5 Scientifically-Backed Strategies to Reduce Belly Fat

There’s no such thing as spot reduction when it comes to fat loss.

If you’re losing belly fat, you’re also losing fat in your butt, hips and thighs.

Still, there’s a huge amount of articles and advertisements promising a slimmer waist. But here’s the thing…

Fat, just like fuel in your vehicle, is stored energy. It’s equally recruited throughout your body to be burned by your working muscles.

So while you can’t spot reduce, you can shed pounds all over your body and reduce belly fat in the process. Here are 5 scientifically-backed strategies to reduce belly fat.

2 Types of Belly Fat

There are two types of fat—visceral and subcutaneous. Visceral fat lies deep inside your abdomen and surrounds your organs. It’s been linked to heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Even scarier, if your waist size is larger than 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men, your health risks significantly increase.

On the other hand, subcutaneous fat is found just underneath the skin and is much easier to get rid of than visceral fat.

Strategy #1: Add HIIT to Your Workout Routine

Cardio, HIIT, strength training—basically anything that increases your heart rate and gets you nice and sweaty—will help reduce visceral fat.

But what type of exercise is best? HIIT is one of the most effective ways to reduce fat all over your body, including belly fat. Not only does HIIT burn calories and fat during your workout, it also gives you the after-burn effect. This means you’ll continue to burn calories throughout the day.

And research agrees. The Journal of Sports Medicine reported that all-out bursts of exercise followed by short rest periods is more effective at reducing fat, including belly fat, than steady-state cardio.

Strategy #2: Increase Your Protein Intake

As you age, your body starts to produce more insulin, since your muscle and fat cells aren’t responding to it as well as when you were younger. And when your body doesn’t respond to insulin, it actually makes more of it, a term coined insulin resistance. This plays a huge role in weight gain and fat storage, especially around the midsection.

But a diet high in protein can help counteract insulin resistance. But choose wisely. Opt for lean cuts of meat, poultry and fish or choose plant-based proteins such as beans and lentils to boost your fiber intake and up your healthy carb ante.

Strategy #3: Avoid Trans Fats

Trans fats are a form of unsaturated fat that come in both natural and artificial forms.

Common examples include commercially baked goods, such as cakes, cookies and pies, microwave popcorn, frozen pizza, fried foods, non-dairy coffee creamer and margarine.

By avoiding them, you not only reduce belly fat, you also lower your risk of inflammation, heart disease and insulin resistance.

Strategy #4: Curb Your Drinking

They don’t call it a beer gut for no reason. If you want to reduce your waist size, limit your alcohol intake. A recent study suggests that alcohol consumption elevates the risk of abdominal obesity, especially in men.

Plus, alcohol packs some serious calories—7 calories per gram. The average drink contains 14 grams of alcohol, which is around 98 calories and that’s before you add in the additional calories from soda, juice or mixers. Over time, these extra calories pack on additional pounds and lead to increased belly fat.

Strategy #5: Try Intermittent Fasting

By no means am I saying to try a fad diet. Everything you do should be done in moderation. The best nutrition plan is one you can actually stick to, but if you’re looking for a way to decrease your caloric intake, intermittent fasting may be your answer.

A recent study suggests that eating between 10am and 6pm results in consuming 350 fewer calories per day and a reduction of body weight by 3% over a 12-week period.

Final Thoughts

Remember to do things in moderation. After all, balance is key to success. So don’t beat yourself up if you find it difficult to stick to these strategies. Through patience and dedication, you can build a strong foundation for a future, fitter self without sacrificing the fun stuff!

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