Faster Ways to Shed Belly Fat

Are you conscientiously sticking to a consistent exercise regimen and healthy diet, but not achieving the desired fat loss, particularly in your abdominal region? This article offers some insights into why that might be happening.

Magnesium is an essential nutrient that our bodies need for over 300 biochemical reactions. These include supporting steady heart rhythm and blood sugar regulation. Beyond its health merits, magnesium might also assist in weight and abdominal fat loss. Research published in the Journal of Nutrition suggests that a higher intake of magnesium correlates with lower levels of fasting glucose and insulin. These are biomarkers often associated with fat and weight gain. Another study from England indicates that a magnesium supplement might help reduce monthly fluid retention in women, alleviating bloating.

To increase your magnesium intake and potentially reduce abdominal fat, try to eat foods that are rich in magnesium, such as green leafy vegetables, beans, and nuts. Alternatively, consult with your physician about taking a supplement. For women under 30, the recommended amount of magnesium is 310mg, and for women 30 or above, it is 320mg.

Engaging in prolonged cardio workouts, such as marathon jogging sessions, is a common strategy for people seeking to improve their health. The issue with this approach is that your metabolism adjusts to this routine. Whilst you may initially lose weight, you'll eventually reach a point where you stop burning calories as soon as your workout ends.

An alternative and possibly more effective strategy to lose abdominal fat is weight training. This form of exercise creates small tears in the muscle that require additional energy (burn more calories) to heal, a process that can last up to 48 hours post training. Research recommends high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which not only increases your heart rate but also works your muscles. A UK study found that sprint training helped participants lose adipose tissue from their waist and hips in just a fortnight. Similarly, a study from the University of Arkansas discovered that high-intensity exercisers experienced a 20% reduction in abdominal fat.

To lose abdominal fat using this method, you can incorporate any exercise into your HIIT program, including cardio workouts like running, swimming, cycling, or rowing. Even full-body strength workouts can be used.

Insufficient sleep is a common issue for over half of American women, as per a survey by the Better Sleep Council, which can have serious implications for fat loss. A study in the American Journal of Epidemiology established that women who sleep for five hours or less each night over a 16 year period were 32% more likely to gain significant weight versus those who slept more. Furthermore, a New York Obesity Nutrition Research Center study found that women who only got four hours of sleep instead of the optimal eight consumed more than 300 extra calories a day, mainly from fatty foods. This is because insufficient sleep can increase ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite.

As a solution to this issue and to potentially aid in abdominal fat loss, aim for the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep each night. For better-quality sleep, remove electronics from your bedroom, keep your room at a cool temperature (around 65 degrees is ideal), avoid caffeine in the afternoon, and maintain a consistent sleep schedule, even on weekends.

It's well known that sugary soda laden with empty calories is a diet nightmare. Interestingly, even zero-calorie soda can have adverse impacts on your waistline. A 2017 review in QJM: An International Journal of Medicine found that both regular and diet sodas increased obesity risk. One explanation is that the artificial sweeteners in diet soda do not trigger the expected physiological response when you consume something sweet. This confuses your body's hunger signals and can lead to craving and consuming extra calories to compensate for the absent ones in diet soda.

To counter this, switch to water or unsweetened tea as your standard meal drinks. If plain water doesn't appeal, try adding slices of fruit as a natural sweetener. Coffee is also an acceptable choice, but limit adding high-calorie extras.

If you've ever felt bloated after a salty meal, it's not in your head. Excess salt causes water to move from your bloodstream into your skin, which is why a daily dose of Doritos will give you a puffy look. Nearly 90% of Americans consume more than the recommended 2,300mg sodium per day, reports the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). So even if you're not pouring on the table salt, you're likely getting more sodium than you need through other sources such as canned foods, salad dressing, deli meats, and even some dairy products like cottage cheese.

Use it to lose abdominal fat: Avoid adding salt to your meals. Instead, boost flavor with spices and herbs, many of which have added health benefits as well. Try cooking with delicious flavors like cinnamon, chili powder, cayenne powder, cumin, ginger, basil, parsley, and rosemary—we promise you won't miss the belly-bloating salt.

Several studies show that alcohol can increase appetite and food intake, and certain types of alcohol are associated with abdominal fat specifically. If you're an ale aficionado, be especially mindful of your consumption: One 2013 review from Denmark suggests that intake of beer is associated with abdominal obesity, while a German study found that lifetime consumption of alcohol is positively related to abdominal fat in 160,000 women. (Not to mention, drinking too much alcohol can mess with your fitness goals.)

Use it to lose abdominal fat: It's fine to enjoy a glass of wine or clear liquor every so often with a meal. But avoid soda and sugary mixers, like those used for daiquiris and margaritas. The good news for those wondering how to lose abdominal fat? There's no need to cut out booze completely. In fact, a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that normal-weight women who consumed a light or moderate amount of alcohol gained less weight and had a lower risk of becoming overweight or obsess during nearly 13 years of follow-up than even non-drinkers. (That's why moderate alcohol consumption is one way to maintain a healthy weight over time.)

So you're within a healthy weight range, but still feel a bit puffy around your middle? The biggest reasons people who aren't overweight don't have tight tummies is that A. Their ab muscles are weak, and B. They're slouching while sitting and standing, says Thomas Nesser, Ph.D., associate professor of exercise science at Indiana State University in Terra Haute. Still, if you're already the Queen of Crunches, it can be confusing to figure out how to lose abdominal fat.

Use it to lose abdominal fat: By focusing on cranking out hundreds of sit-ups a day, you're doing your rectus abdominis favors, but are largely neglecting your obliques and deeper transversus abdominis. To pull in your midsection, you also have to target these overlooked areas and even your lower back, Nesser says, and none of the above are taxed during your typical crunch. Build a well-rounded routine of planks and these killer oblique exercises to hit the core muscles from every angle and in every inch.

And don't forget about your posture: 'Remember ABC,' says Marci Goolsby, M.D., a family medicine doctor at Women's Sports Medicine Center in New York City. 'Pull in your abs, tuck your butt, and put your chest out with your shoulders down.'