Fat is defined as the energy storage system of our body. Whenever we consume food, the body stores extra calories as fat which will be used as a source of fuel in case of emergency. If a person keeps consuming calories more than the body requirement then fat starts getting accumulated. Signs of fat accumulation are Double chin, belly fat, butt weight and slowly it takes all over the body.
Hence today many people are suffering from belly fat and it is not an easy job to lose the fat around the belly. There are many exercises promising to help reduce the fat around the stomach but losing fat is not an overnight miracle. Whether you are following diet or exercise or intermittent fasting every method needs consistent struggle.
Hence if someone or some product is vouching about losing belly fat overnight then don’t trust them! These simple steps will help you control your body shape over a period of time. They are not instant remedies or promises to ‘lose belly fat in 7 days’ or expensive. These are very simple suggestions which should be adopted in your routine. If you follow them strictly without cheating on yourself then the belly fat will be reduced automatically.
1) Stop Overeating
Every health problem starts because of overeating! No matter how much struggle you are putting in burning fat or losing all your energy in the gym, if you end up eating more then everything will go in vain.
The basic funda is ‘EATING AS MUCH AS REQUIRED’. Make sure you reduce the food quantity in your breakfast, lunch and dinner. Please note this is not about DIET. Diets such as Keto Diet guidelines are completely different.
As long as you have an eye on your plate you don’t develop any unwanted fat accumulation in the body. Body gets as much as required and there will not be anything left over to store. The solution to losing belly fat is very simple; either consume the calories and burn them or consume fewer calories.
Nutrients say that eating less will slow down the mechanism which usually happens when you suddenly change the quantity of your food intake. Instead, reduce the quality gradually so that you don’t face problems like feeling hungry, slowed metabolism etc. Just remember, Every BODY is different!
2) Consume Good Fat
The modern trend is to consume low-fat or fat-free products in order to lose belly fat or while following any kind of diet. However, most of us are not aware that there is a ‘GOOD FAT’ and ‘BAD FAT’ concept.
Hence no need to cut down the fat consumption entirely. We just need to find out the food that contains Good Fat and avoid food with bad fat. For example; Fruits, Nuts, Seeds, Vegetable Oils etc. contain good fat and they are required for the overall health of the body.
Whereas processed food contains trans fat (or bad fat) which adversely affects the entire system of the body. Make sure you are not cutting out the Good fat food from your diet list.
From now on, don’t listen when someone says it is a fat-free or low-fat product, just check the ingredients and you will know how good the product is for heath.
3) Calorie Chart Maintenance
In the first point, we discussed eating less. But it is completely opposite to human behavior hence for every person it is a difficult task to monitor the quantity on his plate. We forget the rule or just think it is just one day and tend to continue eating more with excuses.
Instead of worrying about eating more have the habit of maintaining a calorie chart. This way you will know how many calories you are consuming in a day and how many calories need to be burned. In case you eat more or end up having more calories then you can exercise to maintain the calorie balance.
A food scale machine will help you check the calorie of every food item you consume.
4) Regular Exercise
We all know that exercise helps to burn the extra fat or abdomen fat but what we don’t know is having proper knowledge of exercise. There are different exercises for different problems. If you have a double chin but practicing exercises that reduce belly fat then it is definitely of no use, right?
Before choosing any form of exercise, ask yourself these questions ‘what is my major concern? Is it losing belly fat? Is it full-body exercise?’. Choose the exercise that addresses your concern and help you achieve the result.
Exercises for reducing belly fat are simple and can be done at home. Remember you don’t see results in a day or week. Be consistent and keep hustling. Along with these daily cycling and full-body workouts also reduce abdomen fat.
5) Less Sugar Consumption
Do you know sugar has no health benefits to our body? Instead, it creates extra fat, an imbalance in blood glucose, bad blood, and hence impacts the whole body system.
