Belly Fat Diet For Dummies
Overview
The fast and easy way to lose belly fat
Lowering body weight can reverse or prevent diabetes; lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels; and improve sleep apnea and other sleep problems. The easy recipes and exercises outlined in Belly Fat Diet For Dummies gives you the edge you need to shed unwanted pounds and gain muscle tone.
Do you carry extra weight around your midsection? Belly Fat Diet For Dummies gives you practical, trusted advice for shedding it—the fast and healthy way. You'll get a proven, 14-day quick-start program that guarantees results within days: a no-gym fitness plan that starts with a fat-melting, bodyweight-only workout and progresses to more advanced exercises further toning and tightening your belly. Plus, you’ll
get over 40 delicious belly-burning recipes to help you manage your weight.
- A no-gym fitness plan that starts with a fat-melting bodyweight-only workout and then progresses to a more advanced exercises futher toning and tightening your belly
- Over 40 delicious belly-burning recipes
- Loads of options customized for: carboholics, meat lovers, chicken and seafood fans, chocoholics, fast-food junkies, diabetics, and vegans
- Includes useful tips, body-sculpting exercises, and delicious recipes using superfoods to help shrink your waistline
- A comprehensive maintenance plan to help you stay on track
Belly Fat Diet For Dummies is a complete and informative guide that makes shedding weight practical and fun—with results in days.
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About The Author
Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDE, is a nationally recognized nutrition and fitness expert who has contributed to national media outlets such as the CBS Early Show, ABC News, CBS News, Fox News, Fitness Magazine, and Prevention Magazine, among others.
Sample Chapters
belly fat diet for dummies
CHEAT SHEET
You want to know how to lose belly fat, because it not only looks less than desirable, but belly fat and belly bloat also can have very real and very dangerous health implications. The latest research links belly fat to everything from heart disease and type 2 diabetes to certain cancers and even an increased risk of dementia.
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Healthy eating and exercise can shrink your waistline and blast away belly fat. But certain nutrients also have the ability to help you burn belly fat faster and more effectively. Incorporating the ten nutrients described here on a regular basis through seasonings, food choices, and supplements may help you shed fat, especially around your midsection, more productively, helping you to reach your weight loss goals even faster!
Visceral fat is true fat in the abdomen. It causes your waistline to expand over time, and it can have dangerous health implications. This type of fat isn’t gained or lost overnight. You must transition yourself to a belly-flattening lifestyle to gradually lose visceral fat and keep it off for good.
Treat the plan as a lifestyle, not another diet
The Belly Fat Diet isn’t really a diet.
This breakfast burrito requires 5 minutes of prep time and just 5 minutes of cook time, so it’s a great solution for a quick breakfast. The following recipe makes four servings. You can personalize this breakfast burrito by adding some cooked vegetables, such as tomatoes (as seen in the following figure) or green pepper and onion.
You want to know how to lose belly fat, because it not only looks less than desirable, but belly fat and belly bloat also can have very real and very dangerous health implications. The latest research links belly fat to everything from heart disease and type 2 diabetes to certain cancers and even an increased risk of dementia.
Belly Fat Diet
Can you guess what one of the biggest contributors to inflammation is? If you said “belly fat,” you’re right! Fat tissues in your body secrete hormones that help regulate your immune system (which inflammation is a part of). The more fatty tissue you have, the more hormones your body secretes. And when these hormones become out of balance, inflammation can result.
Belly Fat Diet
One of the easiest and best ways to reduce stress in the body is through deep breathing. It’s simple to do and is a great way to cut stress almost immediately. The way you breathe affects your entire body, so when you breathe in deeply and slowly, it sends a message to your brain to relax and calm down. This message automatically helps to decrease your stress and put you in a more relaxed state.
This omelet comes together in less than three minutes (including prep and cooking!). While the following recipe calls for broccoli, you can add any cooked vegetables you like to this omelet. Try onion, red pepper, mushrooms, or tomatoes (or a mix!). Steaming is the best option for cooking the veggies, but if you’re short on time, using flash-frozen and microwaving is fine as well.
Belly Fat Diet
Carbohydrates play a critical role in belly fat in two ways: by increasing it or decreasing it. To successfully achieve your weight loss and belly-flattening goals, you must know the carbohydrate sources that can shrink belly fat as well as the ones that can actually increase it.
Describing the sources is pretty simple: Whole-grain carbohydrates help fight belly fat, and refined carbohydrates increase it.
