I can’t even tell you the number of times that I’ve seen ads and articles about how to get rid of abdominal fat for women. There have been claims of anything from taking some special supplement to how many crunches you need to do. The information can be overwhelming and sometimes even a little ridiculous, honestly.
Plenty of women want to shed some of that extra fat in their midsections, but don’t believe everything you read out there. There is no such thing as spot training (building muscles in one area of the body doesn’t cause your body to burn fat in that one area as well). Also, there are so many factors that go into fat burning. Taking a supplement is not going to make up for all of them.
But, don’t be discouraged, because there are actually ways to achieve effective belly fat loss that don’t involve crunches or supplements at all.
Factors in Effective Belly Fat Loss
What You’re Putting In Your Body
Healthy eating habits are one of the key components to effective belly fat loss. If you’re consuming more calories than your body uses, then you’ll be storing those as fat, not burning fat. Having a balanced diet focusing on whole foods will help you stay maintain a calorie deficit and burn fat more effectively. Eating a variety of foods with the the nutrients your body needs to function properly will also lead to a better gut biome which also helps encourage fat burning. Think less sugar and more fruits/veggies.
Staying hydrated also plays a huge role in the ability to burn fat. It will help boost your metabolism and your energy levels, as well as flush out the toxins that impact your bodies ability to burn off the unwanted fat. Staying well hydrated also means avoiding too many caffeinated drinks, sugary drinks, and alcoholic beverages. These types of drinks tend to cause dehydration, as well as impacting the gut biome.
The Most Effective Exercise To Burn Belly Fat
I always say that the most effective exercise for a healthy lifestyle is the one that you’ll actually do. So, pick something you enjoy and make sure you do it on a regular basis. You should be aiming for at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise every day.
Two of the most effective ways to burn belly fat through movement are resistance training and high intensity interval training. These are great ways to workout because they build muscle and boost your metabolism not only while you’re doing them, but over a longer period of time. When you do steady state cardio (same pace/intensity throughout), once the workout is over you stop burning extra calories.
I should also mention that overtraining can actually have the opposite result than the one you are looking for. You would think that the more and you workout and the harder you train, the more fat you’ll burn. But, if you don’t give your body the time it needs to rest and heal, you’ll just be adding extra stress and greater risk of adding more belly fat. Not sure if you have been overtraining? Check out my other post, about overtraining, and find out what the symptoms are.
Impact of Stress on Effective Belly Fat Loss
It’s no secret that too much stress leads to health problems. When we experience stress our body releases cortisol, which is known to contribute to increased abdominal fat storage. Obviously, there’s no way to avoid all stress. We’re all going to have stressors as a normal condition of being human. The key to effective belly fat loss is to reduce the amount of stress by having consistent ways to cope and relieve the stress in our lives.
Different methods of stress relief will be different for everyone. One of the easiest and most effective ways, in the short term, is to practice mindful and intention breathing to calm ourselves. When you start to feel the stress building, take a few moments to focus on your breath and slow it down while taking in deeper breaths. It’s also important to take part in enjoyable activities on a regular basis, which leads to the release of all those happy hormones, like, oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine. So, whatever makes you happy, make it a priority in your life.
Sleep Off The Fat
We know that movement can help burn fat, but so can adequate sleep. When we don’t get enough sleep it causes more stress to our body. We release more cortisol and, as mentioned above, it creates a greater risk for increased belly fat accumulation. The other symptoms of poor sleep habits, such as, moodiness, less focus, decreased productivity, and even an increase in hunger and cravings, also contribute to increased abdominal fat storage.
Sleep is also when our body is supposed to renew itself and flush out the toxins. These toxins impact our overall health and ability to burn fat. If you’re not getting the quality sleep you need, then you’re body can’t do this.
How much sleep is enough? That depends on your individual needs, but generally it’s between 7-9 hours. If you wake up feeling rested, then you’ve gotten the sleep you need most likely.
The Truth About Effective Belly Fat Loss
As you can now see, there is no magic supplement or single exercise that will burn that unwanted belly fat. It will take some effort and time to get the results that you want. The important things in our lives often require investments like time and effort, no exception here. But, your health and desire to feel comfortable in your own body are worth what it takes.
It doesn’t have to be complicated though, just focus on the things above. Focus on consistency, adopting a holistic healthy lifestyle and be patient. It will happen, just not overnight.
Want some help creating that overall healthy lifestyle and getting rid of your belly fat? Let’s chat! Click below to schedule a time.
