How to lose belly: 14 tips to show off a slim figure.

Tips and strategies to lose those extra pounds and be healthier.

One of the most common reasons why people decide to join the gym is the goal of showing off their body and losing those extra pounds. Sport is healthy, improves our wellbeing, produces many physical and psychological benefits and is also ideal for getting a better figure. and it is also ideal for achieving a slim figure..

Unfortunately, misinformation and false myths can lead people not to benefit from physical training aimed at reducing fat tissue, causing them to become demotivated at the first sign of change. When after a few weeks it is verified that the layer of fat that covers the body has not decreased, the demotivation can make us renounce to continue betting on healthy habits.

• Recommended article: "The 10 psychological benefits of practicing physical exercise".

Tips for losing belly fat

Losing belly fat can be a slow process depending on the percentage of body fat an individual possesses, and this dynamic involves physical, psychological and nutritional variables that are not always taken into account.In this dynamic there are physical, psychological and nutritional variables that are not always taken into account.

Below you can find different strategies that can help you achieve a slim body.

1. Be realistic

Irrational beliefs and unrealistic expectations lead to frustration and demotivation.. It is possible to find many articles on the internet and some fitness magazines that claim that it is possible to achieve a 10 body in four, six or eight weeks... This is totally false!

The fat loss process will be a more or less long process depending on the percentage of body fat we have and, therefore, the supposed "miracle" workouts can only work with people who have been exercising for a long time and their body fat percentage is low.

2. Beware of dieting

It is also common that some individuals want to go on special diets to lose weight and end up frustrated when they do not achieve the desired results in the time they had estimated. Weight loss diets should be oriented towards a constant and lasting evolution, not an abrupt one.not abruptly, because, otherwise, a rebound effect could occur.

It is more appropriate to adopt healthy eating habits in which protein, low-fat dairy products, fruit, vegetables, whole-grain products and foods containing monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats (such as nuts or fish) are consumed.

3. The importance of calories

What we eat is important, but if our goal is to lose fat to get a flat stomach, then it is necessary to burn more calories than we consume..

In other words, dietary control is a key variable in reducing fat tissue. This is known as energy imbalance, a term made popular by Donnelly and Smith. According to them, and for a person to lose weight, it is essential that caloric expenditure exceeds food intake.

4. Do cardio

And how can we increase caloric expenditure? Regular physical exercise is an effective strategy. Now, it's all well and good to hit the gym and do some weights, but if you want to reduce your waist circumference you're going to have to do cardio. So if you want a flat stomach, go for a run on the beach or get on your bike and put in some miles. I'm sure your body will notice.

5. Grab the dumbbells and do weights.

Cardiovascular exercise is ideal for burning calories during sports.. However, strength training can also be a good way to lose those extra pounds and achieve a flat stomach, as Frimel, Sinacore and Villarreal state in a study published in 2008.

Strength training may not produce as much energy expenditure during the session, but it increases caloric expenditure after the session by increasing sympathetic system activity, and by increasing muscle mass, there is an increase in resting basal metabolism as well as a reduction in hepatic lipogenesis, conclude Strasser, Arvandi and Siebert in other research conducted in 2012. Weight circuits are ideal for burning fat and increasing muscle mass.

6. Mixed exercise, the best alternative

Both forms of physical exercise (cardio and strength) provide many benefits and are ideal for achieving a slim figure. However, combined training is more beneficial than if only one of these forms of exercise is used..

Regarding the impact of physical training on body mass and fat, research by L.H. Willis, which was conducted in 2012, proved the effects of mixed training brings greater benefits than strength and aerobic endurance training separately.

7. Increase your NEAT

If we want to burn calories, physical exercise is ideal to achieve this; however, it is important to note that physical activity only accounts for 15-30% of total caloric of total caloric expenditure, as thermogenesis (the energy expended by consuming food) and basal metabolism, i.e. the energy needed to keep vital organs functioning, account for 10-15% and 50-70% of total caloric expenditure respectively.

One of the best ways to increase basal metabolism is in NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermometer).Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis). This is a scientific term to describe the daily activities associated with calories burned, in other words, it is the physical activity performed with any movement made without the purpose of sport. For example, climbing stairs, domestic activities, walking to work, etc. This should make you think about the need for an active lifestyle. Next time you go home, don't take the elevator; and if you go to work, don't get in the car and use the bicycle.

