Lose weight and burn fast

Losing weight around the belly is often one of the hardest places to lose it from.  It often seems like every other part of the body slims down and you are still left with a roll of fat hanging over the top of your jeans.  However there is no need to give up just yet and the following tips will give you some advice on the best diet to burn belly fat:

No More Junk!

It may sound obvious but the first step to getting rid of unwanted belly fat is eliminating as much junk from your diet as possible.  While it is unrealistic to try and get rid of it all at once, you do need to cut down on it as much as you can.  Foods that are high in sugar and saturated fat like crisps, biscuits and cookies need to be shown the door.  These foods are bad because they contain lots of refined carbs and sugar and are packed full of calories.  They affect the body’s ability to burn fat and encourage it to store fat instead.

Good V Bad Carbs

Carbohydrates are an essential part of a healthy diet.  However not all carbs are the same and are easily grouped into good or bad.  Obviously the bad ones need to be avoided as much as possible as they can lead to fat being stored, cause problems with digestion and send blood sugar levels soaring.  Foods in the bad carb group include foods made from refined white flour such as bread, biscuits, pasta and cookies.

Instead you should get the carbs your body needs from other sources.  Good carbs can be found in fruit and vegetables, pulses, brown rice, oats and other cereals.  The body finds it much easier to digest and process these types of carbs and they help to maintain steady blood sugar levels throughout the day.

Back to Basics

A number of diets have been created recently that focus on eating like our ancient ancestors did.  The Caveman diet and the Paleo diet are probably the two best known examples.  They only include natural and whole foods that cavemen would have been able to hunt and gather for themselves.  All foods are in their natural state so any processed, refined, dairy or wheat based products are off the menu.

Research has shown that thousands of years ago many of the illnesses and diseases that are common today, such as diabetes and cancer, were very rare and this was due in large part to the diet eaten.

You are what you eat is an old saying but one that is just as true today as it ever was.  If you want to burn belly fat the best way to do it is by making smart food choices.  Knowing which foods you should be eating more and which ones you should be avoiding altogether makes the process a great deal easier.  If you have some stubborn belly fat that just won’t seem to go away no matter what you do, here are a couple of smart food choices that may help:

Grapefruit

Grapefruit is one of the best foods for burning belly fat.  In fact it could nearly have been designed specifically for the purpose.  Grapefruits are one of the best sources of Vitamin C which has the effect of “diluting” the stored fat in the body, making it easier to get rid of.  Studies have shown that people who eat 1-2 grapefruits each day while they are dieting lose more weight than people who don’t.

Whey Protein

Why protein is not just for bodybuilders and those looking to add muscle to their bodies.  It can be a great help for anyone who is looking to lose weight and get rid of belly fat.  Drinking 1 or 2 whey protein shakes each day helps to control appetite and the number of calories eaten.  Replacing one meal with a natural whey protein shake is a great way to cut down on calories without feeling like you are starving yourself.

Yoghurt

Yoghurt is a great food to eat if you stay away from the varieties that are full of sugar and artificial flavourings.  It contains lots of calcium, protein and magnesium.  Magnesium plays a vital role in burning fat as it activates enzymes in the body which prevent calories from being stored as fat.  Eat around 3 servings a day to see the most benefit.

Bread

Although bread makes a handy snack and the first thing many of us think of when we are hungry is grabbing a sandwich, we should be eating less of it.  Most varieties of bread especially those made using white flour are just empty calories that have little or no nutritional value.  Aside from that bread causes bloating in many people as modern baking techniques means that the yeast used to make it is still active when it goes into the stomach.

How to Get Flat Abs

No one minds having a few extra pounds around the middle in wintertime too much.  After all when everyone is wrapped up in layers of clothing who’s going to notice any way?  However when summer starts getting nearer and trips to the beach become a reality rather than a distant dream it is time to do something about that belly fat.  While it can be hard to shift it isn’t impossible and can be done with the following tips:

Work Out Core Muscles

The exercise most people think of when the want a flat stomach is the crunch or sit-up.  Fortunately for anyone who hates doing sit-ups this isn’t the best way of going about it.  When you do crunches you only workout the top layer of muscles and there are much better exercises to do if you want to get a flatter stomach.

Rather than working out the superficial muscles you need to focus on the core muscles at the centre of the body such as the internal obliques and multifidis.  Strengthening these has the effect of pulling in your mid-section so that it looks flat and toned.  So focus on building up your core muscles rather that endlessly crunching to get better results.

Eat the Right Foods

Making smart food choices is just as important as exercising regularly.  You need to eat right if you want to get a flat stomach that lets the muscles underneath shine through.  There are a number of ways to do this including:

1. More protein, less carbs.  A carb rich diet is the dieters’ worst enemy and upping the amount of protein eaten can help to burn belly fat.  So more fish, meat and nuts and less bread, pasta and rice.
2. Eat more fat.  Fat does not have to be unhealthy and you don’t need to avoid it if you want to lose weight.  In fact it is possible to lose weight on a high fat diet as long as it comes from a healthy source.  Mono-unsaturated fats from foods such as avocadoes, olive oil and nuts help to fill you up and even a little saturated fat from dairy products is ok every now and again.
3. Less sugar.  Most of us consume far too much sugar each day and it is mostly hidden within many of the foods we eat.  Cutting down on juices, sodas, breakfast cereals and processed foods in general is an easy way to save thousands of calories each day.