How To Lose Belly Fat - A Simple Guide

By: Shazia Yousuf

Do you have that spare tyre around your belly that you so want to get rid of? Who doesn’t! But the only problem is, acquiring a tyre is a lot easier than losing it.

I have seen people go on diets, do workouts and aerobics, and shed pounds with a great deal of effort. But as soon as they commit one sin, just one simple indulgence in that “death by chocolate”, or just a handful of fries (ok maybe a little bit of munching on that juicy burger too), and the scale goes wild!

A simple workable solution for “How to lose belly fat” is what most of us are looking for. Reading up on this, I came up with a lot of tips which just required you to undergo a little bit of habit or a routine change, and which could do wonders.

So here are some of those tips that I thought would be a great share for all of you.



First of all, “Stop telling yourself that you are fat!” Refrain from self pity; this will only leave you in a helpless state. The more you remind yourself about those extra pounds, the more stubborn they would get, and would be tough to shed off.  Instead, tell yourself time and again, you will rid them pretty soon.

Determination is the key!

Eating habits

·         Avoid late meals at night. Eat atleast two hours before you sleep, since metabolism slows down while sleeping. Food eaten late is not digested properly while you sleep and is stored as fats.

·         Avoid junk food. Make a conscious effort to eat healthy food. Munching on a healthy snack such as fruits or a brown bread sandwich is much better than nibbling on unhealthy cookies and crisps.

·         Eat less of carbs and more of lean protein e.g beans, nuts, and some meat.

·         For greatest effect, only eat carbohydrates before 2:00 p.m, from then on only proteins.

·         Foods such as white bread, pastas, potatoes, and white rice are rich in refined carbs and should be eliminated from your diet. They have less nutrients and vitamins than the non refined kinds. Eat brown rice and whole wheat bread instead.

·         Raw food is better; it takes longer to digest and leaves you feeling fuller.

·         Try eating fruits before meals in order to avoid eating big meals.

·         Keep yourself hydrated. Drink plenty of water.

·         Sometimes our body gives a false feeling of hunger, when it is actually dehydrated. Drink a tall glass of water whenever you have a craving at odd hours. Eat a small portion if you still feel hungry.

·         Avoid colas and juices or anything that has extra sugar content. Drink water instead.

·         Drink more of herbal tea, such as green tea, as this will help you lose saturated fats in your body.

·         Try making a habit of having sugarless green tea after every meal.

·         To increase your metabolic rate, eat smaller and several meals and several could actually be six to eight times a day. Every 2 to 3 hours, take a small snack. This increased frequency will put your metabolisim into overdrive. But just make sure that you do not overeat.

Physical Activity and Posture

·         Always pull your tummy in when sitting or standing. This is an exercise in itself. Try doing it and you will see that it takes up a lot of your energy.

·         Every day, indulge in half an hour of any activity that increases your heart rate. This could include aerobics, dancing, running, brisk walking, jogging, swimming – just anything that increases your heart rate.

·         When walking or jogging, always try to keep a good posture, and remember to pull your belly in.

·         Top it up with at least 10 minutes of abdominal exercises and crunches.

·         Measure yourself instead of weighing. Measure your waist and stomach before you start and repeat every six weeks. Weight can fluctuate as fat is replaced by water or muscle. A tape measure shows the inches melting off.

Being a little conscious and some determination is all it takes to tone your body, and shed those extra unwanted pounds, to look and feel great.

Love yourself and take good care, inorder to spread your love around!

image courtsey: www.howtolosebellyfathealthy.com