High sugar consumption can lead to very serious problems like Diabetes, overweight, obesity etc. Always look for the calories chart on any product that you are purchasing. Because even though it is not a sweet or sugary product there always will be few grams of sugar added to make it tastier.
People with diabetes or those who have quit sugar choose artificial sweeteners over sugar. They think artificial sweeteners do not contain sugar hence are good for health. NO! According to Mark Hyman, MD, Director, Center for Functional Medicine, “Artificial sweeteners are typically 200 to 600 times sweeter than sugar. They stimulate your taste buds, go to your brain, affect your hormones and slow your metabolism”.
Hence if you cannot quit Sugar all at once, reduce the consumption. Prepare your own food (cakes, ice creams juices etc.) so that you will be aware of the quantity of sugar used.
6) Surya Namaskara
Yoga has proved lots of health benefits over the years. This ancient form of exercising has solutions to every health problem including losing belly fat.
There are different Yogasanas with different health benefits. Not only physical health but Yoga also improves your mental health by improving concentration, inner peace, and sound sleep.
Surya Namaskar is a Yogasana, consists of 12 simple steps that need to be followed in order. It is a simple, easy and promising form of exercise to lose fat around the abdomen. They say 12 rounds of Suryasana can burn 156 calories which is equivalent to half an hour cycling for an average person.
Early morning Surya Namaskatra is more beneficial but you can do it during the later part of the day depending on your feasibility. Start with 12 rounds per day and then gradually increase the numbers. Not only for people who want to lose belly fat but Surya Namaskara is recommended to every other person to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
7) Timely and Healthy Eating
When you eat at the right time you don’t end up eating extra. Skipping breakfast or eating at late hours will lead to unhealthy problems. Being hungry for longer hours makes our body consuming more hence disturbing the whole calorie sheet. Always finish your dinner before 7 pm.
Make sure your plate is full of veggies, proteins, fruits etc. instead of carbs and sugars. If you are opting for juices instead of eating fruits then don’t add anything extra while blending the fruits. Juices sold in the shops are usually filled with Sugars and added chemicals hence make your own juice.
Drinking water also helps to lose weight. Drinking a glass full of water before having meals will reduce the food intake in a larger percentage.
8) Avoid ‘Too Much’
If eating veggies helps to lose belly fat that doesn’t;t mean that you end up eating only veggies. Everything has its own limit. Eating too many veggies creates bloating which leads to other health problems.
Too much eating, too much exercising, too much worrying, anything that becomes ‘too much’ is not good at all! Eating, Exercising, Sleeping, working out, everything should be balanced and according to your body requirement.
If you think you will over-do everything and lose belly fat within a week then you are totally wrong! Fat accumulated in your body for a long time and it had to be burned in the long run. Even if you achieve desired results within a short time then you may face the same problem again in the future. Because there are no shortcuts to lose belly fat! You need to maintain a healthy routine throughout your lifetime.
9) Sleep Well
Having a sound sleep for a minimum of 7 hrs refreshes our whole body system. Most people sleep late and wake up late because of the modern lifestyle. Drinking alcohol, coffee, tea etc are some of the bad habits of people who sleep late. This routine leads to health problems in the long run.
Eat early and try to sleep at a regular time. This gives the body enough time to rest and prepares you for the next day. Lack of sleep disturbs the whole day resulting in skipping exercise or changing diet plans.
Always give 2 hours of gap between dinner and sleep.
10) Be Patient
Yes, being patient is the last thing you have left with. If the fat around your abdomen is still the same even after following all the above steps then you feel like giving up, it feels like nothing is working! But hold on! I’m repeating again, every person’s physic is different, metabolism is different, the energy level is different. Hence for some people, the fat will be burned within a few weeks and for a few people, it takes more time.
No matter what, don’t give up on yourself! Being consistent is the key. It gets boring day by day but once you prepare your mind you will be adjusted to the changes. You will start noticing healthy changes in your body.