A chicken breast stuffed with Swiss cheese and lean ham, Chicken Cordon Bleu looks difficult to prepare, but it’s really not once you master the rolling technique. This healthier version of Chicken Cordon Bleu takes 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook. It yields four servings.
Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/razmarinka 2012
Nonstick cooking spray
1/2 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs
2 egg whites, beaten
Four 4-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4-inch thick
4 ounces lowfat, low-sodium, thinly sliced ham
2 ounces part-skim, low-sodium Swiss cheese
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Belly Fat Diet
Condiments and seasonings are a great way to add flavor and variety to your meals. Many seasonings and spices can be used in unlimited amounts. However, a few condiments do contain some calories or even small amounts of sugar. These condiments are allowed on your Belly Fat Diet plan, but you do need to monitor the portions.
When you have a kitchen stocked with belly-flattening food choices, you can easily whip up healthy meals that will help you lose weight. Cooking at home, instead of eating in a restaurant or ordering take-out, is one of the best things you can do for your belly and your health. When you cook your own food, you know exactly what ingredients (and how much) are going into it.
The following recipe makes four servings of peanut butter and banana bites. It takes only 10 minutes to prepare, but then chills for 60 minutes in the freezer. Or, if you can’t wait, skip the freezer and serve them immediately at room temperature.
Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/AdShooter 2008
1 cup 100% whole-grain oats
2 medium bananas
3 tablespoons natural peanut butter
Place the oats in a resealable plastic bag and zip closed.
Belly Fat Diet
Consuming an adequate amount of dairy products, such as milk and yogurt, is important to your success with your Belly Fat Diet plan. Dairy products are packed with whey, a protein that helps promote the formation of lean body mass (which in turn helps you burn more calories). Because dairy contains a high level of protein, it helps keep you feeling full and satisfied.
Did you know that what you drink can significantly impact your belly? For instance, you probably know that sugary drinks like soda and lemonade can spike insulin and cause your body to store belly fat. However, did you know that drinks with excessive amounts of caffeine can increase belly fat as well? And did you know that other drinks can actually help burn belly fat?
Many folks think that they have to cut out fat entirely when they’re trying to lose weight and belly fat. Believe it or not, though, certain dietary fats can actually help to burn belly fat. In fact, research has shown that diets rich in healthy fats promote increased fat loss, especially from the midsection. The main fat fighters are monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids.
Belly Fat Diet
You need to consume more whole grains and fewer refined carbohydrates to reduce belly fat. Refined carbohydrates have a high glycemic index (GI). The glycemic index is a scale that ranks foods based on how fast and how high they can raise your blood sugar.
The lower a food ranks on the GI scale, the less of a rise in blood sugar it creates.
Belly Fat Diet
Vegetables can help to shrink belly fat and promote weight loss in so many great ways! One of the greatest benefits of vegetables when you’re trying to lose weight is that they provide you with a great amount of volume and satiety with few calories.
Think about it this way: If you were hungry and ate six plain crackers, would you feel full?
Belly Fat Diet
You need to know your internal numbers when evaluating your health risk. These numbers include your cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels. If you have an increased amount of belly fat, you may be more at risk for diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
To assess your risk and start taking action to improve your health, schedule an appointment with your physician to determine your cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels.
Some foods can cause belly bloat. This bloat can come on overnight or even after eating just one meal full of belly-bloating foods. Bloat isn’t true belly fat, but it can distend your stomach, making your waistline appear larger. Some foods have an instant belly-bloating effect due to their ability to introduce added gasses to the body, causing stomach distension.
As you transition into a belly-flattening lifestyle, one that burns belly fat and prevents belly bloat, you need to make a few key dietary changes that will help you lose belly fat. You can make these diet changes gradually over time.The more regularly you stick with these changes, the better your results. The following are some general guidelines to follow:
Consume an adequate amount of fiber per day.
Belly Fat Diet
You will need to eat several servings of fruits and vegetables each day to stay on track with your Belly Fat Diet plan and achieve your weight loss goals. But what exactly is a serving? The following table shows you just how much of a certain vegetable or certain fruit is considered one serving. This information can help you see whether you’re eating too little, too much, or just enough.
Belly Fat Diet
With the Belly Fat Diet plan you’ll learn to think less about diet, and more about lifestyle change. With incredibly simple, effective strategies to shrink belly fat, improve your health through easy modifications of your dietary and physical habits, you’ll look good and feel better in no time.
Download the guide to get simple, effective strategies to help you
Shrink belly fat
Improve health and dietary habits
Increase physical activity
Look and feel great, fast!
