WAYS TO BURN TUMMY FAT

Have you been missing your daily routine at the gym probably because of your busy schedule or laziness, and suddenly you realize that you have started gathering fats round your abdomen? Have you ever wanted to wear your figure hugging dress for a wedding only to see your flabby stomach bulging out? The best way to get a slim waistline is by exercising, and the focus of this write-up is on the reasons why fat accumulates in the belly and the causes of abdominal fat. 

Here is a last option for you; you do not have to alter your daily habits to get a flat stomach. Just follow this few steps.

Before we proceed, let us find out some of the major causes of abdominal fat.

1. Genetics:
This has to do with heredity where parents pass certain genes on to their children, and abdominal fat might be one of them.

2. Hormonal Changes: 
Hormonal imbalance can cause abdominal fat. Hormones control the functioning of human organs, including growth and development. They regulate fat gain by influencing the rate at which human body uses and stores calories.

3. Stress:
If you are under a lot of stress, you are likely to be emotionally sensitive. Stress causes people to deviate from their normal routines (like going to the gym after work, eating healthy and living healthy life style); and causes them to adopt a "who cares" attitude. Stress can lead to binge eating disorder which can definitely grow your tommy fat.

4. Alcohol: 
Alcohol calories are so easy to overdo. A typical beer has 150 calories and if you down several bottles in one sitting, you can end up with serious calorie overload. Do not forget calories from the foods you wash down with those beers. 

5. Late Night Eating:  
While it is true that your body naturally burns some excess weight as you sleep, aside from causing belly fat, eating late and reclining on a full stomach increases your risk of developing indigestion, since gravity is no longer able to pull everything in your tummy straight down. To prevent these conditions, consider eating smaller meals at night and do not lie down for at least three hours after dinner. If possible, just snack on fruits in case you feel a bit hungry at night, instead of raiding the fridge for sweet desserts to satisfy your craving. 

6. Sedentary Lifestyle: 
Your regular life style that might include little or no physical activities can cause abdominal fat. A sedentary lifestyle can contribute to many preventable causes of death.  

7. Disease: 
Some diseases, which are fat related diseases, can also contribute to abdominal fat.

8. Poor Posture:
Sitting up straight and having strong abdominal muscles help hold in not only your fat but also your internal organs. Even skinny persons will look like they have flab tummy, if they do not have good muscle tone and if they do not sit properly too.

However, to check bulgy tummy we should be committed to these practices:

STEP ONE

If you want to muscle up and burn fat at the same time, you have to perform full body exercises like lunges, push-ups and pull-ups, for one set of fifteen repetitions. Do not forget to follow every routine with a one minute of jumping rope. You should be able to burn around 500 to 600 calories per day. In addition, you can work on your abdominal muscles three times in a week by doing crunches and leg raises for three sets of every 20 repetition.  

STEP TWO

Eat Right: You can reduce abdominal fat by eating the right food. There are many natural ways to reduce fat. Garlic, onion, cabbage, tomato and spices like ginger,    cinnamon and mustard are some of the fat reducing foods. Consuming a few cloves of raw garlic and a 1-inch piece of ginger every morning is good for fat metabolism.

Having a glass of warm water with lemon juice and honey in the morning, is a popular option for weight loss. In addition, when trying to get rid of bad cholesterol, addition of good cholesterol can be helpful. Avocados, olives, coconut and nuts are few sources of good cholesterol.

STEP THREE

 Drink Water: Many get confused about being thirsty, tired or hungry, and end up with sugary or fatty food. Always carry a bottle of water and make sure you keep sipping water throughout the day. One needs to drink 6 – 8 glasses of water, though this depends on your weight and lifestyle. Calculate accordingly and make sure you consume enough water.

STEP FOUR

 Avoid Sugar: Sugar is one thing you should greatly reduce, if not omit from your daily dish. There are many sources of hidden sugar, so it is a good idea to reduce sugar. Use alternatives like honey, palm sugar and licorice extract.

STEP FIVE

Reduce Sodium intake: To avoid water retention you have to reduce you salt intake. Of course, you need to add salt to your food but you can consider potassium, lemon and sea salts. You can as well flavour your food with other herbs and spices instead, to help reduce salt requirement. 

7. Vitamin C:

Vitamin C is important for the secretion of carnitine, a compound that helps body convert fat into energy. Besides, it also helps block cortisol, a hormone that is

secreted by the body when under stress. Spike in cortisol levels is the main reason for abdominal fat.

8. Do not skip breakfast:

Many think skipping breakfast helps with quick weight loss. On the contrary, skipping breakfast is a major blunder. It increases bloating and pushes your body into starvation mode, a key for abdominal fat gain.

Latest studies reveal having smaller and frequent meals is the key to maintaining a healthy metabolism rate, which is important for weight management. So, reduce the size of your meals and make up for it by snacking healthily. You could consider having dry fruits and nuts, raw veggies or fruits and steamed veggies.

10. Sleep:

I know you might be wondering why we are talking about sleeping here? Adequate sleep is very important for weight management. Everyone needs 6 – 8 hours of sleep. According to a recent study, too much of sleep or the lack of it can lead to weight gain.

BY: Okoye Chizzy