As we age we gain fat; women typically gain more towards their thighs and buttocks while men usually gain in their abdominal area. However, it is not uncommon for a woman to also gain belly fat. In fact, the beginning stages of belly fat gain are invisible to the naked eye. See, as this fat begins to accrue, it works its way around your internal organs prior to becoming visible. Regardless, this type of fat is very dangerous so it is important that we – as human race – start focusing on how to lose belly fat.
Lose belly fat NOT weight
First off, to lose belly fat you must stop trying to lose weight. Most weight loss programs, these days, cause a person to cut calories dangerously low. Cutting calories below 1500 a day causes an adverse effect on the body. You will, to begin with, never lose belly fat by cutting calories that low. When calories are cut, too much, your body goes into “starvation mode”; meaning it will begin to store rather than burn these calories.
When your body goes into this protection mode, your metabolic rate is slowed down dramatically, which is what causes less calorie burn and more fat gain. When you start eating again you will not lose belly fat but, instead, gain more. What happens is that it takes your body a while to realize that you are no longer starving it, so it will continue to store what you are eating; in turn, causing more fat and weight gain. It will take a while for your body to realize what is going on and kick up your metabolic rate again; until then you will not lose belly fat.
Now, imagine what happens if you do this time and time again; your body gets really confused and you end up weighing more than you ever had. On top of that, you will have much more fat than you had to begin with and trying to lose belly fat will now be much more work. But, not to fear, there is hope. All it takes is a bit of dedication and hard work, and you can lose fat and return to you sexy physique.
The dedication part comes into play with your diet and exercise. Let’s start with diet first. Diet, in this sense, does not mean cutting calories. You should be consuming anywhere from 1500-1800 calories a day depending on gender and body type. What diet means, when it comes to trying to lose belly fat and be healthy, is watch what you eat.
It is time to focus on what you put into your body; no more unnaturally sweetened foods filled with sugar, no more processed / boxed foods, and definitely no more fast food meals. If you truly want to lose belly fat you will have no problem spending a little more time planning your meals and preparing them in advance. See, this is what it takes to become healthy and sexy again. You need to focus on eating clean, whole, natural foods like fruits and vegetables, meats and protein, and nuts and grains.
Now for the hard work part of it all – exercise. But, not just any exercise will help you lose belly fat; rather, you need to partake in a proper strength training regime to accomplish this. Time is not an issue, so put that out of your mind. All you need is a mere 30 minutes 2-3 times a week and you are on your way to a six-pack. If you are performing your strength training routines properly, to where they challenge each of your muscle groups, you will begin to lose belly fat in no time at all (no not tomorrow, but you will see it).
Lose belly fat with dedication and hard work
So, it is time to stop hoping you will get skinny again, and start working towards your goal to lose belly fat. Even if you have not realized that that is the issue, it is. Work towards losing it and everything else will fall in line behind it. You will not only acquire that sexy body you have been dying for, but you will feel and look healthier too.
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