2 Simple Ways to Really Lose Belly Fat

Let’s be honest, losing belly fat (also known as visceral fat) is hard to do, but not impossible. But if it’s so difficult, why would anyone even try to get rid of it? Why not just give up and live with it?

Because having an excess amount of visceral fat - the type of fat found deep in the abdominal cavity - is unhealthy and can lead to a whole host of diseases - many of which can be life-threatening. If you are a women with a waist measurement in excess of 35 inches, or 40 inches for men, you have an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, sleep apnea, bone density loss, insulin resistance (leading to Type 2 diabetes) and even some types of cancer!

So how can you get rid of this stubborn and dangerous form of fat?

How to Lose Belly Fat

There are two basic tips that can help you get it done.

1. Exercise (Of a Certain Kind)

(Image courtesy of Ohmega1982 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.)

There are many products and methods that tout themselves as being the Holy Grail when it comes to losing belly fat, but the fact of the matter is most of them don't work. Instead put that money into a gym membership. The only real way to lose belly fat is to burn more calories than you eat! Period.

Fortunately when you start to lose fat, belly fat is one of the first to go. But to set the record straight, there isn’t a program that specifically targets belly fat - the body just doesn’t work that way.

For best results, do short but high intensity cardio-style workouts four times per week. Add in a couple days of strength training per week (with one day off) and you have half of a recipe for losing belly fat and body fat in general.

The other half is....

Healthy Food Choices

You can only burn off so many calories per week working out. If you make bad food choices, both in the type and amount of food you eat, you will not create a calorie deficit and lose belly fat.

One tactic in portion control is eating on a smaller plate. This works by tricking the brain into thinking you ate more than you really did. So when it sees your plate empty, it thinks you are full.

(Image courtesy of Mister GC at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.)

The food you eat should be healthy. Focus on eating foods low in calories, but high in protein and fiber, such as fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats. These foods keep you fuller longer without adding in a ton of calories.

Also, whatever you do, avoid sugar! At first it gives you a lot of energy, but your body quickly metabolizes it by dumping insulin (usually too much) in your bloodstream. Once the sugar is gone, you “crash” from low blood sugar. So what do you do? Eat more sugar. This yo-yo effect eventually causes insulin resistance leading to Type 2 diabetes - and that spare tire around your waist...

So as unglamorous as it may sound, it really comes down to a combination of exercise and healthy food choices as the way to belly fat loss. Eating healthy food prevents you from consuming empty calories that have no nutritional value and exercising burns off calories.

If you burn off more calories than you take in, you’ll lose belly fat. It really is that simple, but not necessarily easy. 

We try to make it easier by providing short, effective workouts here every week, so be sure to check back Thursday for a great belly fat-blasting cardio workout to add to your workout regimen!

[Video] Cardio & Abs Belly Fat Loss Workout

This high-intensity workout is designed to focus on your core to help build strong core muscles, and tone and flatten your belly. The core exercises alternate with 30 seconds of cardio to help burn fat and increase your metabolism.

This type of workout, including both cardio and toning exercises, provides the ultimate fat-burning effect, so you can show off those newly toned abs in no time!

No equipment is required for this body-weight workout, other an an exercise mat if desired. This workout does not include a warmup or cool-down, so you will want to make sure to do these on your own.

Now grab a mat, and let's burn some belly fat!

5 Healthy Ways to Reduce Belly Fat

The hardest type of fat to lose is belly fat. But it's also the most important fat to lose. Belly fat can be a sign of poor cardiovascular health and can signify (years before it happens) potential onset of diabetes, heart attack and even colon cancer. Getting belly fat under control is of utmost importance. Thankfully, due to science we know more than ever about belly fat and why we have it.

The Cortisol Connection

Illustration of obesity and waist circumference. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In women and men there is thought to be a connection between cortisol levels and waist circumference. The stress many people have in their modern lives tends to make them produce more cortisol which tends to force them to store extra fat around their bellies. This is the “muffin top” that you often see in otherwise thin women.

1. Reduce Stress
It is critical that women with excess belly fat (compared to body fat) find ways to reduce their stress levels. One way to do that is to find ways to get some “me” time through exercise or other stress reducers. Some people have gotten some results by adding a resveratrol supplement, which is an ingredient found in red wine, grapes, cherries and cranberries. It helps reduce stress, increases motivation and sometimes gives a boost of energy not unlike caffeine.

2. Avoid Processed Foods

Whether it’s “diet food” or out and out “bad” food, it’s best to avoid processed food of all kinds. Sticking as close to nature as possible to get the nutrient-dense foods that your body needs will do a lot to help you because your body will be getting the vitamins and minerals it needs to repair itself. Think low calorie, high nutrition. You can eat a larger volume of food when you seek to limit processed foods and stick to whole foods.

3. Drink Plenty of Water

The truth is the only beverage that anyone should be drinking is water, and some green tea (assuming you can have the caffeine). Don’t drink fruit juice or soda (diet or not) and limit alcoholic beverages. Instead, drink fresh filtered water, about eight glasses per day. If you feel the need for something sweet, eat fruit - don’t drink it.

4. Do Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise will not only help you lose weight, combat stress, and burn calories, but it is also very good for your cardiovascular system. Since belly fat plays havoc on the cardiovascular system, it’s important to find a way to improve your heart health. The only way to truly burn fat is also through aerobic exercise.

5. Eat Regularly

Eat your largest meal in the morning and eat less as the day progresses. Your last meal of the day be your lightest. There are some theories about eating only during daylight but this is usually very hard to do in today’s busy life that women live with work, kids, family, volunteering and more.