Belly Fat Diet
During the first two weeks of your Belly Fat Diet Gradual-Change plan, you’ll notice some significant changes. Besides increasing your fiber intake as you gradually increase your vegetable servings, you should start to feel an improvement in your energy level.
Day 1
Breakfast
Breadless Breakfast Quiche
1 slice 100% whole-grain toast topped with 1 teaspoon olive oil-based spread
1 kiwi
Equals 1 vegetable, 1 fruit, 1 starch, 2 ounces protein, 2 fats
Snack
Yogurt parfait made with 1 cup low-fat plain yogurt, 1 cup blackberries, 1/2 cup whole-grain cereal, and 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
Equals 1 milk, 1 fruit, 1 starch, 2 fats
Lunch
Tuna and Salsa Stuffed Pepper
1 medium pear
Equals 1 vegetable, 1 fruit, 2 ounces protein
Snack
12 whole-grain crackers topped with 2 tablespoons hummus
Equals 2 starches, 2 fats
Dinner
8 ounces chicken breast, grilled
5 asparagus spears (5 inches long), steamed
1 small sweet potato topped with 1 teaspoon olive oil-based spread
1 cup fat-free or low-fat milk
Equals 1 vegetable, 1 starchy vegetable, 1 milk, 8 ounces protein, 1 fat
Day 2
Breakfast
2 eggs, scrambled
1/2 cup diced potatoes, sautéed in nonstick cooking spray
1 slice 100% whole-grain toast topped with 1 teaspoon olive oil-based spread
1 cup blueberries
Equals 1 starchy vegetable, 1 starch, 2 ounces protein, 1 fruit, 1 fat
Snack
Credit: iStockphoto.
Belly Fat Diet
Level 1 of the Belly Fat Gradual-Change plan, which lasts two weeks, starts out by encouraging you to increase your intake of fruits and vegetables, which are low in calories, rich in nutrients, and quite filling. To help prevent you from feeling overwhelmed with the dietary change, Level 1 starts out by recommending you consume fewer vegetables than Level 1 in the Turbocharged and Moderation plans.
Belly Fat Diet
After you’ve completed your first two weeks on Level 1 of the Belly Fat Diet Gradual-Change plan, you’ll transition to Level 2. This level continues to encourage the healthy meal plan guidelines of the Belly Fat Diet while promoting a healthy, steady rate of weight loss.
Day 1
Breakfast
Banana-Almond Breakfast Toast
1 cup fat-free or low-fat milk
Equals 1 fruit, 1 milk, 1 starch, 1 ounce protein, 1 fat
Snack
Baked Apple
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
Equals 1 fruit, 1 milk
Lunch
6 ounces flounder, grilled or broiled
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and sautéed in 2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup cooked whole-grain pasta
1 cup fruit salad
Equals 2 vegetables, 1 fruit, 2 starches, 6 ounces protein, 2 fats
Snack
1 cup celery sticks topped with 4 teaspoons natural peanut butter
Equals 1 vegetable, 2 fats
Dinner
Low-Calorie Chicken Parmesan
1 cup Brussels sprouts, sautéed in 2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium ear of corn
Equals 2 vegetables, 1.
Belly Fat Diet
In Level 2 of the Belly Fat Diet Gradual-Change plan, you can expect to lose anywhere from 1/2 pound to 2 pounds per week. If you’re losing weight at a rate slower than this, you may want to adjust your meal plan to Level 2 of the Moderation plan for a boost in your weight loss.
Day 1
Breakfast
Banana-Almond Breakfast Toast
1 cup fat-free or low-fat milk
Equals 1 fruit, 1 milk, 1 starch, 1 ounce protein, 1 fat
Snack
Baked Apple
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
Equals 1 fruit, 1 milk
Lunch
2 ounces flounder, grilled or broiled
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and sautéed in 2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup cooked whole-grain pasta
1 cup fruit salad
Equals 2 vegetables, 1 fruit, 2 starches, 2 ounces protein, 2 fats
Snack
1 cup celery sticks topped with 4 teaspoons natural peanut butter
Equals 1 vegetable, 2 fats
Dinner
Low-Calorie Chicken Parmesan
Credit: iStockphoto.
This vegetarian chili only takes five minutes of prep time, but then it cooks for 60 minutes. The following recipe makes 6 servings of chili; you can adjust the recipe to feed more or less.
Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/TheCrimsonMonkey 2011
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium green onion, finely chopped
3 large celery ribs, chopped
One 28-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
Chili seasoning (see the following recipe)
4 cups water
2 cups red kidney beans, cooked and drained (or one 16-ounce can, rinsed and drained)
2 cups cannellini beans, cooked and drained (or one 16-ounce can, rinsed and drained)
1 cup black beans, cooked and drained (or one 8-ounce can, rinsed and drained)
1 jalapeño, chopped
In a large stockpot, add olive oil over medium heat.
Belly fat is some pretty scary stuff, so you need to identify whether you’re at risk. Then you have to determine what you can do to decrease your belly fat as much as possible. Your risk isn’t just determined by your weight, however. It’s important to keep the size of your waistline in mind, too.
Even if you’re at a healthy body weight, you may still have too much belly fat.
Your body mass index (BMI) is a formula that takes into account your height versus your weight to determine whether you’re at a healthy weight.
Although BMI can be a fairly reliable indicator of body fat in most people, some exceptions exist. For instance, the NFL player (or other top athlete) with a very high level of muscle mass may have an elevated BMI without actually having a high level of body fat.
Belly Fat Diet
If you’re trying to lose weight and reduce your belly fat, but your husband keeps bringing home pizza every night and your kids are always eating ice cream while you’re in the room, you may find staying on track challenging. To be successful, you may need to recruit support of all kinds, from friends and family, from professionals, and from the Internet.
If you want to fight belly fat, you also have to fight stress. When you’re constantly under stress, your body reacts. And, unfortunately, one of the ways in which your body reacts is to store fat right where you want it the least: in your belly!
Think about your day-to-day routine. What part of it brings on the most stress for you?
Belly Fat Diet
Do you want to double the amount of weight and belly fat you lose? Keeping a food journal is a simple way to do it. Studies have shown that keeping a record of what you eat throughout the day can actually help you lose twice as much weight as someone who doesn’t.
There’s a good reason for this success: It’s easy to lose track of what you’re actually eating in a day, including the actual portions and the small snacks you grab on the run.
Belly Fat Diet
The belly fat diet plan is all about making lifestyle changes you can stick with. Making lifestyle changes you can stick with is really vital to your weight loss success. In fact, it’s really the only way to keep weight off for good. It’s also important to be realistic with the lifestyle changes you make. You need to make sure the changes you do make to your eating and exercise habits are things you can really see yourself doing long term.
Belly Fat Diet
Your waist circumference is one way to determine whether you have an increased amount of fat around your belly and whether you’re at an increased health risk. The National Institutes of Health says that a high waist circumference is associated with an increased risk for health conditions like hypertension, elevated blood lipids, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
Belly Fat Diet
You may find this surprising, but your diet can actually impact your stress levels. The food you eat, how you eat it, and when you eat it can positively or negatively affect your overall stress levels. And if your stress level increases, so can your waistline.
So in the same way that it’s important to get regular physical activity to manage stress, it’s also just as important to focus on eating the right foods (at the right times) to help manage stress.
Chronic inflammation is a condition that causes your body to become inflamed internally due to stresses from internal or external factors. Poor dietary habits and lifestyle choices, such as cigarette smoking, excessive alcohol intake, and sedentary lifestyle, can increase the risk of chronic inflammation.
So if your diet isn’t the greatest and you make some of these poor lifestyle choices, you may have underlying inflammation.
Belly Fat Diet
Almost any person who’s above an ideal weight carries at least some excess weight in the belly. It’s important to understand what body type you are in order to start losing your belly fat once and for all. How this excess weight makes its way to the belly varies depending on the person, his genetics, and his situation.
Belly Fat Diet
Several lifestyle factors are contributing to this country’s ever-growing weights and waistlines. Schedules are getting busier, stress levels are getting higher, and folks aren’t taking the time to properly care for their bodies and minds.
Societal pressures affect belly fat accumulation
When the economy takes a dive, stress levels skyrocket.
Belly Fat Diet
Fruit is great for you, but you do have to keep in mind the glycemic index (GI) of the type you choose. Choosing foods with a lower GI can help promote the loss of belly fat. Most fruits are in the low range on the GI scale, but a few are higher, most specifically watermelon.
Because it has an elevated GI, watermelon may cause spikes in both blood sugar and insulin levels, which can trigger storage of belly fat.
Belly Fat Diet
Level 1 of the Belly Fat Diet Moderation plan is designed to last for two weeks. It helps to banish belly-fat-storing foods from your meal plan while helping you introduce foods that increase metabolism and promote fat loss in the abdomen.
