Assessment of the belly fat is usually done by measuring the circumference around your waist. A simple measuring tape can be used to measure belly fat at home. If the mid-abdomen circumference is more than 35 inches (88 cm) in women and 40 inches (102 cm) in men, it is termed as obesity. Such type of obesity is called ‘central obesity”.
Besides causing discomfort and lowering your self-esteem, belly fat can actually be very dangerous for your health as it can lead to multiple health conditions such as diabetes, heart diseases, blood pressure, sleep apnea and even some cancer. Read on to find some healthy tips on how to get rid of belly fat quickly.
Avoid Foods That Increase Belly Fat
You have to avoid certain foods in order to get a flat stomach. All processed foods that contain unhealthy trans-fat increase belly fat and can make you unhealthy. You should also replace all the prepackaged and preservative filled junk food with healthy whole foods.
Artificial sweeteners and carbonated sodas are also harmful and will only pack on belly fat. Refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta and flour are the worst offenders so try swapping them completely.
Eat More Protein
Adding more protein to your diet can only be the single most effective change to lose belly fat quickly. Protein is a macronutrient that plays an important role in losing excess belly fat by helping the body shifts its metabolism from consuming glucose as a single source of energy. It boosts metabolism by 80-100 calories per day and reduces cravings by 60%, thus enables you to eat 441 fewer calories per day. Not only protein aids in weight loss, it also helps you build lean muscle mass and avoid regaining weight.
Exercise
No diet plan can do magic unless accompanied by a regular exercise program. Vigorous exercises like strength training workouts can trim your belly fat quickly and help in building lean muscle mass. The best exercises that you can do to lose belly fat include all types of crunches, i.e, twist crunches, reverse crunches, vertical leg crunches, side crunches and bicycle exercise, lunge twist and rolling plank exercise.
You should also focus on cardio exercises which pump your heart. They emphasize fat burning and faster calorie expenditure that will eventually lead to loss of belly fat.
Sleep
Sleep may not seem to have a direct link with weight loss; however, it’s a part of the picture. Getting adequate sleep of at least 6-7 hours is important to help your body perform its functions optimally. A study reveals that individuals who got 7 hours of sleep a night gained less belly fat compared to those who got 5 or fewer hours of sleep.
Stress
Everyone has stress related to the work, home, society or even health conditions like obesity. The thing that matters is how you handle it. To reduce stress and anxiety, the best things you can do include getting counselling, sharing your experience with friends and family, meditation, yoga, and exercising to blow off steam.
