50 Tips on Losing Belly Fat - Part One

Hello Queens! Welcome to part one of my two-part series on losing belly fat. First, we will talk about belly fat and how it impacts our health and well being. In this article I will give you the first 20 tips on ways to combat belly fat. I hope you will stay with me through the end.

Introduction

Abdominal obesity, also known as central obesity, is something that many people worldwide have problems with. Once you hit middle age, far too many people are plagued by those two dreaded words…belly fat. It can, however, also be a problem for children and teens. People just look at it as a weight problem, but it can also be linked to cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and many other metabolic and vascular diseases. Though no one likes belly fat, too often it is overlooked as just a symptom of age. It can, however, be a symptom of much, much more. It is not something you should just consider the price of getting older. It is something that should be taken seriously.

What is Belly Fat?

Usually, belly fat is subcutaneous fat, which is underneath the skin. If you have problems with abdominal fat, it may also be visceral fat. Visceral fat, also known as organ fat that is packed between your internal organs. Other names for this type fat are the “pot belly” or the “beer belly.” Visceral fat increases health risk and is associated with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and colorectal cancer.

In recent studies, scientists have come to realize that it isn’t really how much a person weighs—It’s their amount of body fat that truly indicates obesity.

Throughout the 1980’s and 90’s imaging techniques were developed that helped improve the understanding of exactly how many health risks can be associated with the accumulation of body fat. These include tomography and magnetic resonance which help divide masses of tissue in the abdominal region.

For women, belly fat is more common after menopause. And trust me when I says, it’ B!t*h to get rid of. Sometimes, those people who just think this goes hand-in-hand with getting older, accept it but don’t realize the danger it can cause. While women feel like it is just something that makes them go up a size or two or three in their jeans, it does carry so many health risks.

First, understand that you can NOT "spot reduce" any area of your body unlike all the hype we see in ads and on social media. Belly fat, like fat in any other area, it is determined by balancing your calories you take in with the energy you burn. In other words, if you eat too much and burn too little, you’ll have excess fat. As you get older, your muscle mass reduces. Your fat, however, increases. When your muscle mass reduces, it also reduces the rate your body uses calories. This can make it even more difficult for people to maintain a weight that is healthy as they age.

Sometimes, you can have an increase of belly fat as you age without even gaining weight. In women, this can be due to a reduced level of estrogen. Research has shown that estrogen seems to influence where the fat is distributed in a woman’s body.

Regardless of a weight shown as normal on the BMI measurement charts, women with a large waistline have been known to carry the risk of premature death and often dye earlier of cardiovascular disease.

Most women hate to even have an inch or so too much belly fat. How do you know, however, if the belly fat you carry is a health risk? Just measure it. Use a tape measure and place it around your bare stomach. You want it to be snug, but not cut into the skin. For women, if your measurement is over 35 inches, you’ll be at a greater risk for health problems. For men, the measurement of concern is around 40 inches.

People who are plagued with belly fat often exercise and participate in healthy activities, yet they still retain that unwanted fat. It seems like the fat is immune to exercise. So how do you get rid of it? What is the magic combination that says “poof” to that extra poundage? It depends on your sex, age, and the number of pounds you want to lose, but there are many tips to help you reduce that unwanted belly fat.

Benefits of Losing Weight

Losing weight isn’t always easy, and as a result, it can have a negative effect on your self esteem. It is, however, important for you to main the normal weight for more than cosmetic reasons.

You need to maintain the proper health for many health reasons. In a society like ours, where people put such an importance on the way we look, feeling unattractive can lead to serious depression.

While not all overweight people get depressed, some are, in fact, quite happy the way they are, it can lead to serious emotional and mental problems in addition to the other health problems. It can be difficult to determine how much weight you need to lose to be healthy. You should realize, however, that you don’t have to lose weight if you’re not actually overweight. More important than weight, is the amount of fat content you have in your body and where that fat has accumulated. Sometimes, you have weight gain because you’ve started working out and developed muscles.

Muscles are heavier than fat, so don’t be shocked if all that exercise has reduced inches but increased weight. If this is the case, there’s no problem at all and you don’t have to worry about losing that weight.

While being too worried about our weight can be a problem too, knowing you’re overweight and taking the steps to reduce that weight is important. There are many benefits to losing weight.

