Tips to Reduce Belly Fat – Exercises, Diet Plan

Obesity is one of the severe health issues faced by people. People might not be overweight, but their BMI would be higher along with their body fat. Most of the body fat is deposited in the abdominal area and increases the belly fat. Let us discuss how belly fat affects the body and a few tips to reduce belly fat.

A] How it affects the body

Belly fat is directly associated with an increase in insulin resistance. Insulin resistance leads to PCOS, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, and cancer.

B] Causes of belly fat

• Sedentary lifestyle: Sedentary lifestyle is one of the major causes of belly fat. No or minimum activity leads to excess calories in the body that are not used. The extra calories are stored in the body in the form of body fat. A sedentary lifestyle leads to weight gain, an increase in BMI, and a reduction in metabolism.
• Junk food: Junk food is high in simple sugars, saturated fats, trans fats, and empty calories. A small portion has more than 200 to 300 calories which tends to increase the total caloric intake and leads to weight gain.

• Alcohol: Alcohol has zero nutrients, which is known as empty calories. Alcohol, if consumed in excess directly, gets converted into fats. These fats are deposited in the abdominal region, increasing belly fat.
• Genetics: Some people have a slow metabolism, suffer from hypothyroidism, or genetically have genes that may cause obesity.
• Gender: Males are prone to develop belly fat compared to women. But with a sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits, more women have belly fat.
• Stress: Stress releases cortisol hormones in the body. Cortisol increases insulin resistance which makes you sluggish, pushes the body to store more fat, and leads to cardiac disorders.

C] 2-step management of belly fat:

• Exercise:During exercise, the body utilises the circulating blood glucose and fats for energy. Exercising regularly helps to break down stored fats to provide energy. The more calories you burn more toned the abdomen. You can take up multiple combinations of workout plans to reduce belly fat.
• Diet:Consume a low-fat diet high in protein and fibre and contains moderate carbohydrates. A low-fat diet ensures fewer calories in a day which will not lead to weight gain. High fibre diet helps to reduce weight, reduce the absorption of fats from the body and remove excess cholesterol from the body.

D] Exercises to reduce belly fat:

Follow this workout plan to reduce belly fat:

• 1. Cardio exercises: Cardio workout targets fat storage for fuel. During the initial 20 minutes of a workout, the body uses circulating glucose for energy. Once glucose is unavailable, the body breaks down the fats to provide energy. It is necessary to perform a cardio workout for more than 20 minutes at a time to get desired results.
• • Walking: Brisk walking for at least 20 minutes helps burn overall fats for fuel for the body. Walking reduces blood pressure and blood sugar, improves insulin resistance, and reduces fat deposition. There is no age restriction to start with walking as exercise. People with knee problems should consult the doctor before starting their walks.
  • Swimming: Swimming helps to burn more calories compared to walking. People with knee issues can try swimming, which will help them to reduce weight, tone their muscles, reduce tummy fat and maintain blood sugars and blood pressure.
  • Dancing: Dancing is an intense cardio workout that releases a feel-good hormone that helps to de-stress. Perform any dance form at least three days a week for desired results.

• 2. Yoga: Yoga is all about connecting your body with your soul. It helps increase the flexibility of the body. Some asanas target the abdominal muscles and performing them regularly can help burn belly fat, tone abdominal muscles and reduce fat deposition in the abs. Asanas like pavanmuktasana, adhomukhshvanasan, tikonasan, vakrasana, etc, work on abdominal muscles. These muscles helps the pancreas release more insulin to maintain blood sugars. These asanas help burn abdominal fat and reduce insulin resistance.

• 3. Pilates: Pilates concentrates majorly on core muscles. It is one of the best belly exercises that help tone down belly fat. The exercises and postures performed utilise body fat as the fuel source and help to reduce weight. Pilates helps to tone the abdominal muscles, reduce cholesterol and improve cardiac function.

• 4. HIIT: High-intensity interval training is an intense workout that has sets of exercises like squats, lunges, jumping jacks, spot jogging, and high jumps. These workouts are so intense that performing HIIT for 10 minutes will burn calories, similar to a half-hour walk. They tone muscles, reduce fat deposition and aid weight loss.

E] Diet plan to reduce belly fats:

Below are the mentioned nutrients to add to your diet:

1. Carbohydrates: Consumption of simple carbohydrates like refined flour leads to excess blood sugar. Excess blood sugar is converted into fats for storage. Complex carbohydrates have a low glycaemic index that does not raise blood sugars and improves insulin sensitivity. Thus include whole grain cereals, millets, oats, quinoa, whole vegetables and fruits.

2. Proteins: Good quality proteins increase the metabolism, help cut down extra calorie intake and aid weight loss. Protein-rich meals keep you full for a longer period and prevent binge eating. Proteins have a high satiation value thus; a small portion is enough to satiate your hunger. A small portion ensures fewer calories and negligible deposition of fats on the abdomen.

3. Fats: Good quality omega 3-rich fats help to increase good cholesterol in the body, reduce bad cholesterol, reduce stress and prevent any nutrient deficiency. Consume only 15 to 20 gms of visible fats in a day to avoid fat deposition in the body. Include omega-3-rich olive oil, flaxseeds, chia seeds and walnuts in your daily diet.

4. Functional foods/ Food adjuncts: Certain foods when consumed help to reduce belly fat or prevent fat deposition in the abdominal region. Foods like soaked methi seeds, roasted flaxseeds, soaked chia seeds, cinnamon powder, etc. help in reducing fat deposition, maintaining blood glucose, reducing blood pressure and preventing belly fat. 

5. Water intake: Sometimes we misunderstand the signal of feeling thirsty. We feel we are hungry. But in reality, the body is craving water. Consumption of excess calories, instead of water, leads to an increase in abdominal fat. Consumption of enough water ensures there are no false hunger pangs and you avoid excess calorie intake.

F] Additional tips to reduce belly fat:

• Increase activity: Avoid sitting for a long time. Keep engaging in small activities throughout the day. You can walk while talking on the phone, get down a stop ahead and walk to your workplace, perform stretches while cooking, and every few hours get up from your seat and take a stroll.
• Eat small frequent meals: Small meal at regular intervals ensures you do not overeat in the next meal. You do not experience severe hunger pangs and small meals provide adequate energy that is utilized within a short period.
• Do not skip meals: Skipping meals might lead to binge eating during the next meal. Overeating will have unnecessary excess calorie intake and increase abdominal fat.
• Combine 2 or more workouts to avoid a weight plateau: Performing only one type of workout will at one point makes the weight loss stagnant. You need more than 1 workout form to boost the metabolism and attain weight loss and reduce belly fat.

Conclusion:

A conscious effort to follow a healthy eating plan along with an appropriate workout ensures there is a reduction in fat deposition and no belly fat. Always consult a professional before you start with a workout and diet plan to make sure there is healthy weight loss and no nutritional deficiency.

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