How to Burn Belly Fat Fast
Many people struggle with
weight loss issues. Losing belly
fat in particular is about more
than just aesthetics: visceral
fat, the kind of fat that tends
to settle around the midsection, can cause an increase in your
body's production of stress
hormones that can affect your
body's insulin production. As a
result, excess belly fat can lead
to serious complications like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.[1] There is no way to target belly fat, but diet and
exercise will eventually burn off
belly fat. Knowing how to take
the first step can help you feel
better and get you on the
road to a healthier, more active lifestyle. Edit Part One of Three: Changing Your Diet Style 1 Cut back on calories. The most important part of
losing weight is not working
out until you collapse — it's
your diet. If you burn 500
more calories than what you
eat every day, you will lose 1–2 pounds every week
(any more than that is
considered unsafe weight loss).[2] There are tons of little changes you can make
to cut calories from your
diet, from replacing high-
calorie dressings with
vinaigrette and asking for
all dressings/sauces served on the side, eating at the
table instead of in front of
the tv, skipping cheese and
other fatty additions to
your salads and meals, using
smaller plates, leave off the whipped cream on your
coffee drink, and on and on. [3] Image titled Burn Belly Fat Fast Step 1 2 Eat more protein. Protein is required by the body to
repair damaged cells and
plays a vital role in growth and development.[4] But it can also play a role in
weight loss. Diets high in
protein tend to make people
feel fuller, and when paired
with a reduction in
carbohydrate intake these diets can help with weight loss.[5] However, it's important to remember that
not all sources of protein
are good for you: red meat
and full-fat dairy products,
though high in protein, can
also increase the risk of heart disease.[6] Good sources of protein include:[7] Soy protein Legumes and beans Nuts Fish Skinless poultry Lean beef or pork Fat-free or low-fat
dairy products Image titled Burn Belly Fat Fast Step 2 3 Eat polyunsaturated
fats. While saturated fat leads to the body's
retention of visceral fat,
causing abdominal girth and
excessive weight gain,
studies have shown that a
diet high in polyunsaturated fat helps promote the
production of muscle mass instead of body fat.[8] Polyunsaturated fats can
also help reduce cholesterol
levels in the body, lowering
the risk of stroke and heart disease.[9] Sources of polyunsaturated fats include: [10]Olive oil Soybean oil Corn oil Sunflower oil Salmon Mackerel Herring Trout Walnuts Sunflower seeds Tofu Soybean Image titled Burn Belly Fat Fast Step 3 4 Eat low-glycemic-index
foods. Foods that are low on the glycemic index (GI)
are digested and absorbed
more slowly than high-index
foods, and when coupled
with increased physical
activity a low-GI diet has been shown to be effective in losing weight.[11] Foods that are low on the
glycemic index include: beans and lentils[12] Apples[13] Apricots[14] Bananas[15] Carrots[16] Corn[17] Mango[18] Oranges[19] Certain types of pasta [20] Image titled Burn Belly Fat Fast Step 4 5 Avoid processed foods. Processed foods are often
reached for as comfort
food. But certain processed
foods, like refined grains
and refined sugars, increase
inflammation in the body, and have been linked to excess belly fat.[21] Image titled Burn Belly Fat Fast Step 5 6 Drink green tea. Some studies suggest that
drinking green tea (including
decaffeinated green tea) or
taking green tea extracts
can increase the body's rate
of fat oxidation and may decrease overall body fat. [22] The studies used green tea extract, administered by
capsule, but dieters may
also get some of the same
benefits from drinking green
tea. Image titled Burn Belly Fat Fast Step 6 7 Get enough calcium. Adults typically need around
1,000 milligrams of calcium
every day to help maintain
muscle and nerve function,
and it's necessary for healthy bones and teeth.[23] But calcium may also help
prevent the body from
storing visceral fat in the
abdomen. Though studies
have not shown a drastic
change in weight due to increased calcium intake,
researchers suggest that it
may have a small effect in
some people. Calcium
requires vitamin D to be
absorbed into the body; therefore, be sure to get enough vitamin D as well.[24] Sources of calcium include: [25]Dietary supplements Non-fat or low-fat milk
and dairy products Kale Salmon Tofu (with calcium
sulfate) Advertisement Edit Part Two of Three: Exercising and Staying
Active 1 Set goals. Making goals will help you stay motivated by
giving you something
concrete to work toward.
