8 Simple Everyday Tips & Tricks On How To Lose Belly Fat
A lot of us work towards achieving our fitness goals, be it losing body fat, gaining muscle, or just maintaining the physical shape that we have achieved. There are different ways to get rid of body fat and lose weight which includes introducing lifestyle changes like increasing physical activity or trying different healthy diets like keto, paleo, or veganism to name a few. This article provides 8 simple everyday tips & tricks on how to lose belly fat.
Let’s start by understanding what is weight loss?
What Is Weight Loss?
In simple words, weight loss is the lost mass in the body. It can occur due to loss in water (in the body), loss in muscle, or loss in stored body fat. Not all weight losses are good for health, especially if the lost weight is primarily muscle mass. If muscle mass is being lost then it may lead to health problems in the long term. Therefore, when it comes to weight loss, the most important parameter to consider is stored body fat. Stored body fat can be targeted by making changes in:
- Physical activity
- Eating habits
- Lifestyle
Let’s combine all the 3 listed parameters and introduce them in everyday life so that we can aid the fat loss in the body.
1. Don’t Give Up On Favorite Foods (Just Yet)
Giving up on junk food is a must to start your weight loss journey since it is loaded with calories and has less nutritional value. Giving up on your favorite foods is a big lifestyle change and may become one of the biggest hurdles in a fat loss journey. Start with limiting junk food and then try to taper it down to 1 – 2 cheat meals in a week. For example, if you eat a cheeseburger or a pizza 3 days in a week, limit it to only 2 days. Slowly taper it down to only 1 – 2 cheat meals per week. Make sure all other meals are healthy meals. Reward yourself with your favorite food if you’ve controlled yourself for few days.
2. Portion Control
Several studies have shown that weight loss can be started just by controlling your portions in a meal. Losing weight is somewhat related to math; if you consume less calories than you spend, then you will lose weight as long as this is equation is maintained. Keeping an eye on portions will greatly help in losing weight. For example, if you get a chipotle bowl split it into 2 meals to control portion. You can also use a food scale to measure the quantity of the meal.
3. Smart Snacking
Eating snacks and munching is something all of us enjoy. Snacking is also important since it helps in keeping us full in between meals. But a lot of snacks are full of processed foods which are bad for overall health. Snack smartly by introducing healthy snacks in between your meals. There are a lot of healthy snacks to choose from besides the tried and tested protein bars.
Related: The 4 Best Low Carb Healthy Snacks Under 200 Calories.
4. Eat A Balanced Meal
It is important to eat optimum amounts macro-nutrients that is, protein, carbohydrates, and fats. It is equally important to choose the right macro-nutrient sources to help you in weight loss. For example, eating processed or canned meat is not a healthy source of protein. Same goes for processed breads and fats. Eat organic foods like brown rice (or white rice), fish, chicken breasts/thighs, buy grocery items from fresh produce including fresh fruits and vegetables to name a few.
5. Eat Spices
Different spices have different benefits, for example, turmeric has antioxidant properties, cumin helps in detoxification and is known to have anti-cancer properties. Similarly, other spices are nutritious in other vitamins and minerals that may help in body fat loss.
6. Stock Up on Healthy Items
When doing groceries, make a list of items that you would like to buy to achieve your health goals. If you have healthy items in your home, you will end up cooking healthy meals.
Related: Top 10 Grocery List Must Haves When You Go Grocery Shopping.
7. Drink Plenty of Water
Water helps in keeping the body hydrated, in addition to boosting metabolism and getting rid of toxins. Thereby drinking plenty of water aids in fat loss. Introduce drinking at least a gallon of water (3.8L). Try to keep a bottle always filled with water handy with you. Read more about how water helps in weight loss here.
8. Refocus Eating Out
We all like to socialize and eat out at restaurants. Eating out may be bad if you’re eating from restaurants too often and may affect fitness goals, however, if you refocus eating out by concentraing on what to order, it may even aid in weight loss. Making smart choices when eating out can prove to be beneficial. As an example, swap regular fries with sweet potato fries and limit the intake. Get a salad as a side to give the body appropriate amount of fiber.
Conclusion
How to lose belly fat? Well, it is a lifestyle change and it cannot happen overnight. Make small and simple changes in everyday life instead of making a drastic or sudden change that will be difficult to keep up with. Also in the long term, benefits of these small changes will be noticed which will encourage and motivate even more to achieve goals.
