Get rid of that unwanted belly fat with these 5 methods
Most of the time people get a gym membership for a few reasons, whether that be to lose weight and get into shape, get massive and shredded, or get strong. When it comes to losing weight, using cardio equipment for a few minutes every now and then doesn’t guarantee fat loss. If burning body fat was easy, everyone would be walking around with a shredded midriff, but unfortunately that is not the case.
Fat stored in some place can be harder to lose as compared to the others. Fat on your arms is comparatively easily shredded as compared to your love handles. If you have been having trouble losing weight, you have come to the right place.
Ways to Burn Body Fat
Now, there are plenty of supplements to burn body fat, such as the standard fat burners, but that is not what we are here to discuss. Fat burners are not going to do the work for you, and will very rarely burn all of the stubborn belly fat that you want to get rid of, so you may as well start incorporating some other methods to shed that fat.
Besides that, you will also see people straight up starving themselves with the intent to lose body fat. However, in many cases, people do not need to completely deplete their macros to burn their unwanted body fat, and we will discuss that.
Another thing is that people think in order to burn stubborn body fat, they need to just run on the treadmill for countless hours, and that also is not the case. Burning body fat is a much more complex process that can and should be attacked from multiple different angles, not just running on a treadmill or starving yourself.
Let’s dive in.
1. HIIT Workouts
Many people dread the idea of spending time on a treadmill, and that is totally understandable. Treadmills can get boring, but burning fat doesn’t have to be boring. High intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts are incredibly efficient at burning off the stubborn body fat, without boring you all too much. What a HIIT workout consists of is intervals of time where you are working out with the utmost intensity, followed by a brief rest period, followed by an an intense period, and then repeats.
If your main goal is to shed weight and body fat, you can follow a HIIT cardio workout. HIIT muscle building workouts will also give your cardiovascular system a great push. High-intensity training can help you in building strength and stamina.
2. Fix Your Diet
Diet and nutrition are an important part of losing weight, in fact, diet and nutrition are just as important for losing weight as training is, yet so many people slack off on their diets, thinking that the work is done once they leave the gym. Then once they start dieting, many people completely cut out the fats from their diet while they’re trying to lose weight, thinking that eating fat is the issue and the reason they cannot lose weight.
Fats are an essential macronutrient which is required for the proper body functioning. Fat regulates hormones, such as testosterone, which plays a vital role in building muscle mass, mood, sex drive, and an array of other bodily functions. So, you do not want to completely cut out the fat.
If you’re a dairy fan, you should switch to low-fat variants of your favorite products, such as low fat milk, cheese, yogurt, and so on. You should also start consuming high fiber food. Fiber helps with digesting the food you eat throughout the day.
3. Bump Up Your Protein Intake
Protein is commonly thought of as the key muscle building macronutrient, which it certainly is, but it also can make a big difference in your fat loss journey. Protein has a high thermogenic effect as compared to the other macronutrients like fats and carbohydrates. Thermogenesis is the generation of heat due to digestion and metabolism of food.
If you eat a protein-rich diet, you are more likely to burn fat even while you’re sitting idle. A rise in the protein intake bumps up your metabolism and turns your stomach into a food churning machine. Another benefit of protein is that it will help to keep you full, and avoiding the snacks. If you are lagging on your daily protein consumption, you can use protein supplements to fill the void.
4. Insulin Sensitivity
Stubborn fat is more insulin sensitive which means it’s less insulin resistant than the regular fat. A fat cell which is more insulin resistant stores less fat and releases more of it. A fat cell that’s more insulin sensitive stores higher fat and releases less of it, making it harder to burn body fat.
Stubborn fat is more insulin sensitive than other fats. You can improve your insulin sensitivity by adjusting your lifestyle. Food like vinegar, spices, green tea, nuts improves insulin sensitivity.
5. Sleep
No matter how hard you workout, you won’t see the changes in your body until you are rested. Sleep is the unsung hero of fat loss and muscle building, as it helps to generate testosterone and human growth hormone, which are both key hormones for burning body fat and building muscle mass. You need anywhere between 6-8 hours of sleep every night to recuperate from your workouts.
The quality of the sleep matters as much as the quantity, you want to be in a deep sleep to get the most out of it. Using electronic gadgets, drinking caffeinated beverages, reading business books, working out too close to the bedtime can make it harder for you to fall asleep.
Understand What Your Body Fat Percentage Is
One thing to do before going on a fat loss journey is understand what your body fat percentage currently is. If your goal is to have abs or defined muscles, but you find out that you are already low body fat, then you just need to increase your muscle mass in certain areas to make the muscles pop, not necessarily lose body fat.
Avoid Going Too Low, for Too Long
While being shredded is great, most of the time maintaining a physique that is extremely low in body fat is not plausible. Being too low in body fat for too long can lead to a weakened immune system, loss of strength, and other unwanted effects. The best thing you can do is find a healthy medium, where you look good but also feel good.
Burning Body Fat Wrap Up
Overall, burning body fat is not as plain and simple as it may seem, and doing things like starving yourself or taking a regular fat burner may not be as beneficial as you think. Sure, fat burners are there to help, but instead there are a multitude of lifestyle changes that you should make if you really want to lose body fat.
Do you agree with our tips on how to burn body fat?
What is your target body fat percentage? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Images courtesy of Envato
