Struggling to Lose Belly Fat? Here are the dos and don’ts

/
 
 

How do I get rid of extra belly fat? That’s one of the questions I get asked most often. Unfortunately there is not one way to target fat in a specific area, toning your body takes a combination of a balanced diet and regular exercise.

This means that if you are just focusing on doing 50 sit-ups a day, you aren’t going to achieve what you are after, although you will start to develop some strong abdominal muscles!

As women, our bodies tend to change slightly over the course of a month with hormone levels fluctuating and the tendency to retain water at different times. This is normal! Some women experience water retention more than others and there are ways in which you can reduce this, such as avoiding salty foods and incorporating some natural diuretics into your diet such as green tea, parsley and celery.

But if toning your belly is something you are focusing on, then here are some tips on what to do, and what not do, to help you achieve your goals:

What To Do:

  • Eat a healthy balanced diet– Make sure that you are getting all the nutrients you need, without consuming more calories than you will use and expend in a day. If you want to burn existing fat, then you are going to have to work a little harder to burn off extra calories.

  • Exercise regularly and mix it up– In order to shed and tone, you need to be exercising on a daily basis. The most effective way to achieve the results you are after is incorporating a number of different forms of exercise into your weekly regime. Try incorporating some kettlebell workouts, with some jogging or cycling as well as some core focused workouts.

  • Incorporate some relaxation into your day– Stress is a huge factor when it comes to weight gain, so try to make time for a bit of relaxation. Try a yoga class, go for a quiet walk on your own, or put on your favorite music and dance around your living room!

What To Avoid:

  • Skipping breakfast– This is a really important meal for getting your digestive system working, kick starting your metabolism and also fueling you with the energy needed to get up and start your day! – It is also important to note here that people who skip breakfast are more likely to become hungry quickly and opt for a quick unhealthy snack!

  • Skimping on sleep– Sleep is a really important when it comes to regulating your body’s hormones, building and repairing muscle, supporting the many systems of the body and resetting your brain for the next day. Without sleep you will become stressed and fatigued, both of which will only contribute to weight gains.

  • Focusing on resistance training only– Core workouts are excellent for strengthening and toning your core and should be part of your weekly workout regime, however endurance training, such as jogging, sprinting, cycling, swimming and HIIT cardio classes, are key for burning off calories and helping you trim the fat off of your belly.