How To Lose Belly: 14 Tips To Show Off A Slim Figure
One of the most common reasons why people decide to join the gym is the goal of showing off their body and losing those extra “kilograms.” Sport is healthy, it improves our well-being, it produces many benefits, both physical and psychological. and it is also ideal for obtaining a slim figure
Unfortunately, misinformation and false myths can lead people to not benefit from physical training aimed at reducing fat tissue, causing them to become demotivated at the first opportunity. When after a few weeks it is found that the layer of fat that covers the body has not decreased, demotivation can make us give up continuing to commit to healthy habits.
Losing belly can be a slow process depending on the percentage of body fat that an individual has and physical, psychological and nutritional variables intervene in this dynamic that are not always taken into account.
Below you can find different strategies that can help you achieve a slim body.
1. Be realistic
Irrational beliefs and unrealistic expectations lead to frustration and demotivation It is possible to find many articles on the internet and some magazines dedicated to fitness that claim that it is possible to achieve a 10 body in four, six or eight weeks…This is totally false!
The fat loss process is going to be a more or less long process depending on the percentage of body fat we have and, therefore, the supposed “miracle” workouts can only work with people who have been practicing physical exercise for a long time and their fat percentage body is low.
2. Be careful with your diet
It is also common for some individuals to want to follow special diets to lose weight and end up frustrated when they do not achieve the desired results in the time they had estimated. Diets to lose weight must be oriented towards constant and lasting evolution not abrupt, because otherwise a rebound effect could occur.
It is more appropriate to adopt healthy eating habits that include protein, low-fat dairy products, fruit, vegetables, whole grain products, and foods containing monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats (such as nuts or fish).
3. The importance of calories
What we eat is important, but If our goal is to lose fat to have a flat stomach, then it is necessary to burn more calories than we consume
In other words, dietary control is a fundamental variable for reducing fatty tissue. This is known as energy imbalance, a term made popular by Donnelly and Smith. According to them, and for a person to lose weight, it is essential that caloric expenditure exceeds food intake.
And how can we increase caloric expenditure? Regular physical exercise is an effective strategy. Now, it’s great to hit the gym and do some weights, but if you want to reduce your waist circumference you’re going to have to do cardio. So if you want a flat stomach, go for a run on the beach or grab a bike and put in some miles. Surely your body will notice it.
5. Grab the dumbbells and do weights
Cardiovascular exercise is ideal for burning calories during sports practice However, strength training can also be a good help to lose those extra kilos and thus achieve a flat stomach, as stated by Frimel, Sinacore and Villarreal in a study published in 2008.
Strength training may not produce as much energy expenditure during the session, but it increases caloric expenditure after it, since it increases the activity of the sympathetic system, and by increasing muscle mass, there is an increase in basal metabolism at rest, thus as a reduction in hepatic lipogenesis, conclude Strasser, Arvandi and Siebert in another investigation carried out in 2012. Weight circuits are ideal for burning fat and increasing muscle mass.
6. Mixed exercise, the best alternative
Both forms of physical exercise (cardio and strength) provide many benefits and are ideal for achieving a slim figure. Nevertheless, Combined training is more beneficial than if only one of these forms of exercise is used
Regarding the impact of physical training on body mass and fat, research by LH Willis that was carried out in 2012 verified the effects of mixed training providing greater benefits than strength and aerobic resistance training separately.
7. Increase your NEAT
If we want to burn calories, physical exercise is ideal to achieve this; However, it is important to highlight that physical activity only represents 15-30% of the total caloric expenditure, since thermogenesis (the energy expended when consuming food) and basal metabolism, that is, the energy necessary to keep vital organs functioning, account for between 10-15% and 50-70% of the total caloric expenditure respectively.
One of the best ways to increase basal metabolism is in NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis). This is a scientific term to describe everyday activities associated with calories burned, in other words, it is physical activity performed with any movement done without the purpose of sports. For example, climbing stairs, household activities, walking to work, etc. This should make you reflect on the need to have an active lifestyle. The next time you go home, don’t take the elevator; And if you go to work, don’t get in the car and use the bicycle.
8. Reduce your consumption of salt and sugar (and refined products)
Reducing the consumption of salt and sugar does not mean that you should eat bland foods, but to lose belly fat (and to enjoy a better state of health in general) it is advisable to reduce this consumption. What is the reason for the reduction in salt and sugar? Excessive salt consumption is responsible for fluid retention with subsequent weight gain ; while sugar consumption increases insulin levels.
