We have gathered the ten most important daily habits that will effectively rid you – and forever – of belly fat.
Belly fat is annoying but also stubborn. The causes of its accumulation can be various, from your diet to how many hours you sleep. The most effective way to deal with it is to focus on your daily life and see what habits you can adopt to reduce your belly fat. Let’s look at the 10 most important of them.
1. Focus on what you eat
Don’t eat while watching TV or working on your mobile screen. Eating absorbed in something other than your plate will lead to you consuming more calories. In addition, in this way you do not allow your brain to signal the feeling of satiety .
According to research , people who ate while watching TV consumed five times more food than those who were focused on their food. “When you eat abstractly, your brain doesn’t signal to your stomach that it’s full, since it’s not focused on food intake. This makes you eat more and accumulate belly fat.”
2. Consume sufficient protein
Protein is important in building and repairing tissues, including muscle. A low- protein diet can lead to muscle loss, which research suggests can slow metabolism and make it harder to lose belly fat.
Foods rich in protein are filling and will keep you going until the next meal, because protein causes satiety. Choosing e.g. cheese, yogurt or boiled eggs for your snack will make you feel fuller faster, which means you’ll consume fewer calories and reduce the likelihood of overeating later in the day.
3. Drink enough fluids
Research has proven that you can often confuse thirst with hunger. Your tendency may be to reach for a snack, when in reality you need water. Staying properly hydrated can prevent premature hunger and the consumption of unnecessary calories that lead to the accumulation of belly fat.
4. Avoid overconsumption of calories even from healthy foods
Eating too much – even healthy foods – can make you gain weight and accumulate belly fat. The antioxidants, nutrients and unsaturated fats found in nuts, seeds and avocados, although they are part of a healthy diet, can pack a lot of calories – even if you consume small amounts –, causing you to see your belly fat increases.
5. Don’t skip meals
Skipping meals can cause you to eat more than you need later in the day. By skipping a meal, the body tries to compensate by eating more later. If you’ve ever skipped breakfast or lunch and around four in the afternoon you felt an overwhelming hunger , it’s because of the specific function of your body.
6. Get enough sleep
A 2022 study concluded that lack of sleep can disrupt hunger hormones , increasing appetite and cravings for unhealthy foods. “Lack of sleep disrupts many body systems, which in turn can block weight loss and belly fat loss.
Lack of sleep also disrupts the balance of hunger hormones, ghrelin, a hormone that signals the brain that it is hungry, and leptin , a hormone that signals satiety. When we don’t get enough sleep, ghrelin increases while leptin decreases. This imbalance increases appetite and cravings , which makes it more difficult to properly consume calories, making it harder to lose weight and lose belly fat.
7. Avoid alcohol
Alcohol is the worst thing you can consume if you want a flat stomach. It has a lot of calories and excessive consumption leads to weight gain . Drinking alcohol especially at night can disrupt sleep or reduce sleep quality, leading to weight gain and belly fat. In addition, alcohol is a diuretic, which means it can cause dehydration . Dehydration negatively affects the metabolic rate, making it difficult to lose belly fat.
8. Consider NEAT
NEAT (Non-Exercise-Activity-Thermogenesis) is the energy (calories) required to do anything in your day apart from sleeping, digesting and exercising, such as walking , standing or walking at the supermarket . Not paying attention to these activities can lead you to a particularly sedentary lifestyle, resulting in the accumulation of belly fat.
9. Adopt strength training as a form of exercise
According to the National Institute on Aging , strength training is key to building muscle mass that can boost metabolism and burn more calories at rest. Strength training is effective in building muscle tissue and in the long run you will see a big improvement in your body.
10. Eat on a schedule
Planning your meals and preparing healthy meals is the best way to get rid of belly fat. If you’re hungry and don’t have a meal ready, you’re more likely to make an unhealthy choice. If you have planned your meals, it is more difficult to make choices harmful to your weight and you will always have control over the food you consume.
