep routine, do not read or watch television in bed; do not eat or drink alcohol before going to bed, etc.  These tips are very helpful to many people.

Personally, if I have trouble sleeping, I will take a Melatonin which is a natural product which increases Serotonin levels.  If you take one melatonin tablet approximtely 1/2 before going to sleep you may find that it is very helpful and beneficial to you. Melatonin can be purchased at any health food store or store where supplements are sold.

As far as bored snacking. This is where a little self discipline comes in. If you do not have unhealthy, fattening snacks in the house, then you have no alternative but to "snack" on healthy foods such as veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds. Also, keeping busy with hobbies and other activities that engage you will reduce your "boredom" level and prevent you from snacking at all. Have you ever noticed that when you are involved in something fascinating that time goes by quickly and you do not feel any desire to stop what you are doing and eat - even if you are hungry?  Use this to your advantage by spending your "down time" doing things things you enjoy.

Best of luck to you.  

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