Here are a few of them:

• Reduces your risk of long-term health problems that could shorten your life. These include health problems such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Usually, this is the main reason people find to lose weight.

• Feeling better, healthier, and having more energy. You’ll be able to take the stairs, or walk from the far end of the parking lot without losing your breath.

• Less pain in your joints. Problems such as osteoarthritis in your knees and pain and swelling in your ankles can greatly be reduced. Being overweight puts a strain on them that you will feel greatly reduced when you lose weight.

• Many times when you lose weight, especially if you’re diabetic or have high blood pressure, your doctor will be able to take you off your medication. Not only will you be healthier and not taking so much medication, you’ll save a lot of money at the pharmacy counter.

• You’ll feel better about yourself as you gradually join the people with smaller mid sections. Your self esteem will increase. you’ll find yourself interacting with others in a whole new way.

• When you are eating out with co-workers you won’t be overeating, so it could advance your career. Believe it or not, behavior specialists have studied this, and they found that eating healthy gives you the impression of a person that is outcome driven. This is something supervisors look for. When they see it in you, they take a closer look at you as an employee. Don’t be surprised if you’re looked at for a promotion you never thought you’d get.

• Save money—This is a given. If you eat less, naturally you won’t be buying as much food when you eat out and when you eat at home. You’ll save money all the way around. You could even put aside the extra money you normally spend on food. When your weight loss is complete, you could have enough money for a whole new wardrobe or a nice vacation to treat yourself. After all, you’ll look great. You will have worked hard, so you deserve a treat.

• Keep your sex drive and be more satisfied sexually—This is especially true for men. There have been studies that show if a man is around 30 pounds overweight, he can have testosterone levels of a man that is at least 10 years older. This reduces their sex drive. Other tests have also shown that people who are obese are much less satisfied with their sexual experiences. Sex is an important part of your life, especially for those in a relationship. You want to get the most out of it. Stay fit and you will.

• You can have more friends—Face it…overweight people can sometimes be outcasts. Sometimes, it’s self-inflicted, but other times, people just stay away from the “fat” person. When you lose weight, you’ll feel more like making friends. You’ll be able to participate in more activities which will allow you to meet more people. You’ll make friends from circles you didn’t dream of before.

• Influence others—Sometimes, especially in spouses, one losing weight can be a positive influence on others and cause them to lose weight as well. If your children are overweight as well, it could be a genetic issue. Influencing them to begin losing weight before it gets as “out of control” as it is for you can give them a head start on the genetic problem and like Barney says, “Nip it!”

50 Tips to Reduce Belly Fat

Fortunately, belly fat can be eliminated or reduced by the same means that other fat can. It just takes the right combination of diet and exercise. There are, however, other factors that can hinder weight loss and cause you to retain belly fat. Below are 50 tips that can help you reduce that belly fat and have those abs you’ve always dreamed of:

Avoid stress

Research has found that our bodies produce hormones in response to stress. One of these is cortisol. It will cause your body to look for high-calorie food because it thinks it used a lot of energy handling something that was stressful. It’s kind of like tricking your body into thinking it’s had a big workout, when in fact, it’s done nothing but become anxious and upset.

Years ago, eating that type of high-calorie food was fine when you were stressed, because you used more energy every day working in the fields or on farms. Our ancestors remained thin during stressful times because of their hard work. Now, many of us live more sedentary lives. We simply can’t burn that type of fat intake any longer.

When you’re under a large amount of chronic stress, it tells your body to keep on making cortisol. It becomes a vicious cycle. Gaining weight makes you even more stressed, so you produce more cortisol and eat more fattening foods. You can reduce stress by doing several things. You can get more sleep. The average adult should get at least seven hours of sleep a night. You should keep things that are stressful away from the area you use for sleeping. Don’t do work in bed if you can help it. That area should be for relaxation and rest instead of work. Simply work at leaving your worries outside the bedroom door.

You should also set aside some time to relax each day. By closing your eyes, breathing deeply, and forgetting your worries for a brief period, even if it’s only 15 minutes a day, you can help reduce stress. Exercise will also help by giving you an outlet for the stress. Keeping your blood sugar level will also help.

