Belly Fat Diet Articles

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-23-2022

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. Sadly, more individuals today are overweight than not, so something needs to change. You can adopt simple, effective strategies and lifestyle changes, such as eating the right foods that burn belly fat and avoiding the foods that cause belly bloat to shrink belly fat and improve how you look. Start on your way to a leaner silhouette by watching Losing Belly Fat and Bloat.

Step by Step / Updated 12-09-2019

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.

Article / Updated 11-04-2018

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. Other foods bloat the belly by causing your body to hold on to fluid, giving you that puffy look and feel. You especially want to avoid belly bloat when you’re trying to look your best, such as for an upcoming event like a wedding or party. Some instant belly-bloating foods to avoid in your diet include the following: Carbonated beverages: These gassy drinks fill your belly with air, causing your stomach to look distended and bloated. Instead, drink water or calorie-free beverages that are rich in antioxidants, such as unsweetened green tea with a squeeze of fresh lemon. Gassy vegetables: Vegetables that increase gas production, such as cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts, can cause your stomach to look and feel distended due to a buildup of gas in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. But you don’t have to give up these vegetables entirely. If you slowly increase your portions of these vegetables over the course of a few weeks, versus all at once, it allows your body to adjust to them, helping to produce less gas during digestion. When eating these gassier options, also be sure to cook them thoroughly (raw vegetables can produce even more gas). Gum: Chewing gum may trigger you to swallow air, which can bloat your belly and cause it to look distended. And even though sugar-free gum may sound like a better choice, it actually contains a high amount of sugar alcohols. These alcohols are only partially digested in your body, so they can lead to gas, bloating, and GI upset — all things that cause your belly to look and feel bloated. If you do want to chew gum, try to limit yourself to only one or two pieces per day. High-sugar drinks: Drinking a large amount of simple sugars through drinks can lead to spikes in insulin levels. Because an increase in insulin promotes increased fat storage in the abdominal area, you want to avoid these high-sugar drinks. Instead, choose calorie-free beverages, such as water or unsweetened green tea. Or try this lightly flavored, belly-slimming beverage: Freeze 100 percent fruit juice in an ice cube tray. After the juice cubes are frozen, you can pop one into 12 ounces of water. The juice will slowly melt, infusing the water with all-natural flavor with none of the bloat and only a small number of calories. Trans fats: Studies have shown that the intake of trans fats can promote an increase in belly fat. So carefully screen your foods by looking for the words “partially-hydrogenated oil” in the ingredient list. If you see this term, the food you’re selecting contains a source of trans fats. It’s best to avoid foods with trans fats or partially-hydrogenated oils. Foods most likely to contain these belly-busting ingredients include baked goods and pastries, commercially fried foods, snack foods like chips and microwave popcorn, and some instant coffee drinks. Be sure to look at the ingredient list, not just the number of grams of trans fats listed on the Nutrition Facts Panel. Foods can list 0 grams of trans fats if they contain less than half a gram per serving. Less than half a gram sounds fairly harmless, but if you eat multiple servings, you’re still taking in a significant source of trans fats. In fact, research has shown that as little as 2 grams of trans fats can be detrimental to your health, so read those ingredient lists carefully! White flour: Foods that list white flour or enriched flour as the first ingredient are mainly made up of refined carbohydrates. These carbs are digested very quickly, causing spikes in both insulin and blood sugar levels, promoting increased fat storage in the abdominal area. Choose whole-grain options instead. Make sure the first ingredient listed is a whole grain, such as oats or whole wheat. Be cautious when reading labels. Even if a label says “enriched wheat flour” or “wheat flour,” it’s still a refined flour. You want to see the word “whole” in front of the ingredient, such as “whole-wheat flour,” to ensure you’re getting a true whole grain.

Article / Updated 11-04-2018

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. Aim for a minimum of 30 grams of fiber daily. Fiber provides you with a sense of satiety without any calories. Increasing your fiber intake helps stabilize blood sugar, control cravings, and prevent overeating — all things that help promote weight loss and flatten your belly. Consume an adequate amount of healthy fat each day. Don’t worry. Dietary fat doesn’t equal belly fat. In fact, it’s actually the opposite! Healthy fats in the diet, mainly monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids, have been shown to help promote a decrease in belly fat. But portion control is still key here. Even though these fats are healthy, they’re still rich in calories. Consume an adequate amount of lean protein. Lean proteins — which include animal proteins like chicken breast and fish as well as plant-based proteins like tofu and beans — are what make up the majority of your muscle. Without enough dietary protein each day, you may begin to lose muscle mass as you lose weight, which can slow your metabolism. Protein, like fats and fiber, is a nutrient that is slowly digested, helping to regulate appetite and control hunger. Include a source of lean protein at each meal to help you feel satisfied and avoid cravings. Increase your intake of whole fruits and vegetables. Vegetables and fruits are not only rich in filling fiber, but they’re also loaded with antioxidants and phytochemicals. Certain antioxidants, such as vitamin C, have been linked with reducing belly fat by helping to regulate stress hormones in the body. They’re also rich in minerals like potassium, which helps to expel excess water from the body, slimming the belly. Drink water. Drinking at least 8 cups of water per day helps keep you hydrated, gives you increased energy, and helps prevent water retention that can bloat your belly. Drinking adequate amounts of fluid also helps with appetite regulation, promoting weight loss.

Step by Step / Updated 04-11-2017

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! Try adding anti-inflammatory foods into your meal plan on a daily basis. The more often you eat these foods, the less inflammation that will be present in your body. The following foods and nutrients can fight inflammation:

Step by Step / Updated 04-11-2017

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. Other foods, due to their nutritional content, can lead to long-term belly bloat from increased visceral fat storage. See also Fighting Belly Fat by Eating the Right Foods, An Overview of the Belly Fat Diet, and Belly Fat Diet For Dummies Cheat Sheet.

Step by Step / Updated 04-10-2017

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!

Article / Updated 03-10-2017

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. But at a certain point, stress crosses from being healthy to being detrimental. Everyone has a different stress threshold, and your tolerance to stress depends on many things. You may be able to handle a larger amount of stress If you have a strong support system around you If you have a positive outlook on life If you know a stressful situation will present itself and you’ve prepared for it If you know how to calm yourself and self-soothe You need to be on the lookout for stress overload, or the point at which stress can become both mentally and physically damaging. The figure shows some common symptoms caused by stress overload. The more symptoms you display, the closer you may be to experiencing stress overload. Learning strategies to reduce and manage stress is important for preventing negative health effects. Managing your stress is all about taking charge. If you start to take control of your emotions as well as your environment, schedules, and any other factors that may bring on stress, you can start to manage stress in a healthy way. Be proactive. If you can change a stressful situation before it happens or while it’s happening, do it. (However, if you can’t change it, make sure to focus on yourself and those things you can control.) Also, make time every day to relax, rest, and unwind from the stressors of the day. Even if the stress in your life seems out of control, you can control the way you respond to it, which can make all the difference. With practice, you’ll be able to better identify stressors in your life, be able to better handle them, and be able to better control the situation causing them. Doing so gives you more confidence that you can face these stressors and challenges, which in itself can help to reduce the overall stress you feel inside. As your levels of stress and anxiety decrease, the stress hormones your body releases also start to decline, helping you to shed excess weight around the middle.

Step by Step / Updated 03-01-2017

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. Your new habits become your new way of life, and they will likely stick around for good.

Step by Step / Updated 03-27-2016

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. To help reduce stress no matter what the situation and no matter where you are, start practicing belly breathing. You can master this simple technique quickly with just a little practice. To practice belly breathing, follow these steps: