7 Steps to Getting Rid of Your Belly Fat

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Dolapo Marinho

Is there a mum who does not want to be rid of her excess tummy fat?

Constantly, we are bombarded with celebrity snapback photos and instagrammers with seamless, svelte physiques and can’t help but feel inadequate. Follow the handy tips below and you will be well on your way to blasting away that embarrassing tummy fat.

1. Set realistic goals

The first thing you have to get right on your belly busting journey are your expectations. Acknowledge that you are no longer a teenager and as such might not achieve washboard abs overnight…if ever! Be realistic in your projections and start by setting an achievable target, say an inch off your waist every month. That way, you do not feel the crushing weight of failure every time you put the measuring tape round your waist and find you only lost half an inch!

2. Simple Mathematics

Energy In vs Energy Out – for the average human being, this is the simple equation that determines whether you are fat or thin. If the amount of energy you ingest is greater than that which your body needs, it will store the excess as fat. One of its favourite storage points is around your waist and belly. Simply put, make sure that you use up more energy then you consume and without even going on a diet, you will start to lose fat off your belly.

3. Exercise

There is a myth that if you do lots of stomach crunches, you will lose fat from your belly. This is simply not true. In order to lose belly fat, you must lose fat from all over your body. You cannot spot reduce at will. Those endless crunches you are doing will only come to light once you have lost the fat concealing them.

That said, aerobic exercises such as Zumba, spinning, running and brisk walking are excellent fat busters. Incorporate at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise into your day three times a week and watch the fat gradually melt away.

4. Cut out refined sugars

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “Abs are made in the kitchen.” There is a fundamental truth here in that the quality, not just the quantity of food you eat has a direct impact on the kinds of results you will get, when it comes to losing belly fat. As it is a stubborn area to lose fat, you will need in the short term, to eliminate all simple carbohydrates from your diet as well as simple sugars. By this I mean, white bread, white pasta, flour based confectionery like cookies and cakes, sweets and added sugar of any kind, including honey.

Choose wholemeal versions instead as these are packed with complex carbs that slowly release sugar into your bloodstream, making you feel fuller for longer as well as adding fibre to your diet.

5. Water

You know when you are not yet due for your next meal, but are already smelling the banga soup that is wafting out of the kitchen and your stomach is leaping and squeaking like there is no tomorrow? My dear, go and drink 26 onces of water immediately! Your appetite will instantaneously vanish.

Water is the pièce de résistance in any weight loss challenge. Keeping hydrated not only starves off hunger, it helps metabolise the fat that you have burned and excrete it out of the body.

6. Chill out and de-stress

This is easier said than done, as stress seems to be part and parcel of normal human existence nowadays. But believe me, stress could be the offending chink in the armour that is sabotaging all your belly fat loss efforts. This is linked to a pesky little hormone called cortisol. Cortisol is realised into the bloodstream when we feel stressed. It triggers your appetite, telling your body to stock up and store more fat! So, when you’re feeling edgy, cranky and irritable, just calm down, have a massage, go for a walk or relax with friends. Don’t allow stress to derail all your hard work!

Getting adequate sleep is also crucial.

7. Weight training

Women have this idea that lifting weights or resistance training will miraculously turn them into the muscle top wearing, biceps bulging female variation of Hulk Hogan!! Let me break it to you sweetie – you do not have enough testosterone in your body to even compete with an 18-year-old boy!

Weight training builds muscle, and muscle requires more energy to store than fat, which means the more muscle you have, the more fat you will burn, just to keep your muscles healthy! It’s a win-win situation that also means you gain strength as well as lose weight.

Incorporate 2 weight training sessions into your week as well as your aerobic sessions and gradually say goodbye to your unwanted flabby belly guest!