ADIOS BELLY FAT, ALL ABOUT LOSING BELLY FAT (2)

Now we know what causes belly fat and the health risks, it is time to explore ways to lose belly fat and keep it off. We'll divide this into Diet and Exercise, so today we'll explore the types of foods that can help remove/reduce belly fat. So join me as we find out:

HOW TO LOSE BELLY FAT:

I've seen many people, especially women, make the mistake of thinking they can lose belly fat without losing body fat. Ok, as scary as the health risks of belly fat are, the cosmetic aspect of having well toned and muscular abs is equally enough motivation to make even the most laid back, unassuming person lose belly fat.

(6packs for men) and flat tummy (for women).

The good news is that though visceral fat surrounds your vital organs and cannot be touched, it is metabolically active and easier to lose than most fats in the body, however, same cannot be said for lower abdominal fat which is often subcutaneous fat (under the skin fat) which is tougher to lose.

To lose belly fat, there are no short cuts, magic pills, potions and quick formula. All you need are the 4Ds of DietChic - DESIRE, DETERMINATION, DISCIPLINE, DEDICATION. If you have the desire to lose it, get determined to do it, be disciplined and keep to the dos and donts and stay dedicated to it, you will be amazed at how the abdominal muscles underneath the fat will gradually but steadily appear and how clean your bill of healthy will become.

EMBARK ON A CALORIE CONTROLLED DIET:

There is no significant, sustainable weight loss without an individually tailored and calorie structured diet plan. Always bear in mind that food greatly affects the size of your stomach, this is why we cannot over emphasise the fact that you can lose belly fat with diet alone but can NEVER do same with exercise alone.

AVOID SIMPLE CARBS:

If you cannot afford the professional services of a nutritionist/dietitian just yet, start by cutting out certain things totally from your diet. If you do not eat and/or drink anything that is in a bottle, can, pack, tin, sachet, carton (these include but are not restricted to, juices, alcohol, biscuits/cookies, sweets, corn beef, chocolates, sardine, baked beans, bread, soda, etc) for six weeks only, you will find us and personally thank us.

INCREASE YOUR PROTEIN INTAKE:

Protein foods are not only very filling, they are also low in calories and are very good for burning fat and for building the muscles. Some great lean proteins include, Chicken breast, Egg whites, Salmon, Loin of beef, Tuna in water, home made fat free yoghurt (iGet mine from Flavour Factory, contact Mrs @uzunmaanyianuka on twitter), Unsweetened soya milk or 0% fat free milk, Kidney beans, Low fat cottage cheese, Lentils, Raw nuts, Chickpeas, and other lean protein. More than the other two macronutrients, protein digestion boosts your metabolism which translates to speedy and more effective weight loss.

CONVERT FROM SIMPLE TO COMPLEX CARBS:

Complex carbs are those carbohydrates that contain an upward of 3sugars linked together, some have up to 10000 sugars linked together, but let us forget about the technicalities and explore why complex carbohydrates are better than the simple ones. Simple carbs like cakes which contain a lot of sugar can spike your blood sugar and that can be hazardous to your health, however, complex carbs usually take longer to be broken down into glucose in your blood, that way they provide prolonged energy and stabilize your blood sugar rather than spike it up like simple carbohydrates do. Complex carbs are also more nutritious and are mostly higher in fibre, vitamins, minerals, etc. Some examples of complex carbs include, but are not limited to (Broccoli, Carrots, Asparagus, Spinach, and other green Vegetables, Fibrous roots like sweet potatoes, "real" whole wheat **i buy mine from the local market and grind at a local mill**, Oranges, Brown rice, Whole wheat oat, etc).

GO NUTS:

Raw nuts are excellent for weight loss and are definitely helpful in burning belly fat because of their high content in monounsaturated fat. Monounsaturated fats also counter spikes in blood sugar as they keep blood sugar levels steady and this way prevent belly fat accumulation. Some great nuts to eat for weight loss are, but not restricted to (Almonds, walnuts, pistachios, macadamias, pecans and even sesame seeds and sun flower seeds) these nuts do not only aid your belly fat loss efforts and control blood sugar, they also control your appetite and cravings as well and most importantly, they also help maintain proper levels of fat burning hormones. These nuts are healthy and contain around 75 to 90 percent healthy fat. However, do not eat these nuts indiscriminately as they are usually high in calories. A serving size for each of these nuts are about 14 walnut halves, 24 almonds, 35 peanuts, 15 pecan halves, etc, each.

SEE FAT, EAT FAT, LOSE FAT:

Eat fat to lose fat sounds ridiculous right? Yea, ridiculous but it's the truth. Research shows that monounsaturated fats aid in banishing belly fat but that is not the same with saturated and trans-fats which are usually unhealthy and often found in processed foods. The great thing about monounsaturated fats is that they taste really good and can keep you full for a long time. Some great sources of monounsaturated fats are (Avocado, Olive oil, Oily fish like -Salmon, Mackerel, Sardine, Tuna-, Nuts (as listed above), etc). Like with the nuts, be careful of calories from fat.

WALK OUT, WORK OUT & EXERCISE:

Yea, you got that right, iSaid "walk-out and work out" because on the spot exercises do not do much for belly fat. 5000 sit ups, leg lifts and tummy crunches daily will not remove or even significantly reduce belly fat.
To lose and/or reduce belly fat you need to engage in moderate to high intensity exercises as research shows that cardiovascular exercises actually target belly fat especially the no-good visceral fat which is deep within the belly. So, to lose belly fat, concentrate on exercises that are intense and when you have done that you can then start doing the crunches and sit ups to tighten the stomach muscles. Ensure you exercise at least 30 minutes 4 to 6 times a week and start slowly and gently till you work up your strength, resistance and stamina.

If you are the typical couch potato start slowly with moderate exercises 30 minutes, 4-6 times weekly and work it up gradually to 45 mins, then an hour and also intensify your work out routine. If you are a more active person, try exercise/workout routines that are relatively short but pretty intense, these type of routines may last only 20-30 minutes but they are sure to blast belly fat in no time and also preserves muscle mass better than more prolonged activities.

**Losing belly fat is a combination of diet and exercise and though you can lose belly fat by dieting alone, you can NEVER lose belly fat by exercise alone.*** (just had to repeat it). However, you CAN NEVER tighten stomach muscles by diet, you MUST exercise to get that done.

Tomorrow, we'll spend some time discussing and describing the perfect exercises that target belly fat.

I love you for reading

#DIETCHIC