How Can I Reduce My Belly Fat?

Reducing belly fat seems to be an arduous task.

Reducing belly fat seems to be an arduous task. Poor lifestyle, genetics, hormones, and medications often shows its impact on our weighing scales. There are no spot reduction techniques for losing just the belly fat. However, with these helpful home remedies, slow and steady inch loss is possible. Physical exhaustion seems to have a key role in weight management. Hence, including moderate to high physical activities along with a diet is essential for optimal weight loss. Some of the home remedies to reduce belly fat include:

• Eating a high-protein diet: Protein helps to build muscle mass, increase the metabolic rate, and reduce calorie intake. High-protein diets prevent weight gain and abdominal obesity. Include eggs, soya, fatty fish, and lean meat in your daily diet. Vegans can have soya, nuts, etc.
• Curbing on carbohydrates: Restrict the intake of the processed carbohydrates and consume foods such as oats, barley, non-starchy vegetables, and nuts that are low in the glycemic index.
• Eating plenty of soluble fiber: Fiber has a bulking effect and stimulates early satiation, thus preventing abdominal obesity. Flax seeds, avocados, legumes, and blackberries have plenty of soluble fiber.
• Limiting saturated fats: Limit the portion of saturated fats such as full-fat dairy products to restrict calorie intake.
• Consuming foods rich in antioxidants: Foods and beverages rich in antioxidants such as green tea, grapes, blueberries, nuts, or dark green leafy vegetables help to burn more calories around the belly.
• Eating flavorful foods instead of bland foods: Eating bland foods would make one indulge in junk food. Try seasoning the foods with pepper, cinnamon, and chili flakes. These have an added calorie-burning action.
• Having vitamin D-fortified food: Vitamin D fortified gives about 35% of all the calcium required in a day, which helps in shedding more fat than any other food.
• Staying hydrated: Drinking water can do wonders. Drinking water means having fewer calories without any added sugar than sweetened drinks.
• Using olive oil or coconut oil for cooking: Adding these oils may help to control one’s appetite and make them satisfied early.
• Taking probiotics: Studies have shown that probiotics have helped in reducing belly fat.
• Increasing physical activity and adopting a regular exercise regimen: Sedentary lifestyle remains the main culprit in increasing abdominal obesity. Women sitting continuously for more than 3 hours are at an increased risk of abdominal obesity. Exercising daily for 30 minutes may aid in losing belly fat. Activities such as aerobic exercises, brisk walking, climbing stairs, swimming, dancing, and jogging may also help to lose belly fat.
• Improving sleep quality: Sleeping for less than 5 hours may result in a weight gain of around 32 lbs. Similarly, sleeping for more than 8 hours also does the same. Hence, sleeping for 6-8 hours seems to be adequate for losing belly fat.

Things to avoid while aiming for belly fat loss include:

• Avoid consumption of sugary foods and beverages: Sugary foods and beverages contain high added sugars. Added sugars contain high fructose, which may reduce the metabolic rate and fat burning.
• Eliminating processed food: Processed foods have been ripped off with nutrition, vitamin, mineral, and fiber. Foods such as white rice, white bread, and food products made of refined flour are easily digestible and lead to rapid spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels after meals.
• Avoiding extreme stress: Stressing out a lot can release the “stress hormone” cortisol, which can increase abdominal obesity. Stress also leads to declined sleep quality, overeating, and heavy alcohol drinking, which in turn also contributes to abdominal obesity. Meditation and breathing technique may help to relieve stress and makes one feel good.
• Alcohol and smoking: Alcohol and smoking can lead to fat accumulation near the abdomen.