It's not always easy to lose weight but, even worse, one of the hardest things seems to be losing the belly fat. We all have that muffin top that peeks out from on top of our jeans no matter how many crunches we do. Even worse, though, is the fact that even if you have a normal weight but are wide in the stomach area, you are at a higher risk of dying from heart disease than even those that are obese. Crazy!
Well, lucky for us, there are some great ways to fight belly flab. In fact, we're sharing our tips on the 10 easiest ways to fight belly fat. You won't love hearing some of them (adiós, crunches!) while others may be welcome news (say hello to avocados and chili spices!). No matter what, though, you'll find that it's easy to incorporate these into your healthy eating habits–and you might even enjoy them, too!
Eat good fat
Well, be honest: Did you really need another excuse to eat avocado? Well, here’s some good news for all of us that love it. It turns out that a low-fat diet isn’t actually the best way to reduce belly fat. In fact, it can be BAD for you. Instead, focus on reducing belly flab with “good fat” foods like avocado, olive oil and salmon.
Give up crunches
I hate to break it to all of you crunches-lovers out there, but you’re not really doing much for your physique. The truth of the matter is that you’re MUCH better off doing exercises that work out bigger muscles or focus on multi-muscle groups, such as overhead presses, squats, planks, pushups and the bicycle movement (lying on the floor, connect your right elbow to your left knee, then do the other side, and repeat).
Switch to quinoa
Well, actually, you can just make sure to switch to quinoa, brown rice, or sweet potatoes (boniatos). Just do anything that will cut down on the simple carbs and make the switch to whole grains since people who replaced their refined grains lost more abdominal fat than people who just ate a low-calorie diet. It's no wonder we say that quinoa is great to lose weight!
Run 12 miles a week
Although many people assume that what you really need to get rid of belly fat is some strength training, it turns out that aerobic exercise is actually much more effective. In fact, a recent study found that resistance training does little to get rid of that belly and instead you should be focusing on cardio, like running about 12 miles per week to get rid of that muffin top.
Stop drinking diet soda
More and more bad news keeps coming up about diet soda. It’s not good for your heart and it’s certainly not good for your waistline. An extensive study found that people who drank two or more diet sodas per day had 70 percent more belly fat. That’s a LOT, guys! Time to give it up and instead switch to seltzer or water with a squeeze of lemon, which has actually been proven to have the opposite effect.
Cook with coconut oil
There have been a ton of studies that proved that adding some coconut oil into your diet actually helps to reduce belly fat. Personally, I’ve started foregoing the microwave and instead heating my food up with a little coconut oil. In fact, it’s the best oil since it’s not greasy and also gives you anti-viral/anti-bacterial benefits.
Eat your pinto beans
A diet that’s rich in fiber (especially soluble fiber that’s found in vegetables, fruits and beans) has been shown to have a direct impact on reducing belly fat, according to a new study. What does that mean? Well, having 10 grams of fiber per day (like a cup of pinto beans) is going to help you get rid of that belly! So eat up, ladies.
Diet every other day
If you’re not a fan of cutting calories, then why not just do it every other day? Hear me out: a study found that people who ate 25 percent less calories every other day were able to lose up to 30 pounds in just 8 weeks. WOW! The key, though, is to not overdo it on your “off days” and to make sure you keep exercising. Still, great news!
Put some chili on it
It turns out that adding some spice (like chili peppers, cayenne, chipotle powder or even turmeric) has a lot of diet-friendly benefits. The spice helps to suppress your appetite for sugary and fatty foods, plus it also speeds up your metabolism! Next time you’re making dinner, sprinkle half a teaspoon of one of these spices on your dish to reap the benefits.
Meditate or Pray
One of the most shocking ways to lose abdominal fat is, in fact, to spend some time meditating or praying every day. Why? Well, regular prayer or meditation helps to reduce stress, which helps to reduce the stress hormone cortisol, which is an attributing factor to belly flab. So, voila! Now let’s do it.