In recent years, the consumption of refined carbohydrates and sugary products (with a high glycemic index) has increased. Carbohydrates are a fundamental energy source, especially when they are slowly absorbed carbohydrates (for example, from whole grains). Carbohydrates are processed by our body to generate glucose, which is energy that our body uses to function.
Nevertheless, In high doses, glucose is not beneficial for our body so our pancreas, upon detecting the excess of this substance in the blood (what is known as hyperglycemia), releases insulin, the hormone responsible for carrying said glucose from the blood to the muscle and liver (if its energy sources have been exhausted). ) and adipose tissue.
Foods with a high glycemic index, such as carbohydrates from refined grains (for example, industrial baked goods) and sugar, cause blood glucose levels to rise rapidly, triggering the release of insulin to ensure that glucose is stored, mainly in the form of fat. Therefore, it will not be of much help to lose belly. In short, pay attention to these types of foods because they are not beneficial for your body.
9. Avoid light foods
Some light products may catch your attention due to the marketing campaigns behind them, but These products, supposedly low in calories, are not recommended for weight loss
According to experts from National Obesity Forum and the Public Health Collaboration (United Kingdom institutions), the abuse of these low-calorie foods can generate as much or more sugar and fat than what they initially claim to eliminate. And we have already seen in the previous point what happens with excess sugar in the body.
10. Eat 5 times a day
Nutrition experts have recommended eating five meals a day for decades Our body is constantly consuming energy and, therefore, needs to be well nourished to function at its best. This does not mean that we have to eat 5 heavy meals every day, but that, in addition to breakfast, lunch and dinner, we must add 2 snacks, one at mid-morning and another at mid-afternoon.
This way we distribute the daily calories into 5 meals and it is possible to control hunger levels, maintain the body’s energy and metabolic activity and, in addition, it allows us to lose weight and control our weight, since we will have no excuse to snack between meals.
11. Do high intensity exercises
For decades, there was the idea that prolonged aerobic training was the most effective for fat loss. But, in recent years, science has shown that high-intensity interval exercise or HIIT (high-intensity interval training) also produces great benefits in reducing adipose tissue.
This form of training consists of mix short periods of time with very intense cardiovascular training (around 80-90% of our maximum heart rate) , with other short periods of moderate or low intensity (50-60%). Due to the oxygen demand created by HIIT, metabolism increases even after the workout has finished, allowing you to burn calories for several hours after practicing physical exercise.
12. Work the core
To have a flat stomach, there is no point in working only on your abs Now, if you combine cardiovascular work and also work other muscles in the body, you can focus on the core. Add abdominal exercises to your routine, but don’t do abs every day because they are just another muscle and just like the rest, they need rest. The important thing is not that you do hundreds of sit-ups, but that you do them well.
13. Try Yoga or Pilates
Both Yoga and the Pilates Method have many postures that help tone the abdomen. Obviously, if you do not follow the advice set forth in the previous lines, you will not achieve your goal of achieving a flat stomach. But these practices will allow you to stylize your abdominal area and achieve a slim figure, as long as you combine them with the previous tips.
14. Adapt to change
Do you already exercise and have you managed to have a flat stomach? Well, adapt to the change, because it is possible that you have stagnated and should increase the intensity or duration of exercise sessions since, over time, our body will become more efficient and will not spend the same calories when it adapts to a type of exercise.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day a week in the initial phases of training. In other words, do a minimum of 150 minutes of physical exercise per week (5 days x 30 minutes). However, to achieve and maintain long-term weight loss, it is necessary to increase training time after several months of physical exercise.
According to the ASCM, you must achieve a volume of more than 200 minutes per week or accumulate a caloric expenditure with exercise of more than 2000 kcal/week. The ideal is to reach at least one hour of daily training.
(Bonus) Hire a personal trainer
Achieving the goal of losing belly is not always easy, because physical, psychological and nutritional factors come into play. Therefore, a good alternative is to hire a personal trainer who assesses and designs a physical exercise program specially adapted to your possibilities and your objectives so that you achieve your goals safely and effectively, and, in addition, motivates and advises you so that you eat healthy.
With a personal trainer you will achieve results quickly and minimize the risk of injury.
