Hello everybody!
One of the most common questions I get from my clients, is how to lose overall body fat, especially belly fat.So here are my best tips for YOU!
- Switch to single ingredient foods
This tip will help you improve the quality of your diet. Why? Because eating what nature gave us (vegetables, legumes, meat, nuts and fruits) you will cut out all the processed, unhealthy foods that can quickly put a stop to weight loss! Single ingredient foods in their most natural state will contain the most nutrition to help keep your body healthy throughout the weight-loss process.
- Increase your protein intake
A higher protein intake is the next step to seeing results in loosing fat. For every one of your daily meals make sure you include foods that contain high quality proteins (poultry, eggs, protein powders, red meat, fish). Protein-rich foods not only will calm your hunger, but they also have a higher thermogenic effect as well. So, for every 100 calories you eat, your body will burn about 20-30 % of those calories off simply breaking down the food. This means you net fewer calories overall. Protein also helps reduce the chance of muscle mass loss, which is so important in maintaining a fast metabolism long-term.
- Eat carbohydrates with a low glycemic index!
Glycemic Index (GI) is the rate at which a carbohydrate contained in a food is converted into glucose (simple sugar) and enters into the bloodstream.
So, the higher the GI of a carbohydrate the faster it enters the bloodstream, the lower its GI the slower it enters the bloodstream. So, the lower the glycemic index of a food, the lower the insulin secretion and the less likely the tendency of a carbohydrate to be converted into fats. High glycemic index foods (e.g.: white bread, white pasta, white rice, puffed rice cakes, corn, carrots, etc.) are responsible for a shorter satiety feeling and excessive food intake on the following meal. Consume instead low GI foods like: barley, quinoa, rolled oats, lentils, beans, chickpeas, berries, apples.
- Perform HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training
When most people think of cardio, they think of long, boring jogs, or endless hours on the treadmill or elliptical. I’ve got good news for you: there’s a method of cardio that takes much less time and is far superior to jogging to help you burn fat. It’s called High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). This involves alternating between very intense bouts of exercise and low intensity exercise. For example, sprinting for 30 seconds, then walking for 60 seconds is high intensity interval training. HIIT can be used both anaerobically (in the gym with weights) and aerobically with cardio. At higher intensities, you are burning far more fat, there’s also an after burn effect known as EPOC (excess-post exercise oxygen consumption). You increase your metabolism and burn more calories for up to 24 hours after interval training, whereas going for a jog burns almost NO calories after.
- Drink one glass of water before each meal
A great technique to try if you struggle to cut back on your food intake is to simply drink one glass of water before each meal.
This serves multiple purposes:
Staying well-hydrated makes sure your metabolism runs at top speeds.
The water will fill you up, therefore prompting you to take in fewer calories during the meal.
It’s refreshing and can help combat food cravings, making it easier to choose healthier foods for your meal.
Add a slice of lemon to your water glass and you’ll often find that the taste you had for whichever food you desired has passed.
- Go grilled, steamed, or baked.
Do you eat a lot of fried foods? If so, start grilling, baking or steaming your food instead. It may take a little getting used to, but eventually you’ll come to enjoy how much lighter and tastier the food is when it’s not loaded with fat.
- Clean your house of junk food, sweets, cadies, chocolate bars
If food you shouldn’t be eating exists in your fridge, cupboards, or freezers, you will give in at some point or another. You may think you have willpower of steel, but believe me we all have those crashes, and we are very tempted to give in. So if those foods are not in your house, you have more chances not too eat them at all!
- Supplement your diet with calcium
Scientific research found that calcium intake increases fat loss! In detail, researchers found that supplemental calcium (800mg/day) or high dietary intake of calcium (1200mg/day) promoted a greater fat loss (38-64%) compared to subjects on a low calcium diet (500mg/day).
- Eat Fat
Yes, you heard me! It takes fat to burn fat. Like I said in previous articles, it’s sugar that gets you fat, not fat. Good fats include foods rich in Omega 3′s, like salmon, avocados & nuts. These foods are full of nutrients that help keep you satiated throughout the day.
10. Sleep
If you want to work late at night, think again. When your biorhythms are off, you end up eating more. When you’re tired you produce more ghrelin, which triggers cravings for sugar and other fat-building foods. Losing sleep can also alter your hormone production, affecting your cortisol levels that cause insulin sensitivity, prime reasons for belly fat! Getting about 7 hours of sleep a night is one of the best things you can do for your body shaping goals.
So here they are, my best tips for loosing fat! Hope you enjoyed! See you soon! :*
Body Energy Action 