8. Reduce your salt and sugar intake (and refined products).

Reducing salt and sugar consumption does not mean that you should eat bland foods, but to lose belly (and to enjoy a better state of health in general) it is advisable to reduce this consumption. What is the reason for reducing salt and sugar? Excessive salt consumption is responsible for fluid retention and consequent weight gain.while sugar consumption increases insulin levels.

What does it mean that insulin increases?

In recent years, the consumption of refined carbohydrates and sugary products (with a high glycemic index) has increased. Carbohydrates are a fundamental energy source, especially when they are slow-absorbing carbohydrates (e.g., from whole grains). Carbohydrates are processed by our body to generate glucose, which is energy that our body uses to function.

However, in high doses, however, glucose is not at all beneficial to our body.Therefore, when our pancreas detects an excess of this substance in the Blood (known as hyperglycemia), it releases insulin, the hormone responsible for taking this glucose from the blood to the muscle and liver (if their energy sources have been exhausted) and to the adipose tissue.

Foods with a high glycemic index, such as carbohydrates from refined cereals (e.g. industrial pastries) and sugar, cause the blood glucose level to rise rapidly, triggering the release of insulin to ensure that this glucose is stored, mainly in the form of fat. Therefore, it will not be of great help in losing belly. In short, pay attention to this type of food because they are not beneficial for your body at all.

9. Avoid light foods

You may be attracted to some light products because of the marketing campaigns behind them, but these products, which are supposedly low in calories, are not very good for your body. these products, supposedly low in calories, are not recommended for weight loss..

According to experts from the National Obesity Forum and the Public Health Collaboration (UK institutions), the abuse of these low-calorie foods can generate as much or more sugar and fat than what they claim to eliminate. And we have already seen in the previous point what happens with excess sugar in the body.

10. Eat 5 times a day

Nutrition experts have been recommending, for decades, the intake of five meals a day.. Our body is constantly consuming energy and therefore needs to be well nourished to function at its best. This does not mean that we have to eat 5 heavy meals every day, but that, in addition to breakfast, lunch and dinner, we should add 2 snacks, one mid-morning and one mid-afternoon.

This way we distribute the daily calories in 5 meals and it is possible to control hunger levels, maintain the body's energy and metabolism activity and, in addition, it allows us to lose weight and control our weight, since we will have no excuse to snack between meals.

11. Do high-intensity exercise

For decades, there was the idea that prolonged aerobic training was the most effective for fat loss. But, in recent years, science has shown that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) also produces great benefits when it comes to reducing adipose tissue.

This form of training consists of mixing short periods of very intense cardio training (around 80-90% of our maximum heart rate)This is followed by short periods of moderate to low intensity (50-60%). Due to the oxygen demand created by HIIT, the metabolism increases even after the workout is over, allowing calories to be burned for several hours after exercise.

12. Work your core

To get a flat stomach, it's no good just working your abs.. However, if you combine cardiovascular work and also work other muscles of the body, you can focus on the core. Add abdominal exercises to your routine, but do not do crunches every day because they are a muscle and like the rest need rest. The important thing is not that you do hundreds of crunches, but that you do them well.

13. Try Yoga or Pilates

Both Yoga and the Pilates Method have many postures that help tone the abdomen. Obviously, if you do not follow the advice given above, you will not achieve your goal of getting a flat stomach. But these practices will allow you to stylize the abdominal area and get a slim figure, as long as you combine them with the above tips.

14. Adapt to change

Are you already exercising and have you achieved a flat stomach? Then adapt to change, because it is possible that you have stagnated and you should increase the intensity or duration of your exercise sessions. or duration of exercise sessions because, over time, our body will become more efficient and will not expend the same calories when it adapts to one type of exercise.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day of the week in the initial phases of training. In other words, perform a minimum of 150 minutes of physical exercise per week (5 days x 30 minutes). However, to achieve and maintain weight loss in the long term, it is necessary to increase training time after several months of physical exercise.

According to the ASCM, it is necessary to reach a volume of more than 200 minutes per week or to accumulate a caloric expenditure with exercise of more than 2000 kcal/week. The ideal is to reach at least one hour of daily training.

(Bonus) Hire a personal trainer

Achieving the goal of losing belly is not always easy, because physical, psychological and nutritional factors come into play. Therefore, a good alternative is to hire a personal trainer to assess and design a physical exercise program specially adapted to your possibilities and your objectives to achieve your goals safely and effectively, and also motivate and advise you to eat healthily.

With a personal trainer you will achieve results quickly and minimize the risk of injury.