The annoying belly fat is difficult to shed once it accumulates. The abdomen is the area with the least activity during daily routines, making it a favorite spot for fat accumulation. Many people spend long hours sitting without engaging in physical activities, preferring to watch series or play games. Their diets often lack restraint, leading to excessive intake of high-sugar, high-calorie foods, which results in excessive visceral fat and a thick layer of fat around the internal organs, causing the waistline to protrude more and more.
How can we cleverly reduce the belly and achieve a flat stomach? Simply follow these five points to bid farewell to the ‘big belly’!
1. It’s not about eating less, but eating right
Losing belly fat is not about drastic dieting, but about eating smart. We should avoid various high-calorie processed foods (mooncakes, biscuits, egg tarts, fried chicken, chips, hamburgers, etc.) and consume more lightly processed, low-calorie foods to control calorie intake without constantly feeling hungry.
We should eat more natural foods rich in fiber that help to scrape off fat, such as celery, wax gourd, lettuce, broccoli, and carrots, which are all good for losing fat during weight loss periods.
For staple foods, we can choose low-GI carbohydrates rich in dietary fiber that have a slower glycemic response, such as whole wheat bread, oats, brown rice, sweet potatoes, potatoes, Chinese yam, pumpkin, and lotus root, and eat less noodles, rice, and steamed buns. A portion size of a fistful per meal is sufficient.
2. Develop proper eating habits
Get rid of the bad habit of eating too quickly and learn to chew slowly, which allows the brain to receive the satiety signal in time, helping to control portion sizes.
Before eating, drink a glass of water or a bowl of clear soup, then eat a large portion of low-calorie vegetables, followed by other high-calorie foods. Save the carbohydrate-rich staple foods for last, which can reduce the intake of staple foods and help control blood sugar and inhibit fat accumulation.
3. Choose the right exercise
To lose belly fat, it’s essential to get moving and not sit all day. When exercising, don’t blindly pursue high-intensity training because it’s hard to stick to and easy to give up.
Those with more belly fat often have poor physical endurance. Beginners can start with moderate-intensity exercises such as brisk walking, cycling, and aerobics, gradually developing the habit of exercising, and their physical endurance will gradually improve, laying a good foundation for exercise.
After 1-2 months, you can try moderate to high-intensity exercises such as jogging, playing ball games, and skipping rope, gradually increasing the intensity of training to improve fat burning efficiency.
Arrange 2-3 abdominal training sessions per week to strengthen the abdominal muscles, such as bicycle crunches, leg raises, crunches, and Russian twists. Perform 4 sets of each exercise, with 10-15 repetitions per set, which can inhibit fat accumulation and result in a firmer and more attractive abdominal line after losing weight.
4. Ensure adequate water intake
Water is calorie-free, and the human metabolism requires the participation of water. When we drink enough water, the body’s metabolic functions operate more efficiently, accelerating the burning and consumption of fat, thereby helping to reduce belly fat.
Additionally, ensuring adequate water intake instead of various beverages can reduce the burden on the kidneys, promote the cleanliness of the internal environment, and promote the breakdown of belly fat. It is recommended to drink 2-3 liters of water per day, replenishing it in small amounts multiple times.
5. Record your weight, body fat percentage, and waist circumference changes
Record your body changes once a week or every three days to know if the plan is scientific, and adjust your diet and exercise plans in time to lose weight more efficiently.
You should know that losing belly fat takes time and cannot be achieved overnight. The metabolic cycle of fat is more than three months. To lose weight healthily and scientifically, we must be patient and not rush to achieve results, striving for high-quality weight loss and successfully losing weight.
These are the five effective methods I share for reducing belly fat.
