How to Get a Flat Tummy without Losing Your Mind
Tried to shape your midsection and failed? We have some tips for getting rid of stubborn tummy fat.
Anyone who has ever tried to get in shape and lose the weight, becoming fit, healthy and toned all over, most likely knows that one area where it can be incredibly difficult to shed the pounds is the blubbery bit in the middle. No matter how hard you work out or how careful you are with your diet, there it still is, jiggling about and stubbornly refusing to burn off after all your hard work. It can dampen any workout regimen and make you feel incredibly disheartened.
So what’s going on down there that makes shifting belly fat an almost impossible endeavour? It turns out there’s a lot of fat in that area of the body, and it’s not easily broken down by lipolysis, the process that uses up fat cells. Not all fat is the same in the human body, as there are two types of cells: alpha and beta. The former are easier to break down and burn off, with the face, arms and legs having more of these alpha fat cells, which is why you can lose fat in these areas quicker. Meanwhile, the thighs, hips and, yes, the belly, are loaded with beta fat cells that are difficult to shift.
It’s not all about aesthetics either. While practically everyone dreams of having a flat stomach, it’s also much better for your health. That’s because carrying lots of fat around your belly — abdominal obesity, if it gets out of hand — can put you at risk from a range of diseases, including diabetes, heart disease and stroke. So how to get a flat tummy?
How to Get a Flat Tummy in Two Easy Steps
We’ve all heard that taking in more calories than your body needs results in them being stored as fat. And while there are some exceptions — such as possible genetic predispositions to having high-fat levels — this is generally the rule. Most of us are guilty of overeating, and so this is one of the first areas we need to look at when working out how to get a flat tummy.
You may not know it, but no amount of exercise is going to make much of a dent in that ballooning spare tyre if you don’t pay attention to your diet. Bear in mind that a flat stomach — especially the holy grail of having your abs appear — is about 80% what you eat and 20% working out. So there’s no need to go killing yourself down at the gym when you can take a far gentler, and way more effective, approach.
While weight-loss is the goal, there’s no need to go starving yourself or start a crash diet. Neither is effective in the long-run, and they’re unnecessarily uncomfortable and can leave you feeling weak and grumpy. The key is to eat clean, which means as non-processed as possible, and load your plate up with lots of colourful veggies to accompany a protein of your choice. Also, eat healthy grains: wholegrain and without their valuable outer husk ripped off, which leave you with little other than carbs, as it the case with white rice and pasta.
Plant-Powered Weight Loss
Many people are turning to plant-based proteins, based on beans, legumes and tofu, for what’s believed to be one of the healthiest diets around. A growing number of people are now having plant-based meals delivered, for convenience and when they don’t have time to cook for themselves, due to hectic work and family lives.
The other important step in getting a flat tummy is to realise that when you switch to a new diet, it is not just for a month or two before you go back to what you were used to — which may not have been all that healthy, and way over-processed. It’s a lifestyle change to maintain over the long-term.
Incorporate some exercise of your choice into your daily routine, whether it’s a brisk walk, a jog, cycle, swim or anything else, as long as you’re moving. Soon enough, that stubborn fat in your midriff will melt off and the flat tummy of your dreams will be a brilliant reality.
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