Tell friends/family that you’re dieting

By telling others that you’re dieting, you have them to help keep you in check. Of course, you’ll hear things like, “You’re dieting aren’t you” or “Are you supposed to be eating that,” but it will help you stick to your diet. You’ll also hear things like, “How much have you lost” or “You’re looking so good.” Those things can be very encouraging.

Once you’ve made the proclamation that you’re dieting, you’ll feel like you have to prove you can do it, so you’re more apt to stick with it and achieve success.

Diet with a friend

Having an accountability partner when you diet is a great way to lose weight. You have someone to help keep you in check, but you also have someone you can eat out with that you won’t have to explain you’re dieting to or someone that will be eating fattening foods in front of you. You can help and encourage each other along the way. You can celebrate each success you make as well as the success of your friends.

Stop smoking and/or drinking

People often say if they stop smoking they’ll gain weight and use that as an excuse to keep smoking. That is all it is…an excuse! Both smoking and drinking will cause you to gain weight and keep stubborn belly fat. Find something else to do with the time you usually spend smoking.

Take short walks, exercise, or do something else that is healthy and good for your body instead of smoking which you know is harmful to your body.

Eat

I know it may seem like a counterproductive measure, but it isn’t. Eating is important when you’re trying to reduce your weight, including trying to lose your stubborn belly fat. Breakfast is extremely important when you’re dieting. Many people will skip breakfast in an effort to lose weight, but that’s one of the worst things you can do. It has been proven that eating about an hour after you wake up can keep your insulin levels steadier and aid in keeping your weight steadier. You don’t want to eat a whole pig and a dozen eggs, but eating a breakfast that is high in fiber and protein can really boost your body metabolism and help you burn fat. Foods like eggs, fresh fruits/vegetables, or peanut butter are better for you than the more sugary things such as breakfast cereals, pancakes, or pastries. Breakfast should be the largest meal of the day. Then a medium lunch and a small dinner.

It is also better to eat four to five small meals a day than eat one or two large ones. This way you keep the signal to your body that is going to get fuel. If you don’t, or if you eat at irregular times and in irregular amounts, your body won’t know it is going to constantly get fuel. It thinks it has to store that fat for future energy use.

Usually where does it store it…right around the mid section. You defeat the purpose of trying to lose belly fat if you don’t eat breakfast.

Stir fry don’t deep fry

Often, people think they’re “stir frying,” but use so much oil that they might as well be deep frying their vegetables. Instead of using a lot of oil, just use a drop of oil to start. Then, gradually add water and let the vegetables stir-fry in their own moisture. This not only reduces your fat intake, it actually makes the vegetables taste better.

Heat your skillet when you fry

If you take the time to heat your skillet before you add the oil, the oil gets hot quicker and less oil will be absorbed by your food. If you put oil in a cold skillet, and add the meats or vegetables, oil will soak into the food. If it soaks into the food, where does it go? It goes right into your body and adds belly fat.

Camouflage your portions

Sometimes, it isn’t how much you eat that makes you full, it’s how much you “think” you’ve eaten. When you have a flat small piece of meat on your plate it seems like you’ve been deprived.

If you slice the meat thinly and stack it on your plate, it appears to be a bigger portion, so you think you’ve eaten more. This works for vegetables as well. A small potato sliced up will look larger. You’ll think you’re eating more than you really are.

Marinade without oil

If you marinade in oil, the oil is soaked into the food, so naturally, it will be eaten. One recipe for oil-free marinade is to combine apple juice (about 3 cups) pressed garlic (2 cloves) and soy sauce that is reduced sodium (about 1 cup). Marinating in a healthy manner can greatly reduce the amount of fat you intake.

Stuff food

If you fill the centers of your food with wholesome ingredients, you’ll be eating as much food, but reducing your caloric intake. Here are a few examples of this:

• Take your hamburger and scoop a hole in the middle of the meat before you cook it. Fill it with some type of vegetables such as: mushrooms, olives, spinach or whatever else you like. Then, if you’ve used the recommended serving size of three ounces, you’ve made it look much bigger, made it be more filling, and made it much leaner. If you would have added more ounces of hamburger to make it that size, it would have been much less healthy.

