No matter how much research one places in front of you regarding the improbability of spot reduction, one part of you still wishes that it were possible. Isn’t it? Also wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could just take a couple of pills in a day and all your excess fat would just melt into thin air, sharpen all the edges and carve out that perfect physique/figure; I am sure it would. Trust me I would be the first to grab those magic pills! Nobody wants to eat brown rice and boiled veggies and chicken; a pizza for some or fresh juicy Rosogollas or that scrumptious cheese cake for others would any day be better than these “drab and tasteless” foods. Coming to think of it-Why are all the “healthy” stuff so boring and bland and delicious stuff like Pizza’s and Burgers and Fries “unhealthy”? Not fair at all!
Before I digress further, let’s concentrate on the magic mantra of losing Belly fat. There isn’t a single day, when I encounter someone who wants the best possible fix to get rid of their belly. To be honest, some do want to exercise-by exercise, most of them mean the treadmill and countless crunches, but the majority want a pill/powder that will miraculously wipe off all the fat that has accumulated over the years. And no matter how much I try to convince them that such a thing does not exist they still fall prey to the dream merchants who promise them a flat midsection by simply drinking their magic potion. Depending on processed meal replacement shakes or pills may not be prudent; it may, in some cases, cause fatal side effects. A recent study examined the cause of liver damage in a young Indian woman who consumed meal replacement shakes of a major United States based Meal replacement company with a large consumer base in India. Interestingly the acute liver failure happened within just two months of consuming the product and studies also found presence of bacteria, psychotropic substances and heavy metals in the product. Frightening isn’t it? So I request you with folded hands, once again, please do not fall for these gimmicks. Want to lose belly fat, here’s what you got to do-
- Calorie Deficit– No matter which diet you fancy-high carb,low Carb, high protein or high fat, you have to be in a net calorie deficit. In other words you have to eat less than you expend. This is the single most important item on the agenda- all other tricks will not wrok unless you are on a calorie deficit. Simple yet difficult for majority people to accept and adopt! Find out your daily calorie expenditure and then plan your diet accordingly.
- Move more– Exercise may be intimidating for most people. If going to the gym is not on the cards, try taking more steps per day. The idea is to improve your NEAT (Non exercise Activity Thermogenesis). To know more about NEAT read www.transformersfitnessacademy.com/theneatwaytoloseweight
- Avoid processed foods– Processed foods are bad. They contain ingredients which our bodies can’t process along with habit forming or rather addictive substances. That is why we keep craving for those substances. We also tend to overeat them and they pack in a substantial amount of hidden calories. Stick to whole foods.
- Cross Training– Those of you who can, try some cross functional workouts. They are fun and effective. You can burn a lot of calories within a short time. These high intensity workouts have an “after-burn” effect. You will use elevated calories even after you stop the activity. The idea is that you choose an activity you like, say sprints. Sprint fast for 10-20 seconds, drop in the pace for 10-20 secs and pick it up again. Repeat sets like this say 7-8 times. It need not be sprints- it can be jumping jacks or skipping or mountain climbers or kettlebell swings- any movement that you fancy. And the best part is you can mix and match any of these movements to add variety and remove boredom.
- Eliminate Sugar– Sugar is the silent killer. In today’s world it is difficult to imagine a world without sugar; but the fact is sugar became a part of human diet just a few hundred years back- a mere speck of time, in human history. Sugar is addictive and one of the major deterrents in sustainable weight loss. Try a natural sugar substitute like Stevia (Stevia is the better sugar substitute) if you have problems in adjusting initially.
- Portion sizes– We have a tendency to overestimate our food requirements and this is one of our major obstacles in reducing belly fat. It is because we have been ingrained in such a manner since we were kids. We don’t need to eat till we are “full” or till you burp to glory! Just controlling our portion sizes can make sustainable weight loss a reality.
- Hidden calories– Most of our Indian diets are oil based. This adds a lot of empty calories to our meals. Try to shift to recipes involving less cooking oil. Refined or otherwise, too much vegetable oil besides being calorie dense causes disruption in our bodily processes-Inflammation, fatigue, impaired metabolism and more.
- Abdominal Exercise– Add core workouts in your exercise schedule. A strong mid section brings about balance and efficiency in our movements. It will help in correct posture which in turn helps in proper functioning of our organs and organ systems.
- Sleep– Most people ignore sleep. and this is absolutely critical to reduce belly fat. . A good night’s sleep is essential for optimum regulation of our hormones inlcuding ghrelin and leptin (more on that later). Sleep deprivation, in a nutshell, will compromise your endocrine system and a compromised endocrine system is not good news for fat loss.
- Consistency– All the above seems pretty simple. The truth is- it is all about doing these small things correctly and consistently. Trust me-there is no other way!
The article has been written by our CEO/Founder Angshuman Dutta (https://www.transformersfitnessacademy.com/team. Follow him on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/angshuman.fitness and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/angshuman.fitness