By Rita La Rosa Loud, B.S.
For quicker belly fat reduction and visible abs, try these tips alongside the exercises from my May 2023 “Melt Your Belly Fat: A Three-Step Series” article.
Develop a lifestyle plan
Truthfully, it takes planning and discipline to lose weight, particularly where you readily store adipose tissue (fat) from hard-to-reach areas such as midsection (belly), hips, and buttocks. Simply put, it does not happen overnight. But with an optimistic mindset and committed determination, in time you can whittle your waist, hips, thighs, torso, and arms.
End dieting
Abandon bouncing from diet to diet, losing weight only to regain it and then some. Instead, choose to engage in physical activity. Research indicates that a 30-minute after-dinner walk burns extra calories and above all advocates performing resistance exercises to build muscle and accelerate fat loss.
Eat properly
Nourish your body with wholesome foods. Consume a balanced, clean diet comprised of fruits, veggies, nuts, legumes, whole grains, lean meats, and dairy. Eating nutritionally helps you lose weight and reveals your abs.
Hydrate day and night
Sip cold water throughout the day. Cool temperatures spark metabolism to burn additional calories. Studies estimate most women do not drink the recommended daily eight ounces. If you exercise intensely, that clearly isn’t enough. But do not drink too much of it. Although consuming a gallon of ice water can help with the slimming effect, it also can have a negative health effect. Ask your doctor about your optimal water intake. Hydration helps control appetite and keeps you feeling fuller longer. Plus, drinking cold water boosts fat loss and helps slim your waistline.
Clear out junk foods
Limit empty calories, sugary beverages (alcohol and sweets), and highly processed foods. With these basic lifestyle changes, it will become considerably easier to exclude (not entirely) foods that cause weight gain. You’ll feel healthier, have more energy, and your appearance – including your abs – will improve.
Snooze to lose
A good night’s regular sleep routine helps to lower body fat more rapidly. According to research, maintaining more than seven hours of sleep per night, preferably 8.5 hours, results in quicker weight loss. Incorporate sleeping in your fat-loss toolbox. Take a 30-minute nap and watch the fat, including your belly fat, melt away.
Exercise regularly
Consistently strength train all major muscle groups twice weekly for 20 minutes to reduce abdominal fat and improve muscle tone in other areas of your body. Muscles are metabolically more active than fat and training elevates resting metabolic rate (calories burned at rest), contributing to sustained fat loss. Restoring lost muscle increases metabolism, burns calories, reduces fat, and strengthens bones. Individuals who strength train lose more abdominal fat than those who avoid resistance exercises.
Preserve healthiness
Adhere to a nutritive diet, ensure sufficient sleep, maintain adequate hydration, and engage in physical activity, especially resistance exercise. Enjoy long-term improvements in physical fitness, overall mental and physical well-being. And say “Hello” to a fitter, flatter tummy!
The Wayne Westcott, Ph.D. Center for Health and Fitness at Quincy College can help you build muscle, boost metabolism, lose fat, and strengthen bones in our adult group fitness program: resistance training, endurance; flexibility exercises. Located at Presidents Place, 1250 Hancock St., Quincy. Call 617-405-5978 to tour, inquire about complimentary training and obtain registration procedures. Street parking is available; a parking garage is next to the building.
About the Author: Rita La Rosa Loud holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology with additional education in Sports Medicine and Athletic Training. She is NASM Certified and has been actively involved in the fitness industry for more than 35 years. She is also an author and writes fitness-related articles for various publications. Currently, she is a fitness researcher and directs the Wayne Westcott, Ph.D. Center for Health and Fitness at Quincy College. She can be reached at 617-405-5978 or by email at Rita.larosaloud@quincycollege.edu.
