LET'S BURN THAT FAT!
But first, it won't be out of place to let you in on some little-known causes of stomach fat in the first place.
CAUSES OF BELLY FAT
Besides the obvious 'eating too much', there a couple of other reasons you might be having stomach fat problems.
Here are some of them:
2. HORMONAL IMBALANCE
yes! There is a big connection between Hormone levels and belly fat.
For example, an increase in levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, leads to an increase in fat storage in the belly.
Because high cortisol level causes a drop in testosterone & insulin sensitivity and an increases blog sugar & insulin levels. Both of these imbalance causes more fat to be stored around the belly.
Also another hormonal imbalance example is the one that happens when a woman enters menopause.
The drastic drop in her estrogen levels, during this period causes more fat to be stored in the belly, rather than on the hips and thighs.
2. CONSUMING A LOT OF ALCOHOL
It's a well-established fact that too much drinking of alcohol can cause an increase in belly fat.
And there are several studies to back up this. If you drink often, just cutting down on alcohol can lead to a significant decrease in your stomach fat.
3. POOR NUTRITION AND MALNUTRITION
Poor nutrition and malnutrition can cause serious belly fat.
For example, an extreme deficiency in dietary protein leads to Kwashiorkor ( an Illness that cause the stomach to swell abnormally)
Also, other health issues like fibroid and other causes swelling of the stomach.
Now we know some of the causes of belly fat, the next Important thing I want to cover is some familiar costly mistake most people trying to lose belly fat make.
MISTAKES OFTEN MADE
1. THE WRONG WEIGHT LOSS DIET
Many people follow some crash or weird weight loss diet to lose their belly fat.
Of course, following those kinds of diet religiously would cause you to lose weight but not much fat.
That is, you'll lose little fat and plenty of temporary water weight and lean muscle mass.
And in no time, you'll end back with all the stomach fat and sadly even more
2. TOO MUCH CARDIO
Cardio is good but too much can be very stressful on the body.
And as you know, stress can lead to hormonal imbalance in the body.
3. NOT ENGAGING IN A CALORIC DEFICIT
If you do every other thing right including eating healthy, exercising and so on and you're not in a caloric deficit (i.e consuming fewer calories than your body needs) then you won't be seeing any results for your effort.
DIET FOR A FLAT TUMMY
To lose belly fat quickly, here are the types of foods that should make up your diet
1. PROTEINOUS FOOD
As you might be aware, protein is the most important macronutrient when it comes to losing weight.
Because protein foods keep you full longer, reduces cravings, boost your metabolism and help preserve lean muscle mass
That's not all, One research study revealed that people who ate more high-quality protein foods had way less belly fat.
Another interesting study revealed that protein intake was linked to a lowered risk of belly fat gain over a 5 years period
Some Nigerian foods high in quality protein include Egg, fish, Chicken, etc.
2. FIBRE RICH CARBOHYDRATES
No, carbs are not the enemy.
Especially carbs rich in dietary soluble and viscous fibre.
These fibres slow down digestions and improve absorption of nutrients. Which can help keep you full longer and reduce your cravings.
These fibres are can also be effective in cutting down harmful belly fat.
A 5-year long study showed a 3.7% decrease in the amount of fat in the abdominal cavity was linked to consuming 10g of soluble fibre daily.
These fibres can be found in most Nigerian vegetables and fruits, as well as legumes (like beans ) and grains (like Oats).
The beans works like magic which is why it's my favourite 😫
3. OMEGA-3 RICH FATS
Foods rich in healthy fats in general not only taste delicious but help you lose weight when consumed in moderate amount.
Some studies have suggested that omega-3 fatty acid, in particular, helps reduce the "more dangerous" type of belly fat (Visceral fat).
Some studies showed that fish oil supplement (they contain a significant amount of omega 3) significantly lowered the amount of liver and abdominal fat in people with fatty liver disease.
Nigerian foods rich in omega-3 are mostly fatty fish (like salmon, sardines, mackerel, etc) and nuts (like walnuts)
Now, you know what kinds of foods to make up the majority of your Nigerian diet for a flat stomach, the next (equally important) things you need to know are;
Foods To Avoid For A Flat Stomach
1. PROCESS/REFINED CARBOHYDRATES
Highly processed carbs have been stripped off most of their fibre content leaving behind just plain sugar. And consuming them causes rise insulin and blood sugar level.
Which can, over time, leads to an increase in belly fat (including visceral fat, the most harmful kind of belly fat located inside your organs in your stomach).
There are two kinds of belly fat:
1. Visceral: This fat surrounds your organs.
2. Subcutaneous: This is fat sits underneath your skin.
Excess visceral fat is more harmful than excess subcutaneous fat.
Reduce intake in processed carbs and replace them with whole foods or less processed foods.
2. SOFT DRINKS
Soft drinks are packed with liquid fructose (sugar), which can easily cause belly fat.
Soft drinks are said to be even worst than high-sugar foods because they are quicker to digest and easier consume more at a goal.
Studies show that Sugary beverages lead to increased fat in the liver. A 10-week long study showed that people who consumed soft drinks high in fructose had a significant increase in belly fat than those who didn't.
To lose the belly fat, you'll have to, as much as possible, avoid soft drinks including diet sodas.
Diet soda drinkers have a higher percentage of belly fat than those who don’t drink it, a study in the journal Obesity found.
3. FRUIT JUICE
As heart breaking as this sounds, drinking fruit juice is not the same as eating fruits.
Fruit juices are just disguised sugary drinks. They also fall under processed carbs.
Frequent drinking of fruit juice can also lead to an increase in belly fat.
Eat your fruit Instead. And if you must drink your fruit, make a smoothie.
4. VEGETABLE OILS
They cause hormonal imbalances, inflammation and Insulin Resistance. All of which encourages fat to be stored around the belly area.
Use good oils like coconut oil, virgin olive oil, avocado oil and palm oil.
IMPORTANT TIPS TO HELP IN LOOSING THAT FAT!
Once the basics are out of the way, here are some extra tip that can give you a significant hand in shredding those belly fat...
1. AVOID SUGAR
As I already pointed out, numerous studies have shown that excess sugar can lead to an increase in the accumulation of fat in both the tummy and liver.
So stay away from adding refined sugar to your foods.
2. REDUCE STRESS LEVEL
Stress can trigger you to store belly fat.
Because stress encourages the adrenal glands to produce cortisol, the stress hormone.
And as we know it, high cortisol levels can lead to an increase in belly fat storage.
So, try to keep stress under control and practice proper stress management.
3. GET ENOUGH SLEEP
Good sleep is not only important for many aspects of your health, but also important in dealing with excess body fat (including belly fat).
In fact, several studies have shown a direct correlation between sleep quality and excess fat.
Like this 16-year study on 68,000 women found that those who slept less than 5 hours per night were significantly more likely to gain weight than those who slept 7 hours (or more) per night
In essence, to get rid of excess fat, try to get at least 7 hours of deep sleep. And try to always sleep before midnight for better quality sleep.
4. MOVE! MY FRIENDS, MOVE!
Moving more is cheat code to prevent and drop some serious weight (including belly fat).
One research study linked an 0.05-inch (0.13-cm) increase in the waistline for every 5-minute increment of sedentary behaviour ( i.e sitting or reclining)
You don't always have to wait for exercise time before your move. Make the conscious effort to move more even it requires to set an alarm that goes off every now and then to remind you.
5. BE PATIENT
For the majority of people, their belly is the first part that starts increasing when they are starting to gain weight.
So it only makes sense that your belly fat will be the last to go when you start losing weight.
In essence, you have to be patient.
