How to get rid of extra belly fat? No one likes having spare tires, the love handles, that bulge at the waist. It makes harder to wear your smart clothes because of the excess fat popping out on your sides.
In this article, I will share with you the things you can do to get rid of the extra belly fat so you never have to worry about it again.
Let’s first understand what it does to your physical health.
Visceral Fat and Physical Health
Part of the body fat that covers abdominal muscles—also called as visceral fat— is so dangerous that it increases your risk of diseases like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Carrying too much fat around one’s mid section has also been found to be a cause for the increased risks of other life-threatening conditions, one of which is cancer.
Because of this, getting rid of the excess belly fat isn’t just good for your vanity. It may even give you a longer, healthy life.
Why Belly Fat Is So Difficult to Lose?
Belly fat is the most stubborn fat to lose. Why?
(i) If the belly is the first place where your body normally stores extra fat, it will likely be the last place you lose.
(ii) Moreover, your body is designed to prefer to store fat in your waist area because it is easier to get to when you need extra energy. So, even if we take steps to lose weight, our body will try to retain fat in this area.
To outsmart stubborn belly fat, we need to work on a multi-faceted approach:
(i) Making some dietary changes
(ii) Performing exercises that help burn fat and target abdominal muscles
(iii) Changing unhealthy lifestyle habits
Diet Recommendations To Help Lose Weight and, Consequently, Belly Fat
Some dieticians claim that shedding fat from the middle is more about diet than physical activity. That’s welcome news for the people who are contemplating how to lose that excess weight without exercise.
Calories In vs Calories Out
The fundamental thing to keep in mind when it comes to shedding fat is that it is necessary to create a calorie deficit that is to eat fewer calories than your body expends. This compels your body to dip into the stored excess fat. Here is an online calculator to determine your daily calorie needs.
By eating a lesser number of calories than what your body is going to use, you will eventually begin to trim waistline.
Foods To Avoid For Slimmer Waistline
There are also some foods that you should avoid if you’re aiming for a slimmer waist. Among them the main ones are:
(i) Sugary foods like ice cream, cakes and cookies.
(ii) Salty treats such as crackers and chips.
(iii) Foods made of white flour, including white bread and pasta
(iv) Processed foods (even those claimed as healthy foods like soups, which are usually high in sodium)
Instead Eat These Foods
Focus on eating whole, natural foods and healthy fats. They will not only help losing weight in general, but also to get rid of belly fat finally.
Focus on eating a clean diet, rich in vitamins and minerals. This will provide you the essential nutritional support needed to burn calories & shed fat efficiently.
Certain Eating Habits To Remember
There are certain eating behaviors that you can follow to get rid of extra fat from your midsection. Among them the main ones are:
(i) Eating slowly so you recognize the signal, as soon you are full and stop eating further.
(ii) Reading and understanding the labels to identify the concealed ingredients that you should avoid.
(iii) Engaging in mindful eating to help you control the portions size.
A point to be noted here is that diet alone does not guarantee a slimmer waist. Diet and exercise together will provide you better results.
Developing A Workout Plan To Trim The Middle
According to Research Study, physical activity can help trim down abdominal fat. Therefore, the best approach to shed fat from your midsection is to focus on both – diet as well as exercise.
A workout plan that targets abdominal fat should comprise of the following three components:
(i) Cardio exercises
(ii) Strength training exercises
(iii) Toning exercises
Best Cardio Exercise To Help Shed Belly Fat
Whereas any cardiovascular exercises can step-up the number of calories burned and help create calorie deficit, but HIIT (high-intensity interval training) is the frontrunner in this area.
HIIT involves performing short bursts of intense exercise followed by short periods of rest.
Here are some useful articles on HIIT:
Strength Training Exercises That Are Good For Losing Fat From Midsection
Strength training is an essential part of losing spare tires because it helps gain muscles. And more muscles means higher metabolism rate. The greater your metabolism rate, the more fat you’ll burn abdominal fat.
Though we can’t target specifically the fat that surrounds our abdominal muscles, working on our midsection is an efficient way to tighten that area, making it more toned as the belly fat is shed.
You can include following strength training exercises in you overall workout plan:
(i) Crunches – such as the crunches to tone the oblique muscles, pullover crunches for the upper abs and reverse crunches for the lower abs.
(ii) Side Planks
(iii) Woodchoppers
(iv) Russian Twists
Certain Lifestyle Changes
In addition to the above diet and exercise suggestions, here are some lifestyle suggestions that will help you burn more calories and trim fat at a higher rate.
(i) Drinking enough water has an important role too. This will not only help you feel fuller, but water supports optimal body function, which includes shedding excess fat.
(ii) Reducing stress is another important factor. When you’re stressed, your body enhances the production of cortisol. Cortisol will make difficult for you to lose the fat around your midsection.
(iii) Getting enough sleep is also necessary. Because when you are tired and want a quick way to wake up your body, you tend to over eat. Moreover, when you’re well rested, you are likely to perform better in your workout sessions.
How Long Will It Take To Get Rid Of Excess Body fat?
Don’t expect instant results as that will cause you take some drastic actions. Rapid weight loss has several negative effects. Let us be honest. It is going to take some time. However, if you stick to the above suggestions, eventually you will reach your goal. Better yet, this way you will be able to keep the excess weight off.
And if you are not able to shed fat after following the above suggestions, there could be some medical issues for which you will need to talk to your doctor.
About Author: Renu Bakshi, AKA Fitness Buffhq, is ISSA Certified Elite Trainer. He passed 
Personal Fitness Trainer Course, Nutrition Health Coach course & Specialist Exercise Therapy course from ISSA, USA obtaining + 97% marks. He shares his experience and knowledge about nutrition and effective workouts to get you in the best shape of your life, no matter how old you may be. The author says: “For me age is just a number!”