• Stuff your meatballs with grated carrots, zucchini, or squash. This will add vitamins and moisture as well as size to your meatballs without changing the flavor. You’ll be able to make your meatballs bigger and not add calories and fat.

  
  

Swap your food

Sometimes, if you stop to think about it, you can think of substituting something healthier for something full of fat in your favorite recipes. By doing that, you’ll be keeping that fat from settling in your mid section and reducing that dreaded belly fat. Here are a few examples to get your started:

• When you make curry, use plain yogurt instead of coconut milk which is full of fat. You’ll get a good, creamy texture, but you won’t have all the fat.

• Replace two slices of bread with one piece of pita bread—Folding a piece of pita bread will allow you to put more vegetables on your sandwich. More vegetables make it more filling, and you’ll be making a sandwich that is much healthier.

• Replace red meat with mushrooms. In foods such as lasagna, only use about half the amount of ground beef. Add mushrooms to make it filling. They’re packed with protein, fat free, and high in fiber. The flavor of mushrooms is neutral, so they’ll just absorb the flavor of your sauce and you won’t notice the difference.

• Substitute “turkey” versions of your favorite meat—You can have turkey ham, turkey burger, turkey hot dogs, turkey bologna, or even turkey pepperoni. Turkey isn’t near as high in fat as other meats. You’ll have the flavor of the other meats without that added fat to carry around.

Change the toppings on your pizza

If you must have pepperoni on your pizza, consider adding at least two vegetable toppings. If you do this for every meat ordered as a topping, you’ll have a healthier pizza. The carcinogens in meats that are processed have been found to increase your risk of cancer, so you’ll not only be reducing your belly fat, but you’ll be also improving your health.

Use oats to stuff meat recipes

Use oats that are in the same amount of other things you fill with such as crackers or breadcrumbs, simply grind the oats and add to the mixture. Not only are oats better for you, because they have high fiber content, they taste the same and can help you reduce your cholesterol.

Use a healthier, low-fat recipe to replace your “fish-n-chips”recipe

Use white fish such as cod or haddock and cut it into strips. Use sparkling water and self-rising flour for a light batter mix. Fry the strips in a small amount of canola oil or use an air fryer. Instead of deep fried French fries, cut potatoes and bake at 450 degrees in canola oil that you season with things like: herbs, salt, garlic, etc. You can also air fry as well.

Reduce cheese in your toppings

If you have a recipe that calls for a grated cheese topping, you can reduce fat and add fiber by replacing half of the cheese with whole-wheat breadcrumbs. The crumbs keep the texture of the baked cheese, so you won’t know the difference.

Eat deli meats that are healthier

Deli meats aren’t all bad, you just need to learn to eat the healthier ones. In order of health, first would be chicken or turkey. Second is roast beef. Third is ham. Lastly, are all the other processed deli meats such as bologna, salami, olive loaf, etc.

Don’t drown your food

You may or may not be old enough to remember Timer from the science portion of School House Rock watched in your Saturday morning cartoons. If you do, then you know he had a slogan: Don’t drown your food in catsup or mayo or goo. It’s no fun to eat what you can’t even see, so don’t drown your food! How many times have you seen someone prepare a nice, healthy salad only to pile on so much fattening dressing that it’s no longer healthy? People will also pile on so much gravy that a lean piece of roast beef or turkey becomes unhealthy. Topping with meat natural juices instead or using extra virgin olive oil that is seasoned on salads will keep your food healthy and won’t sacrifice the taste.

Don’t eat tuna salad with a lot of fattening mayonnaise

Instead, you can add hot sauce, lemon juice, and pepper to your tuna. It tastes great and adds no fat. Another reduced fat option is olive oil mayonnaise.

Use grated cheese instead of slices

Grate hard cheeses such as Parmesan on your sandwiches. You’ll get all the cheese flavor with much less fat.

Have meals without meat

I’m not saying go totally Vegan, but every meal doesn’t have to be a “meat and potato” meal. Try a meatless once a week. Eat vegetarian lasagna and go without beef. Prepare eggplant parmesan instead of veal parmesan. You’ll be taking in less fat, so there’ll be less fat to stay around your middle.

Queens, I hope you try some of these tips and let me know they work for you. Tune in the BLF for part two and the last 30 tips on how to lose belly fat.

Rule well and healthier!

Love, Queen B.