How to Lose Belly Fat

There are no magic ways to lose belly fat.  

• Unfortunately, if you want to know how to lose belly fat, diet and exercise are the answer. The proper exercise is strength training. This will build muscle while preventing loss of muscle, and hasten fat loss. So getting strong is important to losing belly fat.
• One of the major changes you should make in your diet is to stop eating processed food. The least amount of processing and cooking, the better it will be for you.  You need to eat fruits, vegetables and protein. Oils need to be good oils, like olive oil and fish oil, real butter, and oils from nuts and seeds.
• Carbohydrates need to come from whole grains, like brown rice and oats. Most people eat too many carbohydrates and many are from white flour and white sugar. Watch the potatoes, too as they are very starchy. Stick to things made with whole grains.   
• Watch what you drink. Most of the time, you should drink things like water, green tea, or water with a squeeze of lime or lemon. Limit your alcohol consumption. It is called a “beer belly” for a reason. An occasional drink is alright, but you need to limit beer and sweet alcohols.
• Another tip on how to lose belly fat is to eat more. Starving yourself is a big mistake. You should eat every three hours or so. Eating the right foods will help you lose fat, as will eating the right fats, as mentioned earlier. If you starve yourself, the body may start burning muscle tissue for energy instead of fat.
• To lose fat, you need to eat more protein and fat. It sounds illogical, but fats can help you lose body fat if they are the right kinds of fat. It is a myth that eating fat makes you fat. You must stay away from trans fats and stick to natural oils. If you don’t eat processed foods, you will not have a problem with trans fats. It takes a lot of energy to process proteins, so a high protein diet will also help burn your belly fat.  
• It is important to do all these things, but also you need to keep track of your progress. This will help you stay motivated. Measure your waist every two weeks and you may also want to use a fat caliper to measure your body fat. You may even consider taking pictures from the side every two weeks to actually see your progress. Of course the best thing is when the waistband starts feeling loose.  Doing all these things will get you on your way to losing that belly fat. 

Myths About Losing Belly Fat

• The first myth is the magic pill. If you take it, your belly fat will melt away as if by magic. You don’t even have to diet or exercise. This is one reason the diet industry is so profitable: it is a matter of “buyer beware.” Always read the fine print and see what the pills really do and to determine their side effects.
• The second myth concerns exercise. Spot reducing is a big myth. You do need to exercise to lose fat but it does not have to mean purchasing an expensive abdominal machine or doing endless crunches. They usually do not help at all. You will wind up with stronger muscles, but the underlying fat will still be there.  Crunches can also cause back pain and do not help your posture.  
• The word “healthy” can also be a myth. Beware of false claims of “health” foods.  Some of them actually cause you to put on belly fat. Be especially cautious of diet foods, as they are full of chemicals and you can’t believe everything that you read.