20 Science-Backed Tips to Burn Belly Fat
Obesity is a serious problem. Overweight today is present in many men and women. Typically, most fat is stored in the waist area. Getting rid of belly fat is difficult. This fat is called visceral fat. This problem is not only aesthetic, but also a medical one.
It has been proven that visceral fat increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart and vascular diseases. Medical science has clear standards for determining a person's weight. For this, a concept such as body mass index (BMI) is used. If it exceeds the norm, then the risk of developing metabolic diseases is extremely high.
Moreover, not only fat people, but also outwardly thin people are exposed to danger. The fact is that visceral fat tends to accumulate in the waist area. In this case, the legs and arms of a person will remain thin.
Coping with belly fat is difficult, but you can do it. This article contains 20 effective tips to help you burn abdominal fat.
Content:
- Eat fiber
- Ditch trans fats
- Do not abuse alcoholic beverages
- Eat protein foods
- Avoid stress
- Give up sweets
- Go in for sports
- Refusal from carbohydrate foods
- Substitute Coconut Oil for Cooking Oil
- Do strength exercises
- Avoid sugary drinks
- Get more rest
- Keep a food diary
- Eat fatty fish
- Avoid fruit juices
- Eat apple cider vinegar
- Use probiotics
- Try intermittent fasting
- Drink green tea
Redefine your lifestyle
Eat fiber
By absorbing water, coarse fiber from food acquires a gel-like consistency. Such a lump of food takes longer to digest, so the feeling of hunger will not arise soon. A well-fed person will not come to the table one more time to have a snack. Thus, the body receives fewer calories and does not gain weight.
On this occasion, a study was conducted on more than 1,100 adults. It made it possible to establish that an increase in the portion of coarse fiber by 10 g helps to reduce the growth of belly fat by 3.7% over 5 years [1].
Foods containing fiber should be included in the diet daily. Its source is flaxseed, shirataki vermicelli, Brussels sprouts, legumes, avocado, blackberry.
So, fiber contributes to weight loss by reducing total daily calories and prolonged satiety. The more a person consumes foods that contain coarse fiber, the faster he will lose weight.
Ditch trans fats
Transgenic fats are found in margarine and spreads. They are often found in ready-to-eat foods such as biscuits and other confectionery products. The more of these harmful substances enters the body, the higher the risk of developing heart and vascular diseases.
Transgenic fats contribute to the development of insulin resistance in the body. This threatens obesity and diabetes mellitus [2].
On this occasion, a study was carried out on monkeys, which lasted for 6 years. All animals that received foods containing transgenic fats were obese. Moreover, the fat was deposited in them in the abdomen. The monkeys from the control group were fed foods containing monounsaturated fats. Their waist fat gain was 33% lower [3].
To minimize your intake of trans fats, you need to carefully read the labels of the foods you plan to eat. Most often they are listed as "partially hydrogenated fats". Moreover, this recommendation can be called universal for people who not only want to lose weight, but also just stay healthy.
Do not abuse alcoholic beverages
Alcohol causes irreparable harm to health. Numerous studies have found that alcoholic beverages contribute to the development of central obesity. The less often a person drinks, the slower he grows fat in the waist area [4].
One study involved about 2,000 people. They all drank alcohol daily, but in varying amounts. It was found that people who drank less alcohol had a slower increase in fat around the waist. Therefore, in order to lose weight, you need to give up alcohol, or reduce its portions [5].
Eat protein foods
Protein helps control body weight [6]. Its intake into the body contributes to the production of the hormone of completeness PYY. This substance helps control appetite and prevents weight gain.
Protein foods boost metabolism. Fast metabolism helps burn visceral fat. At the same time, the muscle mass remains intact [7].
Protein is a well-studied nutrient. Numerous studies have found that people who consume protein foods are less likely to suffer from obesity [8]. In order to lose weight, you need to regularly eat eggs, fish, meat, dairy and fermented milk products, legumes.
Avoid stress
Emotional overstrain leads to the fact that the body produces large amounts of cortisol. This stress hormone is produced by the adrenal glands. Studies show that cortisol increases appetite and visceral fat gain [9].
In addition, body fat in the waist area itself contributes to excess stress hormone production [10].
In order to cope with this problem, you need to do pleasant things as much time as possible. Yoga and meditation can relieve stress.
On the subject: 10 Ways to Relieve Stress
Give up sweets
Sugar is a source of easily digestible carbohydrates. Its excess in food leads to the development of type 2 diabetes, abdominal obesity, fatty hepatosis, heart and vascular diseases. The more carbohydrate food a person consumes, the faster he accumulates fat in the waist area [11].
It must be remembered that not only refined sugar is dangerous. Foods containing natural sugars also need to be consumed in limited quantities. This applies to honey, marshmallows, etc.
Go in for sports
To burn fat, cardio is essential. Doing aerobic exercise can help you lose weight faster. Numerous studies confirm this fact. Although, until now, there is an ongoing debate about the intensity of training. Some scientists argue that exercise should be done at a fast pace, while others believe that you can limit yourself to medium speed. However, on one point, the opinions of the researchers agree. This applies to the duration of the workout. The longer a person does, the faster he loses weight.
In this experiment, women took part in the menopausal period. It was found that those women who performed 300 minutes of aerobic exercise per week lost weight faster. The control consisted of a group of women who did 150 minutes per week [12].
Refusal from carbohydrate foods
Nutritionists recommend cutting back on refined carbohydrates, which are those that are absorbed very quickly. However, you should not completely abandon such products. They need to be replaced with foods containing complex carbohydrates. Studies show that such diets help to quickly get rid of body fat [13]. In addition, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus is reduced several times.
