Whittle that Middle: 5 Ways to Get Rid of Belly Fat

Excessive amounts of belly fat can be a great indicator of disease. Bad diets, cortisol spikes and stress can all add to your amount of belly fat. We all crave a lean and well-toned stomach, but we can’t achieve this by just doing crunches as this only works the front muscles.

To ensure a healthy and well-toned stomach, we also need to exercise the lower back, upper thighs and hips. For a flat stomach and astounding abs, try these simple exercises and health tips to burn that unwanted belly fat!

What is your enemy?

Sugar is known to be one of the greatest enemies to our health and bellies. You can reduce the fat accumulating around your middle by following a healthier diet.

Replace sugary or calorie-loaded snacks with vegetables, fruit, whole grains and proteins. Drink fruit and/or vegetable shakes or smoothies for breakfast with raw oatmeal and some cinnamon. This will help you feel fuller while also stabilizing your blood sugar levels.

Stress is your enemy as it pushes the body to create more cortisol. This causes the lean muscle to be broken down and fat to be stored around the tummy. Use vitamin C to stabilize and balance your cortisol levels. You can add a vitamin supplement or just increase your daily intake of oranges, kiwi, bell peppers or kale.

Good fats are not your enemy! Sugar is the main cause of fat, not fat. In fact, fat will assist in burning fat as long as it is the good kind. Try consuming more omega-3 by eating walnuts, avocados and salmon.

Do detox and breathing help?

Our bodies are built in such a unique way. They are capable of protecting us from harmful toxins by storing them in fatty cells. The more toxins you are exposed to, the more fat your body stores.

This is why so many experts suggest doing a detox to cleanse your body every couple of months. By detoxing, you are helping your body to get rid of toxins along with fatty cells.

There are a wide variety of methods when considering a detox. If you follow a plant-based or fruit and vegetable diet with some juice cleansing, you are sure to get great results.

As previously mentioned, stress can also cause a build-up of fatty cells. Therefore, breathing exercises are perfect for when you find yourself in tense or stressful situations.

When we become stressed, our breathing tends to quicken although some people tend to hold their breath. When this happens, a chemical reaction is set into motion and the body releases high amounts of cortisol.

Taking deep, slow breaths will reduce this reaction and have astounding results. Slow down and focus on your breathing; notice your breaths and control them.

Can sleep help?

Sleep is vital! For a healthy body, you need to get a minimum of seven hours sleep every day. What happens when you don’t get enough sleep? The hormone production gets disrupted, cravings are triggered and cortisol levels rise. All of these can cause a fatty build up, so make sure to get enough sleep daily.

What are the best exercises to do?

There are three exercises that are not crunches and are highly recommended for a flat tummy. Remember that crunches build your abdominal muscles. To burn fat though, you need to do cardiovascular exercises.

Here are three of the best exercises to get rid of belly fat. Do each of these in sets of three, lasting 30 seconds to a minute each.

1. The Alligator Walk

Ensure you have a flat surface of ten yards to do this in. If you do this on a wooden or tiled surface, use towels; if it’s done on a carpet, use plastic bags or even dinner plates.

Get down in the push-up position and place your knees or—if you’re strong enough—your feet on the towels, bags or whatever you are using. Push yourself up and walk with your hands forwards dragging your legs or feet behind you.

Go all the way (ten yards), then rest, turn around and go back to complete one set. This exercise works as a cardio exercise building strength, stability and burning fat.

2. The Walk Out

This exercise is also done from the push-up position. Place your hands next to your shoulders, push up and then walk your hands out with each push up. Go as far apart with your hands as you can and then back doing ten push ups per set. This exercise works the entire body.

3. The Side Planks

Lie down on your side and place your legs on top of each other. Then, place your elbow under your shoulder lifting your upper body and resting on your forearm.

Now, lift your hip and form a straight line from your shoulders to feet. If you find this difficult at first, hold this position for 10 to 20 seconds; as you get stronger, hold it for 30 to 50 seconds. Do a total of 30 lifts per set.

This is a very effective fat-fighting exercise and builds strength as well.

How do you beat stomach fat?

Recognizing that diet, sleep, stress-management and regular exercise are necessary for fighting stomach fat is not enough. You need to work at this consistently in order to see results.

Your body needs a minimum of 30 minutes of vigorous exercise five days a week. For best results, try adding walking, jogging, swimming or climbing to the exercises mentioned above.

Sleep may not seem like it has that great an impact on stomach fat, but it certainly does affect the body. Regular and sufficient quality sleep will make a big different to your stomach fat in the long run.

Belly fat is the first to show when picking up weight, and also the first to go when losing weight. There may not be a set diet for losing belly fat, but a healthy overall diet will still have great results. Get enough vitamins, good fats, proteins and fiber in daily to help stay healthy and fight stomach fat.

Do you have any ideas to add or experiences that have worked for you? Please share them with us.