6. Eat Anti-inflammatory Foods

Belly fat is often increased due to eating foods that cause can inflammation. These are some of the best anti-inflammatory foods to eat instead:

* Beets
* Berries
* Dark leafy greens
* Garlic
* Ginger
* Nuts
* Onions
* Peppers
* Salmon
* Tart cherries
* Tomatoes
* Turmeric
* Whole grains

7. Get Enough Sleep

There is a big connection between lack of sleep and being overweight, including having excess body fat around the belly. Most people need between seven and nine hours of sleep a night. The best way to find out how much you need is to keep going to bed earlier and earlier until you can wake up naturally in the morning at the time you need to get up for work without an alarm.

Even women who are of normal weight but who have round bellies have higher death rates than women who are overweight but do not have excess belly fat. There is a test health care providers use to determine an issue with belly fat which is called the height to waist circumference ratio. This number turns out to be a more accurate indicator of health. You get the number by dividing your waist circumference by your height. Here is a link to a helpful calculator: http://www.health-calc.com/body-composition/waist-to-height-ratio

If you’re under 40 and your waist to height ratio is 0.5 or higher, you are considered to be very unhealthy and it is critical that you get help for your weight issue. If you’re 40 to 50 years old, then you should not be over 0.55 and if you’re over 50, then you should not be over 0.6. If you are above those ratios, seek immediate medical evaluation and start a plan to reduce your waist circumference.

Video: Cardio Hip-Hop Bellydance Workout for Beginners

One of the great things about dance workouts is you can add whatever flavor you want by switching up the music. This fun, simple bellydance workout uses more of a hip-hop type of music, for a fast, fun cardio workout that will get you moving and sweating - even if you've never tried bellydance before! She does provide some instruction and the moves are fairly basic, so you probably won't need the intro videos she mentions, although you can check them out if you need to.

She does include a warmup and cooldown, and the workout is less than 30 minutes long. Come get your sexy on and dance along with us!

Cardio belly dance workout with music: the hip hop mix workout for beginners
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Video - Menopause Core Exercises

One of the main things you may notice when going through menopause is that you tend to accumulate more fat in the belly region. This is due in part to decreased metabolism (see last week's posts for help with this), and in part to hormone fluctuations. Regular cardio exercise (especially of the interval kind), together with exercises for a strong core can help you keep that flat belly even after menopause. This short video demonstrates three great core exercises that will help build and maintain core strength. They won't take long to do, and can be incorporated into your regular workout routine, or alternated on different days. (See instructions below video for set/rep information.)

Menopause Weight Loss | My Menopause Fix Blog
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3 Simple Exercises for Toning the Core:

1) Hip Bridge - 20 Reps 2 Sets
2) 1 Leg Static Hip Bridge with Knee Taps - 10 each Leg 2 Sets
3) Reverse Tabletop Crunch ( Slow ) - 20 Reps 2 Sets

Easy Stomach Exercises to Work off Those Love Handles

A major complaint of people who want to look more fit is belly fat. Specifically, a large number of people have trouble with "love handles." Far from lovely or lovable, these are deposits of fat that take up residence on the sides of one's lower torso, around the external oblique muscles.

Traditional crunches and sit-ups will not do much for this sort of chub, as they mainly work the abdominal muscles and not the obliques. The good news, however, is that there are a few stomach exercises which specifically target the obliques, helping trim love handles. As with any new physical activity, consult a professional before beginning and be sure to properly warm up to avoid injury.

Image via WikipediaAlso please note that these exercises are most effective when used in conjunction with a healthy diet, and regular physical activity. For some ideas on how to implement these aspects into your life, please visit http://www.newholisticliving.com/holisticwellness.html

Side Bend
A simple exercise, side bends are also probably the most effective method for losing love handles. Start by standing upright. Position your feet shoulder width apart and bend your knees slightly. Lower your whole torso to one side, then back to the other. Lean only side to side, not backwards or forwards.

Torso Twist
This stomach exercise is also effective at reducing love handles, and is good to do right after the side bends in your routine, as it is also done in a standing position. Again, with feet shoulder width apart, slowly twist the body to one side, then to the other. The key here is to twist from your torso, not from the hips. As much of the twisting work as possible should be done by your oblique muscles, not your hip flexors. Keep your torso upright with no bending.

Side Crunch
The next two stomach exercises require you to get off your feet and lie down, preferably on the floor or other flat surface. Use a mat or towel as a cushion if you have a particularly hard floor to work with. Lie down on one side. For simplicity, let us say you are on your right side to start. Bring your right arm across your waist so that your right hand comes to rest on your left side. Touch your ear with the fingertips of your left hand, so that your left elbows winds up pointing straight upward. Lift your shoulders up off the floor while simultaneously raising your left leg to height of about twelve inches (30 cm). Contract your obliques as you do this. Hold for a few seconds, then gently lie back down. Do this for an entire set, then switch to the right side.

Seated Knee Drop
First, position yourself on the floor so that you are resting on your hipbones (not sitting on your butt). You can put your hands on the floor behind you to keep yourself stable in this position. Bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the floor. Put your ankles together. Now lower your knees to the right. Your feet will roll on to their sides, but should remain on the floor. Continue this lowering move until your knees are about six inches above the floor. Hold for one second, then go back up and down to the left side. Move slowly and with control, using your stomach muscles rather than momentum to raise and lower your legs.