The famous Framingham study proved that people who consume complex carbohydrates have 17% less abdominal fat compared to those who prefer foods with fast-digesting sugars [14].
Sources of "right" carbohydrates include legumes and whole grains (buckwheat, oatmeal, brown unprocessed rice), vegetables.
Substitute Coconut Oil for Cooking Oil
Coconut oil is a healthy fat. It has been experimentally proven that it helps to speed up metabolism and get rid of excess weight faster. It was found that fat deposits in the waist area start to burn first [15].
One study involved men with visceral obesity. For 3 months they took coconut oil every day. No other changes were made to the diet. During the experiment, the volume of their waist decreased by almost 3 cm. It is noteworthy that the study participants also did not engage in sports [16].
Since coconut oil itself has a high calorie content, nutritionists recommend not just adding it to your usual diet, but replacing it with some other fats.
Do strength exercises
Weightlifting or strength training is important for building muscle. One study involved people with obese liver and type 2 prediabetes. Strength training helped them lose weight in the abdomen [17].
Another experiment was conducted with obese teenagers. It was found that the combination of strength and aerobic training contributes to the greatest reduction in visceral fat [18].
Avoid sugary drinks
The sweetness in these drinks comes from fructose. This component promotes the deposition of belly fat [19]. In addition, scientists have found that fat accumulates not only in the waist, but also in the liver. These findings were based on a 10-week study in which people took sugary soda every day [20].
Kilocalories from the liquid are absorbed into the bloodstream instantly. The body does not process them, but converts them into fat reserves. Therefore, such drinks are even more dangerous than confectionery.
In order to lose weight you need to avoid consuming any form of sugar. This applies to soda, sweet tea, punch, alcoholic cocktails.
Get more rest
A good quality sleep is essential for every person who wants to stay healthy. Scientists have found that people with insomnia gain weight faster [21].
The global study, which lasted 16 years, involved 68,000 women. Those participants who slept less than 5 hours a day gained weight faster [22].
A condition known as sleep apnea, when breathing is interrupted at night, is also associated with excess visceral fat [23].
Keep a food diary
A person who seeks to lose weight should know how many calories he is consuming and how much he spends. This will allow you to create an optimal menu that will not lead to weight gain. It is recommended to record not only the amount of food eaten, but also physical activity (exercises performed, physical training) [24].
You can make this task easier with dedicated smartphone apps.
Eat fatty fish
Fatty fish is a source of Omega-3. These polyunsaturated acids are necessary for the body, as they allow it to better resist various diseases. There is evidence that omega-3s can help you lose weight, namely, get rid of visceral fat.
Numerous studies have been carried out with the participation of adults and children with fatty hepatosis. It has been found that taking fish oil supplements can cure this disease [25].
To control your body weight more effectively, you need to eat 2-3 servings of fatty fish per week. Experts recommend including mackerel, sardines, anchovies, herring and salmon in the diet. If this is not possible, then you need to take Omega-3 in food supplements.
Avoid fruit juices
Fruit juice is a source of vitamins and minerals. However, it is high in sugar, almost as much as in sugary carbonated drinks. For example, 240 ml of apple juice contains 24 g of sugar. Half of this sugar is fructose. Therefore, drinking large amounts of juice can lead to the deposition of fat in the abdominal cavity.
To lose weight, you need to replace the fruit juice with plain water. To improve its taste, you can add a wedge of lemon or lime.
Eat apple cider vinegar
It is known that apple cider vinegar not only helps to lose weight, but also helps to lower blood sugar [26]. This is possible thanks to the acid it contains.
The study involved men who consumed a tablespoon of vinegar (15 ml) per day. They were under observation for 12 weeks. During this time, their waist size decreased by 1.4 cm [27].
However, you need to drink vinegar diluted. If not diluted with water, tooth enamel may suffer.
Use probiotics
Probiotics are bacteria that are beneficial to humans. They are found in some foods and in food supplements. Taking probiotics helps to normalize the intestinal microflora and improve digestion.
Scientists have found that different types of bacteria affect a person's weight in different ways. If you achieve a certain balance, you can quickly get rid of excess body weight. Contribute to weight loss of lactobacilli: Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus amylovorus [28] and especially Lactobacillus gasseri [29].
A variety of bacteria can be found in prebiotics. Therefore, before buying, you need to make sure that the correct additive has been selected.
Try intermittent fasting
Recently, the so-called intermittent fasting or intermittent fasting is gaining popularity. This diet requires a 24 hour break between meals. They practice such a hungry day 2 times a week. Another system involves a fast for 16 hours followed by eating any food for 8 hours [30].
Studies show that intermittent fasting for 6-24 weeks can help reduce waist size by 4-7% [31].
Drink green tea
Green tea is considered one of the healthiest drinks. It contains caffeine and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) antihydrate. Both of these ingredients help boost metabolism.
EGCG is a catechin that several studies show may be effective for belly loss. The effect can be enhanced by combining green tea intake with exercise [32].
Redefine your lifestyle
To get rid of excess fat, you need to rethink your lifestyle in general. It will be possible to achieve the maximum effect with the simultaneous combination of several recommendations given above. If you perform only one step, you will not be able to achieve the desired effect. In fact, all advice is somehow related to healthy lifestyle. If you eat harmful foods, drink sweet water and lead a sedentary lifestyle, the waist will continue to increase in size.
It takes persistence and perseverance to lose weight. This is the only way to cope with excess weight and improve your health.
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[Video] Dr. Berg - How to Lose Belly Fat? Why is fat deposited?
The author of the article: Kuzmina Vera Valerievna | Endocrinologist, nutritionist
Education: Diploma of the Russian State Medical University named after NI Pirogov with a degree in General Medicine (2004). Residency at Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry, diploma in Endocrinology (2006).