Day 1
Breakfast
Breadless Breakfast Quiche
2 slices 100% whole-grain toast topped with 2 teaspoons olive oil-based spread
Equals 1 vegetable, 2 starches, 2 ounces protein, 3 fats
Snack
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt topped with 1 cup blackberries and 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
Equals 1 milk, 1 fruit, 1 fat
Lunch
Tuna and Salsa Stuffed Pepper
1 medium pear
Equals 1 vegetable, 1 fruit, 2 ounces protein
Snack
6 whole-grain crackers topped with 4 teaspoons natural almond butter
Equals 1 starch, 2 fats
Dinner
8 ounces chicken breast, grilled
10 asparagus spears (5 inches long), steamed
1 small sweet potato topped with 1 teaspoon olive oil-based spread
1 cup low-fat or fat-free milk
Equals 2 vegetables, 1 starchy vegetable, 1 milk, 8 ounces protein, 1 fat
Day 2
Breakfast
Credit: iStockphoto.
Belly Fat Diet
For the first two weeks you're on the Belly Fat Diet Moderation plan, you will stay in Level 1. It is important that after two weeks, you move on to Level 2. Starchy vegetables are considered a separate category in Level 1 to ensure you’re taking in enough nutrients, fiber, and healthy carbohydrates.
Day 1
Breakfast
Breadless Breakfast Quiche
1 slice 100% whole-grain toast topped with 1 teaspoon olive oil-based spread
Equals 1 vegetable, 1 starch, 2 ounces protein, 2 fats
Snack
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt topped with 1 cup blackberries
Equals 1 milk, 1 fruit
Lunch
Tuna and Salsa Stuffed Pepper
1 medium pear
Equals 1 vegetable, 1 fruit, 2 ounces protein
Snack
6 whole-grain crackers topped with 4 teaspoons natural almond butter
Equals 1 starch, 2 fats
Dinner
6 ounces chicken breast, grilled
10 asparagus spears (5 inches long), steamed
1 small sweet potato topped with 1 teaspoon olive oil-based spread
Equals 2 vegetables, 1 starchy vegetable, 6 ounces protein, 1 fat
Day 2
Breakfast
2 eggs, scrambled
1/2 cup diced potatoes, sautéed in nonstick cooking spray
1 cup blueberries
Equals 1 starchy vegetable, 2 ounces protein, 1 fruit
Snack
Belly-Blasting Berry Smoothie
Equals 1 fruit, 1 milk, 1 fat
Lunch
Grilled Chicken Salad
Equals 1.
Belly Fat Diet
At Level 2 of the Belly Fat Diet Moderation plan, your servings of healthy carbohydrates increase slightly, helping you to maintain your energy level and increase variety in your meal plan. These additional healthy carbohydrates also provide you with an increased amount of filling fiber. As your fiber intake gradually increases, your portions of lean protein decrease just slightly.
Belly Fat Diet
You can stay in Level 2 of the Belly Fat Diet Moderation plan until you meet your weight loss goals. Remember that nonstarchy vegetables are unlimited in both Level 1 and Level 2; however, you need to consume at least four servings per day.
Day 1
Breakfast
Banana-Almond Breakfast Toast
1 cup fat-free or low-fat milk
Equals 1 fruit, 1 milk, 1 starch, 1 ounce protein, 1 fat
Snack
Baked Apple
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
Equals 1 fruit, 1 milk
Lunch
2 ounces flounder, grilled or broiled
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and sautéed in 2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup cooked whole-grain pasta
1 cup fruit salad
Equals 2 vegetables, 1 fruit, 1 starch, 2 ounces protein, 2 fats
Snack
1 cup raw celery sticks topped with 4 teaspoons natural peanut butter
Equals 1 vegetable, 2 fats
Dinner
Low-Calorie Chicken Parmesan
1 cup Brussels sprouts, steamed
Equals 2 vegetables, 0.
You can eat fantastic food and avoid adding fat around your midsection (or shrink the belly fat that’s already there). The following nine recipes cover breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even a snack. They provide you with the right balance of calories, protein, fat, and carbohydrates — and they taste good, too!Broccoli and Cheese OmeletThis omelet comes together in less than three minutes!
This pepper steak with vegetables recipe is ready in less than 30 minutes (10 minutes of prep time and 17 minutes of cooking time). The following recipe makes 2 servings. You can make your own steak seasoning to give it a special flare.
Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/Joel Albrizio 2009
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 medium sweet onion, sliced
One 8-ounce flank steak
Steak seasoning (see the following recipe to make your own)
4 cups chopped kale
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
Set your oven to broil, and heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.
Belly Fat Diet
Numerous hormones cycle through your body every day. Some of these hormones, when out of balance, trigger your body to begin storing belly fat, leading to an increase in both subcutaneous fat and visceral fat.
