Losing that belly fat is probably one of your top goals right now and rightly so, not only will loose that stomach excess gain you a slimmer waist but also a healthier lifestyle. Scientists have proven that fat formed around the stomach is the most dangerous kind of fat to accumulate in your body because it could put you at risk for getting heart disease, diabetes and a host of other problems that you would want to avoid. Luckily, loosing belly fat is not a difficult process, though it involves changes to your lifestyle in the following ways.
Diet
If you are to loose your belly fat then several changes must be made to your diet, as 80% of fighting belly fat is a healthy diet. Reduce the amount of sugar you consume, sugar tends to cause fluctuations in your glucose level, triggering a release of insulin, the hormone that makes the body store fat around the belly, rather than loose it. Reducing sugar consumption is helpful, but is even more effective if you increase consumption of healthy foods, chief amongst these types are healthy fats. Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) are healthy and can prevent the build up of fat in your body, not to be confused with the unhealthy trans fats found in butter and hydrogenated oils. Excellent sources of healthy fatty acids include avocados, pine nuts and salmon. Increase the level of fiber you eat by consuming more vegetables. The minimum calcium requirement for adults is 1000 milligrams, low calcium prompts the body to store more fat leading to belly fat, try obtaining a daily dose of calcium from diary products such as yogurt.
In addition, to changes in your diet, consider changes to what you take in between your meals. Replace your calorie-laden latte with green tea, a healthier alternative that if effective in weight loss when taken alongside antioxidants, studies have shown that those who consume green tea with antioxidants for 12 weeks loose 16 times as much fat as does who do not.
Exercise
Exercise is an important part of loosing stomach fat, however, the kind of exercise you do can make a difference. Doing crunches for instance, may develop your abdominal muscles but you will not notice it below the layer of fat on stomach. Instead, consider a workout that exercises all your muscles, instead of just one, squats, push-ups and jogging are all excellent examples of physical activity that can work out all your muscles. A study conduced by Duke University found out that those who did jogging for 30 minutes six days a week was able to burn 7% of their body fat. It is important to pace yourself during exercise, allow sufficient time for the muscles to recover and build up strength after each work out.
Other Techniques
Alongside diet and exercise consider other changes to your lifestyle that will help in quest for burning stomach fat. Increase the number of hours you sleep. Losing sleep changes your hormone production, this might increase the level of the hormone cortisol which could trigger an increase insulin levels. Have a minimum of 7 hours of sleep, if not more because when you are tired you secrete ghrelin, a hormone that triggers a craving for sugars and other fat-inducing foods. Always make sure that you are not stressed out, stress will cause the body to release cortisol, increasing the amount of insulin in the blood, insulin saves instead of burns stomach fat. To counter stress, take vitamin-C or have deep slow breaths. Try to stay active throughout the day, this can be as simple as taking 1,000 steps in a day, take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk instead of driving. Staying active can keep your waistline in check.