With all of the lose-weight-quick scams that are on the market today, it's easy for any consumer to become frustrated. When products promise fast results with little work on your part, and yet you still don't lose weight, you may begin to wonder what you can do to lose that muffin top you call a belly. Summer's just around the corner and you want to wear a two-piece bathing suit or swim trunks without the big shirt covering your unflattering figure. If you really want to know how to get rid of belly fat and keep it off, then keep reading. Fat loss is never an easy job; however with some determination and effort on your part, it can be done. Here are some tips you should incorporate into your exercise and nutrition program for long-term successful weight loss and to gain the flat stomach you've always wanted.
1: You must "clean-up" your nutrition. Abs are made in the kitchen. Pay attention to ingredients such as corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, brown sugar syrup, hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated fats, fructose, sucrose, glucose, dextrose, or anything else ending in " -ose". Limit your intake of fruit juices, anything processed that usually is found in a bag or box, fatty meats, and whole fat dairy; also monitor your sodium intake.
2: You need fat! Just make sure it's healthy fat. Unsaturated fats such as those found in avocados, cold-water fish, nuts, seeds, olive oil, flaxseed oil, and dark chocolate have been shown through research to increase the body's fat-burning capacity, especially in the abdomen area. However, you still need saturated fat; general recommendations usually suggest 7% of dietary intake daily.
3: You need carbs. Decrease your intake of starchy carbs and fruits, and increase your intake of vegetable carbs. Eating too many fruits can raise fructose levels too high and are more readily converted to fat than glucose. Starchy carbs, even whole grain starches, are calorie-dense and raise blood sugar levels very quickly, increasing fat storage. Moreover, like sodium, they also store water. On the other hand, most fibrous vegetables act as diuretics, which helps to keep water weight off while adding fiber to the diet improving satiety.
4: Perform weight-based interval training 2-3 days per week. This is best described as full-body weight exercises with heavy weights combined with sprint-based cardio drills instead of low-intensity cardio in your workout. Therefore, you have the muscle-building benefits of resistance training and the cardiovascular benefits of cardio in a 30-45 minute workout. These workouts are designed to boost metabolism, burn calories, and blast belly fat.
5: Short, intense spurts work best for weight loss, specifically fat loss. This rule coincides with rule #4. High-intensity spurts use more carbs than fat during workouts. The more carbs you use during the workout, the fat that has to be used during recovery after. Use a variety of high-intensity work and rest periods ranging from 30-60 seconds. The 30-60 second range elicits the greatest growth hormone release (a powerful fat-burning AND muscle-building hormone) and metabolic response needed to boost post-workout metabolism and burn calories for hours after the workout.
6: You should perform 2-3 days per week of high-intensity interval training. One study showed that 45 minutes of low-intensity cardio (brisk walk through the park) performed 5 days per week had no effect over dieting alone when it came to fat loss. On the other hand, there have been interval training studies conducted that showed superior results over low-intensity cardio; however, some of these studies used a mix of interval training and steady-state training. Both are needed to prevent overtraining and to get maximum results. High-intensity interval training has been shown to elevate growth hormone and catecholamine levels for hours after the workout. Research has also shown it to better target abdominal fat and visceral fat over steady-state or low-intensity cardio. Even though low-intensity cardio burns proportionately more fat than high-intensity cardio during the workout, high-intensity exercise burns more total calories per minute. This means more total fat calories are burned as well.
7: You must do more abdominal exercises than crunches. Crunches work the abdominal muscles in isolation, and trains the abs to flex instead of stabilize the spine. Moreover, crunches are not intense enough to elicit a metabolic response to burn fat. You must use functional exercises that train the abs throughout such as squats, planks, push-ups, pull-ups, deadlifts, and exercise variations using a stability ball. These exercises create the metabolic response needed to blast belly fat and total body fat.
When you want to blast belly fat, you must use functional multi-joint exercises performed at a high-intensity and utilizing short work and rest periods. Mixing in high-intensity sprint-based drills with your weight training only adds to the fat-burning effects of the workout. Also remember that you cannot out-do a bad diet. You must consume whole, unprocessed foods and stay away from fat and sugar-filled foods. With discipline and perseverance, you can achieve the flat belly that you desire.
Pamela Brown
http://peak2successfitness.com/
Personal Trainer and Fitness Consultant
Pamela Brown, owner of Peak 2 Success Fitness, specializes in lifestyle and weight management programming for those who desire a total body transformation. She works in both one-on-one and group settings educating and training people who want the lean, toned body that they desire, as well as those who are recovering from orthopedic injuries or surgeries after release from medical care. She has a Master's degree in Human Performance Studies from the University of Alabama as well as three personal training certifications from the American College of Sports Medicine, National Strength and Conditioning Association, and the American Association of Health, Fitness, and Rehabilitation Professionals. If you want to learn updated, current, and effective training and nutrition methods and tools that will help you achieve your goals, please visit http://peak2successfitness.com/ and subscribe!