Insulin causes belly fat
Whenever you eat, the food you consume is broken down in your digestive system into small particles that can be used for energy.
Belly Fat Diet
Portion distortion is the phenomenon that occurs when you start to view excessively large portions as the normal servings you should eat. When eating in a restaurant, you can see that portions have been slowly increasing in size. Over the past 20 to 30 years, portions on average have increased dramatically.
Portion Increases in Restaurant Foods
Food
20 years ago
Today
Bagel
3-inch diameter, 140 calories
6-inch diameter, 350 calories
Cheeseburger
4 ounces, 330 calories
8 ounces, 590 calories
Spaghetti
1 cup with 3 small meatballs, 500 calories
2 cups with 3 large meatballs, 1,025 calories
French Fries
2.
Belly Fat Diet
The starch group incorporates everything from breads to cereal to snack foods and even starchy vegetables. The trickiest part with starches is to know how many servings you should eat each day and what a serving size truly is. Limit your intake of refined starches as much as possible.
Credit: ©iStockphoto.com
Belly Fat Diet
Protein is essential to your belly-blasting plan because it helps to keep you full and prevents muscle loss while losing fat mass. However, you need to take in the right amount of protein each day. Taking in too much or too little can sabotage your weight loss efforts.
Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/Lyredmila Suvorova 2009
Except where noted, one serving size of each of the foods in the following tables equals 1 ounce of protein.
Belly Fat Diet
Stress causes your body to release hormones that increase your belly fat. But you can fight back. The next time you’re stressed, you may want to grab an orange. Why? A German study found a direct connection between vitamin C and stress hormones.
This study showed that a diet rich in vitamin C can help reduce stress levels and return blood pressure and the stress hormone cortisol to normal levels after a stressful situation.
Belly Fat Diet
When your body is under stress, it releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. And these hormones, when released into your body on a regular basis, can begin to increase fat storage in your midsection.
Some stress can actually be good for you. It may help you to perform under pressure or give you added motivation to meet a deadline.
Belly Fat Diet
For the Belly Fat Diet plan, the dairy group contains milk and yogurt. Cheese and eggs are included in the protein group. Consuming adequate dairy during the day is essential to making sure you’re taking in adequate amounts of CLA, calcium, vitamin D, and protein to meet nutritional requirements and help you burn fat.
Belly Fat Diet
Fats play a critical role in your Belly Fat Diet plan. In fact, some fats even help to burn belly fat. The fats in this table are divided into two groups so you can easily identify which fats are best for your belly and which fats can pack on the fat. You can now easily determine what portion is equal to one serving of fat.
Belly Fat Diet
Progressive muscle relaxation, a stress-relieving technique, sounds complicated, but it’s actually very simple. It involves focusing on each muscle group and slowly tensing and relaxing each muscle to help you calm and decompress. This technique forces you to focus on the difference between the tense muscle and the relaxed muscle, helping you become more aware of physical sensations and thus able to relax and release tension.
Efficiently metabolizing calories can lead to a healthier body weight and a reduction in belly fat. Metabolism is the process by which the body makes and uses energy (calories) for everything from the cellular absorption of nutrients to running a marathon.
In other words, the better your metabolism, the more calories you burn throughout the day.
Pork tenderloin is a great lean-protein alternative to the standard chicken dinner, and it contains much less saturated fat than many cuts of beef. This pork tenderloin dish takes 10 minutes of prep time and 45 minutes to cook. The following recipe yields 4 servings.
Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/Greg Nicholas 2006
Nonstick cooking spray
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups fresh kale or spinach
One 1-pound pork tenderloin
2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, quartered
2 large carrots, sliced
2 large sweet onions, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Belly Fat Diet
When eaten on a regular basis, foods with anti-inflammatory properties can help reduce inflammation in the body, helping to prevent the long-term health consequences associated with it — but only if you also eliminate the foods that cause inflammation. When inflammation is under control, not only will you have more energy and feel better overall, but you’ll also find that weight loss and reduction of belly fat both become easier!
This shrimp stir-fry recipe is so versatile! Instead of shrimp, you can make it with tofu, chicken, or even beans. The following recipe serves four, and requires 30 minutes of prep time and 15 minutes to cook.
Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/Kelly Cline 2006
16 ounces shrimp, peeled, deveined, rinsed, and patted dry
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3 tablespoons low-sodium teriyaki sauce, divided
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped scallions
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup shelled edamame
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon chia seeds
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 cups cooked brown rice
Place the shrimp, black pepper, salt, cayenne pepper, ginger, and 2 tablespoons of the teriyaki sauce into a small bowl.
Belly Fat Diet
The Belly Fat Diet isn’t your typical temporary diet — it’s a lifestyle. If the changes you make while following your belly-fat-fighting plan become a lifestyle, those changes become ingrained within you. You won’t begin a pattern of yo-yo dieting, where you lose weight only to regain it rapidly.
Instead, when you focus on making small, gradual changes that you can stick with, these changes become part of your typical routine — or lifestyle — and you won’t be tempted to revert to your old behaviors.
Belly Fat Diet
Your success in loosing belly fat hinges on stocking up on belly fat busting foods and having them on hand at all times. Not only does this help save you time, but it’s much easier to stay on track when you’re surrounded by healthy choices.
The pantry is a great place to stock up on nonperishables with belly-flattening benefits.
Belly Fat Diet
To stick with your belly fat diet plan and achieve your goal of losing weight, you can stock up on perishable food items so you can always pull together a quick meal when the need strikes. Here are some perishable staples that can keep you full without expanding your waistline:
Whole eggs and liquid egg whites: Whether you eat them alone or add them to recipes, eggs are a fantastic source of complete protein.
Some behaviors can actually help to shrink your waistline and help you keep weight off for good. Here are ten of the best behaviors to start incorporating today to lose weight and banish belly fat for good.
Deep Breathing: Stress can pack on belly fat and lead to a host of medical issues if not controlled. One of the quickest ways to reduce your stress levels and bring stress hormones (the ones that trigger belly fat storage when elevated for long periods of time) back to normal is by deep breathing.
Just as many foods have the potential to shrink belly fat, quite a few others can bloat your belly. These belly bloaters work in different ways. Some can increase gas in your stomach, making your abdomen look and feel distended.Even though this bloating is only temporary, it can still be uncomfortable and make your pants feel quite snug around your waistline.
Belly-bloating foods work in different ways. Some things you eat can increase gas in your stomach, making your abdomen look and feel distended. Even though this bloating is only temporary, it can still be uncomfortable and make your pants feel quite snug around your waistline. Other foods can lead to long-term belly bloat from increased visceral fat storage.
If you are ready to burn off belly fat and make lifestyle changes that will help you maintain a healthy weight, the belly fat diet plan can help. The belly fat diet plan isn’t some crazy fad, it’s a comprehensive plan. These are the main principles of the belly fat diet plan (which you should follow for a lifetime):
Eat!
Heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fats have been found in research to help shrink belly fat. They also can help cut stress levels and reduce stress hormones, further reducing belly fat.
Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce belly fat
Omega-3 fatty acids are a powerful fat with many anti-inflammatory properties.
Some fruits play a more powerful role in shrinking belly fat than others. All fruits contain health benefits, such as providing you with large amounts of disease- and inflammation-fighting antioxidants. The following are some of the most powerful belly-fighting fruits and why you want to eat them.
Eat blueberries to fight belly fat
Blueberries may be small, but they’re powerhouses!
Looking down and seeing your belly fat is obviously less than desirable in the looks category. But, increased visceral fat around your abdomen can also be dangerous to your health. It can increase your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and even certain cancers.
Insulin resistance can be triggered by insulin resistance
Insulin resistance occurs when the cells of the body have a decreased ability to respond to insulin.
The results you get from transitioning to a belly-fat-fighting lifestyle won’t just be on the scale and in the mirror. Your insides will thank you as well. A belly-fat-fighting lifestyle helps improve your energy levels and overall health. Doing so truly benefits you from the inside out!
Because visceral fat increases the risk of insulin resistance, it also increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Protein plays a critical role in weight loss and maintenance. By preserving and building lean muscle tissue and increasing the number of calories you burn during digestion, protein can help increase the amount of energy (in calories) you expend each day, promoting weight loss. It also helps to fight off hunger.
You’re can take some main steps to help you can shrink your waistline and become a healthier version of yourself. If you embark on the Belly Fat Diet, or any healthy lifestyle change, keep the following lifestyle principles in mind.Eat more to lose more.One of the main principles of the Belly Fat Diet is that you have to eat more.
Belly Fat Diet
Traveling can make it pose special challenges to dieters. Eating at restaurants can make it hard stick with your belly fat diet plan. Depending on when and where you’re traveling, you may face challenges like these:
Being tempted by the hotel vending machine
Changing your eating times or schedule
Eating out often if staying in a hotel
Having difficulty fitting in regular exercise
Having to eat on the road or in the car
Needing to find healthy meals and snacks at the airport
It’s so easy to get off track when you’re up against these challenges, but if you plan ahead and prepare yourself before you leave, you can easily stay the course and prevent slip-ups.