Setting SMART goals is widely considered the best
way to set goals and stay
on track. SMART goals are: Specific,Measurable, Attainable,Realistic and Time constrained. For instance, instead of
saying, "I want to be
stronger," your goal is
something like, "I want
to be able to bench
press 100 pounds, three times in a row, three
months from now." Or, "I
want to lose 10 pounds
4 months from today." Once you have set your
goals, you can make a
plan to achieve them.
What do you need to do
to achieve your goal? As you approach your
goal, start thinking
about your next SMART
goal to set and achieve. Image titled Burn Belly Fat Fast Step 7 2 Focus on cardiovascular
exercise. Cardiovascular exercise is one of the best
ways to lose weight. Studies
show that cardiovascular
exercise like walking,
jogging, and running is highly
effective at any degree of intensity.[26] That's because cardio/aerobic exercise
works the muscles in your
arms, legs, and hips, and
increases blood flow to all sets of muscles.[27] Effective cardio exercises include:[28] Walking Jogging/running Bicycling Swimming Skiing Stair climbing Elliptical training Rowing Aerobic dancing 3 Lose fat with high-
intensity interval
training (HIIT). If you're trying to lose weight fast,
HIIT training can super-
charge your metabolism for
upwards of 24 hours after exercising.[29] This means your body will continue
burning calories long after
you've ended your workout.
HIIT burns more calories in
less time than steady-state
cardio. In one study, researchers looked at two
groups, one running for 30
to 60 minutes three times
per week, the other doing
four to six 30-second
treadmill sprints, resting for four to six minutes between
each sprint. After six weeks,
it was found that the group
doing HIIT training lost more weight.[30] For HIIT to work, you
need to be giving about
90% all-out effort
during the high-interval
portion. This means not
walking, jogging or even running — you should be
sprinting, unable to
carry on a conversation. [31] Start out with high-
intensity intervals that
last for 30 seconds,
then rest (by walking or
doing low-intensity
exercise, not by standing still) for a
minute. Eventually you'll
want to do your high-
intensity training for
longer periods (try 60
to 90 seconds) and decrease your rest
periods to a 1:1 ratio. [32] Start your HIIT workout
with a five minute
warmup, then do 20
minutes of HIIT, and then
cool down for another
five minutes. Try biking, sprinting, and rowing.[33] Image titled Burn Belly Fat Fast Step 8 4 Lift weights. Weight training is a great tool for
losing weight, toning muscles
and it can actually help your
body burn calories more efficiently.[34] Experts recommend incorporating
two to three weight-
training sessions per week,
with noticeable results in just a few weeks.[35] Image titled Burn Belly Fat Fast Step 9 5 Work your core. When many people think of core
strengthening, they think of
stomach crunches. Crunches
are helpful for building
abdominal muscles, but
contrary to popular belief, crunches won't do much to
lose the layer of fat stored
in your belly, and can
actually cause significant damage to the spine.[36] Instead, try a workout
routine that strengthens
your whole core, like yoga, or try abdominal presses and planking.[37] Advertisement Edit Part Three of Three: Making Lifestyle Changes Image titled Burn Belly Fat Fast Step 10 1 Get enough sleep each
night. Studies have shown that getting less than five
hours of sleep each night or
more than nine hours of
sleep can result in an increase in weight gain.[38] Some studies further show
that not getting enough
sleep increases the body's
cravings for high-calorie
foods, and led to an overall increase in caloric intake.[39] Adults should get
between seven and nine
hours of sleep each
night. Image titled Burn Belly Fat Fast Step 11 2 Keep your stress levels
low. Stress causes the body to crave fatty foods, often
called "comfort food", and
can also lead to snacking or
eating when the body isn't
actually hungry. Finding ways
to lower your stress levels can help you feel better
and may help you lose weight faster.[40] Image titled Burn Belly Fat Fast Step 12 3 Increase or vary your
activity level. Try something new. That will
help keep you interested
and wanting to do more.
Repeating the same workout
at the gym for month after
month will lead to a plateau where you will stop seeing
gains. Try something
different, or hire a trainer
to give some variety to your exercise program.[41] Image titled Burn Belly Fat Fast Step 13 4 Stay motivated. Often times, people lose motivation
to stick with a diet or an
exercise routine. Finding a
reason to stay motivated
beyond belly fat goals, like
overcoming a genetic predisposition to excess
body weight or working
toward fitting into your
favorite article of clothing
again, can help you stay motivated to meet your fitness and lifestyle goals.