No one is proud of their belly fat, besides maybe Homer Simpson and I think we all know he’s not really the smartest guy in the world, right? It is bad for our health, mentally and physically. Belly fat can make us feel overly self conscious and ugly, and have negative effects on our self-confidence.
Excess fat is linked to health problems like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, insomnia, depression and all sort of issues all of us want to avoid.
You think that would be enough to motivate most people to get back into shape, but the statistics show quite the opposite. Only a little over 30% of people over 20 in the United States are in what is considered to be a healthy weight range. More than a third of the population is obese.
The great thing about this is that we are not alone in our weight problems. Thankfully, there are lots of resources that can tell us different ways to lose belly fat. Some of these suggested changes will work perfectly for you other will take time to get used to. Here are some different ways to lose belly fat (and fat everywhere else).
1: Make one change at a time.
Sometimes when we try to commit to too much change at once, we can find ourselves feeling overwhelmed. Frequently this will lead to individuals giving up on their goals. It is important you take a reasonable approach to getting healthier, so that you will be able to stick to the changes in the long-term.
One way to manage this is by making small changes all the time. For example, you can decide to just go on a walk once a week. If you weren’t active before, you are already on the road to a healthier lifestyle. Keep on adding small changes on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Just make sure to stick to them!
2: Find the way YOU like to exercise.
One thing is clear when addressing our belly fat issue, we are going to need to start working out to get rid of it. The thing is you have to find a way to work out that you will enjoy or at least will be able to stick with.
It is true, exercising can be tedious, but to make it happen we need to make it at the baseline doable. For example, if you do not like going to the gym, try figuring out an exercise plan that does not require going to the gym. You can buy a small pair of hand weights to work out at home, do body weight training and do your cardio in the great outdoors.
You can help alleviate boredom by loading up your ipod with music that motivates you, podcasts you enjoy, audiobooks from your favorite authors – this will distract you and help make the time pass quicker!
3: Take a Walk
This is one you can do with family, friends, children, your dog or just go solo. You can just walk around your neighborhood, go to a park or go anywhere that you can walk around. Some individuals do their walking around the mall when it is too cold outside to walk.
Walking is a light weight exercise that almost everyone can do! It is a great way to lose belly fat, lower your stress, lower your blood pressure and is linked with many other health benefits. It is a great way to start exercising regularly for beginners that almost eliminates the risk of injury. It is also free!
The health benefits of doing something as simple and easy as just going for a walk outside are plentiful. You’ll get some fresh air, and maybe even some vitamin D. It’ll lift your mood and if you walk far enough, will probably help you sleep more soundly at night.
If you’re unfit, then start out slowly. Set yourself small goals, like walking to a certain place or point in 20 minutes. As you progress, make the goals a little more challenging so you have to increase your pace.
4: Love Yourself
Many of us are really cruel to ourselves when we look in the mirror. We pinch our fat. Examine every little “flaw”. Compare ourselves to others. Wonder why we can’t look more like our favorite movie star.
All of this negative thinking is counter-productive. It affects our self confidence, which in turn affects all aspects of our life – our work, personal lives, relationships (or lack of, due to low self esteem and confidence).
The next time you feel a negative thought sneaking into your brain, shoot it down. Think of something positive you can do. Whether it be listening to some music you like for ten minutes, eating a piece of fruit or taking a stroll outside, you’ll feel infinitely better for doing it rather than being mean to yourself.
5: Eat Belly Fat Burning Foods
We will just list belly fat burning foods in this section to show you the infinite amount of tasty possibilities. Incorporate any of these into your diet once or more a day and you will start making change to the shape and well-being of your body.
Pomegranates, oatmeal, green tea, granola, bananas, broccoli, carrots, peanuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, peanut butter, water, grapefruit, oranges, pears, beans, whole grain bread, whole grain rice, whole grain pasta, lemons, Greek yogurt, quinoa, cinnamon, hot peppers, apples, grapes, raisins, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, sweet potatoes, whole eggs, coffee, milk, tabouli, eggplant, avocado, chicken, whole grain cereal, lean beef, turkey, sardines, tuna, salmon.
That is just to list a few of the great foods that will burn your belly fat. If you start just incorporating a couple of these foods a day to your diet, you’ll be on the way to a healthy lifestyle. Change is doable. You can start by just enjoying a juicy pear or a piece of delicious grilled salmon.
Even just taking a bag of almonds to work to snack on is a great first step!