When you are on a diet to lose belly fat, you may be making a few common mistakes when you attend social events. And making these mistakes means you’ll be facing even greater challenges. So avoid doing the following, and you’ll be on your way to sailing through the next social event:
Getting too hungry: Don’t ever let yourself get too hungry (whether you’re at home or at an event).
Belly Fat Diet
The Belly Fat Diet Gradual-Change plan is very much like it sounds: It allows you to make small changes over time that lead to big results. Not everyone is ready to jump in with both feet when starting a weight loss program. And there’s nothing wrong with that! Slowly making changes over time is a great way to make permanent lifestyle changes that help you keep the weight off for good.
Belly Fat Diet
The Moderation plan provides a steady and significant rate of weight loss. This plan focuses on making realistic, healthy changes to your dietary habits that you can stick with for life. The Moderation plan provides a balance of healthy carbohydrates, lean proteins, and belly-fighting fats that keep you feeling full and satisfied while losing pounds and trimming off body fat.
Belly Fat Diet
This weight loss plan is the strictest of the three Belly Fat Diet plans, and it’s not for everyone. This plan was developed to help the resistant dieter. This person struggles to lose even 1 or 2 pounds and feels she gains weight just by looking at food. This plan is also for the person who wants to see progress and see it quickly.
Belly Fat Diet
The plan is perfect for the man who wants quick and permanent results. Level 1 is designed to last for only two weeks. At the end of these two weeks, you want to move into Level 2.
Day 1
Breakfast
Breadless Breakfast Quiche, 2 servings
Equals 2 vegetables, 4 ounces protein, 2 fats
Snack
1 cup lowfat plain yogurt topped with 1 cup blackberries
Equals 1 milk, 1 fruit
Lunch
Tuna and Salsa Stuffed Pepper, 2 servings
Equals 2 vegetables, 4 ounces protein
Snack
Credit: ©iStockphoto.
Belly Fat Diet
This level of the Turbocharged Belly Fat Diet plan, which comprises the first two weeks of the plan, focuses on reducing your intake of carbohydrates while increasing your intake of lean protein.
Day 1
Breakfast
Breadless Breakfast Quiche
Equals 1 vegetable, 2 ounces protein, 1 fat
Snack
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt topped with 1 cup blackberries
Equals 1 milk, 1 fruit
Lunch
Tuna and Salsa Stuffed Pepper, 2 servings
Equals 2 vegetables, 4 ounces protein
Snack
18 almonds
Equals 3 fats
Dinner
6 ounces chicken breast, grilled
Credit: iStockphoto.
Belly Fat Diet
Level 2 of the Turbocharged plan increases your intake of healthy carbohydrates to ensure adequate energy throughout your weight loss efforts. The added carbs also increase your food options to encourage variety with your meal plan and prevent boredom. As healthy carbohydrates are reintroduced, protein and fat intake decrease slightly.
Belly Fat Diet
After spending a couple of weeks at Level 1 of the Turbocharged Belly Fat Diet plan, it's time to take it to the next level. Level 2 increases your intake of healthy carbohydrates to ensure adequate energy throughout your weight loss efforts. Depending on your age, activity level, and weight loss progress, you may choose to stay in Level 2 of your Turbocharged plan until you reach your weight loss goals.
This turkey burger with sweet potato fries requires 15 minutes of prep and then cooks for 45–60 minutes. Top your burger with belly fighters like avocado, or add a metabolism kick by tossing spices like cayenne pepper into your burgers before cooking.
Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/InnerShadows 2011
1 pound ground 98% fat-free turkey breast
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons diced shallots
1/4 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
Four 100% whole-wheat hamburger buns
In a large bowl, mix together the ground turkey, garlic, olive oil, shallots, breadcrumbs, vinegar, black pepper, and rosemary.
Belly fat, also known as visceral fat, is considered the most harmful form of fat in your body. This type of fat has been linked with everything from insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes to an increased risk for certain cancers.
You may be surprised to find out that even if you’re relatively slim, you can still have a high percentage of body fat, particularly in your midsection.
Before you embark on the Belly Fat Diet or on any plan to reduce weight or improve your health, you probably want to know why you're doing something and how it works.
How the Belly Fat Diet reduces insulin response
Have you tried to lose weight before but struggled with constant hunger and cravings, which made it impossible to continue your diet?
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