How to lose
belly fat
Five tips for your belly fat busting journey
Losing belly fat is a marathon, not a sprint.
The good news is that belly fat can be shifted with the right diet, fitness regime and lifestyle choices. The bad news? It tends to be a little more stubborn than fat around other parts of the body.
Let’s talk a little science. Belly fat is visceral fat – it’s internally stored to cushion important organs like the stomach and can be linked to things like heart disease in the long-run. The fat around our arms, legs or buttocks is subcutaneous fat – it sits closer to the skin and responds faster to fat-burning diets or exercise.
With a little hard work, expect to notice a difference in belly fat around the three-month mark. To help you take your first steps, here’s five tips on losing belly fat on the journey to a healthier you.
Need help losing belly fat?
1. Whole body, cardio heavy workouts
Losing belly fat is a whole-body business. Because belly fat is just your body storing energy, focussing exclusively on abs or core workouts won’t get results. Instead, focus on cardio workouts that get your heart-rate up and burn calories. Examples of belly fat burning cardio include:
- Running
- High intensity interval training (HIIT)
- Walking
- Aerobic classes
2. A balanced, quality diet
If it doesn’t look like real food, it aint! You don’t just lose belly fat in the gym, you lose it in the kitchen – so stick to a healthy mix of whole foods like:
- Protein: lean meats, seafood, nuts and beans
- Healthy fats: avocado, eggs or low-fat milk and cheese
- Whole carbs: vegetables, fruits and unprocessed grains. Steer clear of any refined carbs (think white bread, pizza dough & pasta) as these lack nutrients and can add to belly fat.
- Snacks: stick to the good stuff like nuts, fruits and chopped up veges!
- And go easy on the alcohol and soft drink, these are just empty calories.
3. Cut calories with a natural appetite supplement
Belly fat is all about the balance between calories in and calories out. Managing ‘calories in’ with a natural supplement like calocurb can supercharge your diet and fitness efforts. This 100% plant-based supplement uses New Zealand sourced hops flower to help you make healthier food choices (like lighter snacking and portion sizes) on your belly fat busting journey.
Learn more about calocurb
4. Sleep on it
Quality sleep has a big impact on appetite, which in turn influences our fat content. Anything less than seven hours a night can increase hunger and decrease the production of fullness hormones. One study even found that people who slept for less than 5.5 hours eat an extra 385 calories the next day compared with longer sleepers. So go on, hit snooze!
5. Stress less
Stress releases cortisol, a hormone that impacts appetite and can increase belly fat. Build stress management routines into your day like regular exercise, meditation or a walk to clear your head.