If left unattended belly fat can increase mortality risk by as much as 32%.
Nobody loves love handles. But the dangers of belly fat are deeper than their appearance. Abdominal fat, especially deep abdominal fat otherwise known as visceral fat, is incredibly hazardous to health.
Visceral fat in the abdomen surrounds your most important organs like your lungs, gastrointestinal system, and heart. Fat is a storage space for toxins, so the more fat buildup in your abdomen, the more toxins.
This increases the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, insulin resistance, endocrine disorders, and many other problematic diseases.
Most people worry about how to get abs for appearance. But it's a signifier of health too. Whether your goal is a six-pack or improved overall health these five steps will tell you how to get rid of stubborn belly fat.
1. Aerobic Exercise Strategically
Aerobic exercise, cardio, is the most effective exercise to lose belly fat. Cardio burns calories and calories burned equals fat loss. It's a simple equation, but there are certain considerations when it comes to cardio for stubborn fat removal.
One of the best ways to promote the body's fat-burning abilities is to perform fasting cardio. This means exercising on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. Some excellent aerobic activities for fat loss include long walks, running, sports like tennis or soccer, swimming, and rowing.
The caveat is that if you do your fasting cardio too late in the day, you run the risk of boosting your adrenaline and cortisol levels. These hormones increase stress which is counterintuitive to weight loss.
Make sure your aerobic sessions follow these guidelines:
- Happen consistently for about five days a week
- Break out a sweat to remove toxins
- Increase heart rate
- Menstruating women are recommended to do light cardio
- Eat within a half-hour of completing your workout
- Leave you energized not fatigued
This last bullet note is important as feeling exhausted after a workout could mean you are overexerting yourself and damaging your gut lining while promoting stress. Two things that increase abdominal fat storage.
2. Eat Intuitively
There is no such thing as a perfect diet. You don't need to cut out a whole food category to get rid of stubborn belly fat. Eating intuitively is the best thing for fat loss. The more balanced your hormones and blood sugar levels are, the more you will crave healthy whole foods.
If your hormones and blood sugar are all over the place, you will crave junk. That is not the time to go on a strict diet, but it is the time to find a practitioner who can help you rebalance your body.
It's most important to get a balance of macronutrients, which are carbs, proteins, and fat. When you increase your activity you need more protein.
Try to follow these suggestions when it comes to knowing how to eat for stubborn fat removal:
- Check for any food intolerances, these can increase inflammation-related fat storage
- Also, check for nutrient deficiencies, certain deficiencies such as Iron can cause sluggish liver and induce fat storage
- Lastly, check your hormones and make sure they are balanced, unbalanced hormones can cause intense cravings that sabotage your weight loss goals
When it comes to the actual foods to eat, the foundation of your diet should consist of whole foods. Avoid processed junk at all costs.
Get creative with fruits and vegetables. Then at wild-caught seafood or grass-fed animal protein. Include lots of fiber-rich carbs like amaranth and quinoa too.
3. Reduce Stress
Stress can increase fat storage in the abdomen. This happens when the adrenal glands are in constant fight-or-flight mode due to too much adrenaline roaming freely in the blood.
This adrenaline triggers the production of cortisol, the stress hormone. Higher levels of cortisol increase appetite and promote specifically abdominal fat storage. Minimizing stress should not be an afterthought for your health goals.
Make minimizing stress a priority and beat the belly fat with these stress-reducing techniques:
- Prayer or meditation
- Getting adequate and restful sleep
- Therapy or other behavioral relief
- Avoiding intense exercise when you are not up for it
- Engaging in pleasurable activities that make you feel happier
Whatever kicks the stress for you, consider it a step towards a slimmer waistline.
4. Strength Train
Cardio is not the only exercise to lose belly fat. A combination of cardio and strength training is the perfect recipe.
Strength training has advantages that cardio doesn't provide.
- Strength training increases muscle mass which increases resting metabolism, meaning you burn more calories while doing nothing
- It's also a great way to tone your abdominal region so when you do lose belly fat you have a nice toned six-pack underneath
Make sure to take one to two days off between lifting sessions to reduce physical stress and provide your body with ample recovery time.
5. Enhance
This blog is a guide on how to get rid of stubborn fat, so maybe you've already tried steps 1-4 with no luck. If that's the case, it's important to stay persistent. But the three suggestions below will help accelerate your stubborn fat removal.
Supplements
Inability to lose weight could be a sign that something is wrong with your body. You should get checked with your doctor. They might advise you to try an Omega-3 supplement or carb blocker which both support weight loss.
Carb blockers are super popular for weight loss as they inhibit the enzymes that turn carbs into fat.
Lymphatic Drainage
Lymphatic drainage is a massage that moves stagnant lymph out of the body and through the urine. Stagnant lymph holds toxins that can deter all of your body's functions, including fat loss. Stagnant lymph may also cause bloating that worsens the appearance of abdominal fat.
Cryotherapy
Cryo, aka "cold" therapy is an ancient treatment with an updated trendy twist. It involves standing in a -285 degree Fahrenheit chamber. You can burn 500 to 800 calories in one three-minute session!
Five Steps to Get Rid of Stubborn Belly Fat
It's hard to get rid of stubborn belly fat, but it's not impossible! Sometimes you just need a new mindset, a change of strategy, and some supplementation for existing deficiencies.
Check out our selection of weight loss supplement suggestions to support your abdominal fat loss goals.