How to Cut the Belly Fat

There are many myths and falsehoods out there concerning the "best" possible way to cut belly fat in a healthy manner. So-called diet foods are just junk foods in disguise. TV advertisements push exercise machines into the marketplace that do nothing to help you lose those unwanted pounds. However, scientists are getting smarter when it comes to shedding those last 10, 20 or 30 pounds. Doing so will decrease your risk of heart disease, stroke and many different types of cancer. In short, eat better, exercise more and get the rest you need every day.

Instructions

1

Change the way you eat and what you eat the most of. Your diet is the most important aspect of losing belly fat. Diets that are high in carbohydrates, especially easily digested carbohydrates like sugar, make it almost impossible to lose belly fat. The human body burns carbs first, followed by fat and then protein. Decreasing the amount of carbohydrates and fats consumed and increasing the amount of protein consumed will help you burn unwanted body fat.

2

Change the way you exercise. Exercising is a very important aspect of any fat loss regimen, but traditional cardio workouts will do very little to cut belly fat. Instead, a National Center for Biotechnology Information study found that adopting a high intensity interval training (HIIT) program will help burn fat up to nine times faster than an endurance training program, like running, walking or jogging. HIIT is an exercise routine that involves periods of low-intensity exertion followed by periods of high-intensity exertion. HIIT sessions only need to last for 10 to 20 minutes.

3

Add strength training to your exercise routine three times per week. Strength training using weights (free weights or weight machines) helps to build muscle. Increasing your overall lean body weight will help you to burn more calories throughout the day. Muscle is an active tissue and uses energy to maintain itself---even while you are sleeping. Increasing your lean body weight will help burn extra fat all day long.

4

Get at least eight hours of sleep per day (seven to nine per night is a good range). Studies have shown that people who do not get enough sleep are more likely to be obese than those who sleep enough. Sleep deprivation decreases the amount of leptin produced in the body, which is a protein that tells your brain that it is full. Less leptin leads to more hunger, which leads to more eating, which leads to a bigger waistline. Your body also has a more difficult time producing insulin when it is sleep deprived. Insulin regulates the level of sugar in the blood, and if there is not enough insulin to take care of the sugar in your blood stream, it will be stored as body fat.