Ways to Lose Belly Fat

Ways to Lose Belly Fat

Have you heard about the stress-fat connection?

Do you know how and why anxiety and tension triggers us to pile on the pounds? If you’re gathering ways to lose belly fat, learning stress management is a vital technique.

Stress stimulates the fight or flight response, which is the brain’s red flag to take action in emergency situations. When your brain senses a threat, it signals your adrenal glands to push out the stress hormone, cortisol. The stress hormone prompts fat cells to make quick energy available.

Extra energy serves as a power surge your muscles can use to either stay and fight, or flee from danger. This mechanism worked beautifully in the eras when man faced physical danger from wild animals, etc. However, it can’t discern what causes modern day stress, such as financial or marital problems. It keeps on cranking out cortisol, which we don’t use, and the body stores it as fat.

Studies have shown the mechanism influences where the excess flab is stored. Particularly in women, it is stored as deep abdominal flab – the dangerous kind of fat – which increases risks of heart disease and stroke.

Your first thought is likely to start a serious calorie-restricting diet. Let’s correct this old way of thinking. Again, according to clinical studies, incorrect dieting increases stress and cortisol levels.

So, what are right ways to lose belly fat?

Avoiding simple sugar and Trans fats is a good place to start breaking the stress-fat cycle. Both these culprits tend to pile fat on your belly. Read food labels because manufacturers can be sneaky.

If you are “starving” your sweet tooth, make a fruit smoothie. Sweeten it with a little honey or molasses if you must add sugar.

Make your diet as natural and unprocessed as possible. Don’t add extra stress by eating a lot of stuff you don’t like. There are plenty of healthy foods to choose from.

Also, don’t starve yourself. “Dieting” does not work, and it can make you very sick. Severe calorie restriction destroys protein and lean muscle.

Don’t force yourself to eliminate something you really like. Once you start eating a clean diet, it will gradually eliminate itself.

Get your necessary fats from monounsaturated fatty acids such as, seeds, nuts, olive oil, soybeans and avocados.

Eat your fill of fresh fruits and veggies. Get at least three of each every day. Buy organic if possible. Eat your dark, leafy greens, such as mustard, spinach and collards.

Try to consume fewer animal products – yes this includes meat. Start with a “meatless meal” one night a week. Have fatty fish, such as salmon or tuna twice a week.

If you couldn’t care less about meat, consider a vegetarian way of life.

Drink more water than anything else. Water helps flush out fat.

Sleep is a component you may not have considered. If you do not get quality sleep on a regular basis, your cortisol levels rise and fat accumulates on your belly.

In general, sleep-deprived people test higher in ghrelin, which is the hunger-stimulating hormone. They also test lower in leptins, the fullness hormone.

As for exercise, do some and then do a little more. Clinical research suggests that aerobic exercises are one of the best ways to lose belly fat. You will undoubtedly exercise more if you enjoy it. For example, do you love to dance? Have you always wanted to take a kickboxing class? Does your local YMCA offer water aerobics?

Finally, don’t try to turn your lifestyle upside-down overnight. We’ve shown you ways to lose belly fat. Each time you implement one change, you’re investing in a happier, healthier life.