Best Way to Lose Belly Fat | Diet Vs Exercise
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]wo questions people often type into search engines are: ‘Best Way to Lose Belly Fat’ and ‘Fastest Way to Lose Belly Fat’.
Most people are in a hurry to get things done and that explains the ‘fastest way’ bit but what IS the way? Well, doesn’t take a genius to figure out that it has to be either Diet or Exercise or a combination of both.
That points us to the next question: Which is more important: Diet or Exercise?
Several authority sites including The Business Insider and Glamour.Com Uk have consulted Philip Stanforth, the executive director of the Fitness Institute of Texas and Professor of Exercise Science at the University of Texas who seems to lend credence to our own idea that Diet is indispensable as far as fat loss is concerned. The New York Times quotes Dr. Aaron Carroll in support of that view.
Elementary, isn’t it? Even if you don’t exercise, having an otherwise healthy lifestyle is the best way to lose belly fat. And one of the vital elements of a healthy lifestyle just happens to be a healthy diet.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he first thing to understand is what Diet does not mean. It does not mean starving. Ever. Eating less than your body needs is a surefire way of storing belly fat, not losing it.[pullquote-right]Diet does not mean starving, and Fat is not Bad![/pullquote-right]
The body stores fat for a rainy day. When you starve yourself, your body thinks there is a food crisis and takes precautions by storing more fat. Fat is the backup that will keep you alive when you run out of food. A natural example is the Camel’s hump.
Takeaway: Fat is not bad. However, excess fat, fat that piles up to give you a paunch – that is the kind of fat we want to get rid of. And we don’t do that by going into starvation mode. We do that by eating healthy. Certain things lend credence to the idea that Diet is indispensable for fat loss Share on X
[dropcap]A[/dropcap] good way to lose belly fat would be to eat (healthy) when you are hungry, and sleep well.
If you eat at certain fixed times of the day, your stomach will begin to prepare itself for food at those times which means, the body will process food better when you are naturally hungry.
The best way to lose belly fat for a thirty-five-year-old person is not the same as that which is good for a teenager. Teenagers, with their active metabolism, have no business growing belly fat. Sadly, they often do, especially if their Junk Food to Lounging Around ratio is too unbalanced.
For someone approaching middle age and with no time to exercise, eating full meals at fixed hours (instead of snacking through the day) makes for a healthy lifestyle. Here are a few things to bear in mind that can make a huge difference even if you don’t make major changes in your diet.
Drink water when you want a smoke or when you feel like snacking.
Frequently, we mistake thirst for hunger pang or nicotine craving. And yes, drinking adequate amount of water is part of a healthy diet. Frequently, we mistake thirst for hunger or nicotine craving - drink water when you want a cigarette or a snack Share on X
Make organic fruits and vegetables (raw) a part of your everyday diet.
If you don’t like them, eat less of them, but do eat – every day. No need to gorge on fruits, in any case. Consuming too much of high fructose content, natural or artificial, is not the healthiest way to diet.
Go to bed at a fixed time each night
Studies show less sleep ultimately leads to belly fat accumulation. You simply must sleep well.
If you go to bed at a fixed time for a while, an alarm will be redundant after a point. It is best to get this habit in place when you can take at least a week off from work. If that is not possible, stop worrying about the getting up part and make sure you get to bed (not necessarily fall asleep) at a fixed time each night.
Move your body for ten minutes
Just three days a week, follow a simple bodyweight exercise routine for ten minutes in the morning. Do this after taking a bath (which will act as a warm-up session with no extra time spent), and definitely on an empty stomach. Working out on an empty stomach is an ancient technique to maintain a lean physique. You will see very fast results if you add this to your daily routine. Read this post for more information on this practice.
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feature photo credit: Tribesports via photopin cc
