Five Steps to Lose Belly Fat Fast

Are you doing 100 abdominal exercises to try and lose belly fat but just not seeing the results? Then it’s time to put away the exercise mat and get out your running shoes. That’s right! To reduce excess body fat you need to do aerobic exercises. Aerobics give you maximum calorie and fat burn. 

But wait, there’s more. Aerobics alone will not flatten your stomach. You must also reduce stress, eat healthy, build lean muscles and get sleep. Of course it doesn’t hurt to keep on doing the abdominal exercises as you will want to show off your sick pack abs once you follow these easy steps to lose belly fat.

Step 1 - Aerobic Exercises

Aerobic exercises gets your blood pumping and the oxygen flowing. Fat needs oxygen to burn so the more oxygen your body needs during exercise the more fat calories you will burn. All aerobic exercises help burn fat but some are better than others. Exercises like cross country skiing, walking and jogging are great fat burning exercises. That’s because they use both the upper and lower body muscles.

Aerobic exercises that use the lower body muscles will burn more calories. That is because muscles like the glutes, quads and hips are larger muscles so will require more oxygen. You should do a minimum of 30 minutes of aerobics 3 to 4 times a week for maximum fat burning benefits.

Step 2 - Reduce Stress

When you are stressed your body releases a hormone called cortisol. This stress hormone can increase appetite and increases fat production. Generally this excess fat is stored in the stomach leading to belly fat. In fact, stress is one of the main causes for excess belly fat. So to lose belly fat you want to find ways to reduce your stress.

To reduce stress the best course of action is exercise. Exercise helps relieve stress and will make you feel more energized. Another way to help reduce stress is to breathe deeply. You should take time out in your day to do breathing exercises at least 2 or 3 times a day. When you breathe deeply you are not only relieving stress but you are increasing your metabolism. By oxygenating your body you are burning calories and fat more efficiently. 

Step 3 - Eat Healthy

Eating healthy not only helps you lose belly fat but helps lose weight and minimizes certain medical risks. Studies show that eating smaller meals more often helps to rev up your metabolism. You are also reducing the risk for binge eating as you will feel more satisfied and fuller during the day. 

Your body needs over 40 different nutrients each day so your foods should be varied and full of vitamins. Eating protein with each meal aids in burning fat because it requires more energy to digest. This means you are using more calories to digest the food and the more calories you burn the more fat you will burn.

Use lower fat foods as well like low fat or fat free dairy products. Keep the foods as natural as possible like fruits and veggies. When you have to have processed foods like bread or pasta, make it whole wheat instead of processed flour. 

Step 4 – Strength Training Exercises

Another way to help lose belly fat is strength training exercises. Strength training is a great way to help build lean muscles. The more lean muscle mass you have the higher your basal metabolic rate (BMR). This is the rate at which you burn calories during the day and even while sleeping and is responsible for 60% to 70% of the total calories you burn in a day. 

Strength training exercises are those exercises that will challenge your muscles through resistance. You can do weight lifting, resistance band exercises, dumbbell exercises or even bodyweight exercises. You should aim for 2 to 3 times a week for your strength training workout. 

Step 5 – Get Sleep

Lastly to lose belly fat you will need a good nights sleep. During sleep your body is recuperating from the previous days activities. This allows you to wake up refreshed and energized allowing you to workout longer and harder. With a more challenging workout you will burn more calories and fat.

In addition to the exercise benefit, sleep also helps maintain proper insulin levels. Lack of sleep impacts the production of insulin which is needed to regulate blood sugar. When there is excess insulin in your body you begin storing foods as fat. So be sure to end your day with a great nights sleep. After all, you deserve it after a long day of fat burning activities.