Belly fat is stubborn, and if you’re like most people you probably feel like it’s the last to go. So how can you get your belly fat to disappear as you lower your BMI? If you want to burn belly fat, we have the guide for you. We’re going to talk about:
- How to burn belly fat through diet and exercise
- How to use supplements to enhance your weight loss
- Whether you can target belly fat specifically as you lose weight
Your new, slimmer belly awaits – read on to learn how to make your six pack a reality.
Step #1 – Walk, walk and walk some more
Walking is one of the best exercises out there to burn belly fat. Not only is it safe for just about everyone on the planet, it’s also something you’re probably doing every day anyway. When you walk, you can burn from 90 to 200 calories per 30 minutes of activity.
What’s great about walking is that you don’t have to actually carve out 30 minutes of time to get its benefit. Instead, a brisk 15 minute walk twice a day will serve to help you burn belly fat, lower your BMI and lose weight.
Ideas to get you walking might include getting a dog and taking her out for a brisk walk regularly. You might take a nature walk with the kids or your partner. Or you could go to the mall and enjoy the air conditioned environment – just make sure those department stores don’t distract you. Often times, malls will actually let consumers know how many “laps” will equate to a mile if distance is your goal.
- Walking is a great low-impact way to lose weight and trim your belly
- You don’t have to view walking as a chore – have fun with it!
- You can burn as many as 200 calories in just thirty minutes of walking
Step #2 – Run, run and run some more
Once your stamina has been built up a little, you can start talking to your doctor about whether it’s safe for you to start running. Now, a lot of people claim that they won’t run unless they’re being chased. But running can actually be a great way to forget about life for a while as you burn belly fat and lower your BMI.
When you run, you can burn over twice the calories that you were burning while you were walking. However, there are a few things you should keep in mind before you start pounding the pavement.
First of all, running may be hard on your joints. If you have problems with your ankles, knees or hips, it’s best if you take it easy and see how running feels to you. Secondly, running and jogging are considered rigorous exercise. You don’t need to run for a full 30 minutes – instead, if you run, you only need about 75 minutes each week. Finally, running will increase your heart rate quickly. If you have any concerns about your heart health, talk to your doctor before you choose this method to burn belly fat.
- Running is a high-intensity exercise that will burn calories fast!
- It’s usually best to check with your doctor before you start a running routine
- Medical concerns like joint trouble or a heart condition may interfere with your ability to run
Step #3 – Consider the food
You know that you need to watch what you eat. That’s especially true if you’re trying to burn belly fat. For the best results, stay away from processed, starchy and sugary foods, and keep your fats to a minimum. Your body does need fat, but you should choose foods like eggs, olives, avocado and fish to give you your daily allotment of fat.
Be mindful of what you’re drinking, too. Sugary and fatty café drinks will not help you in your quest to lower your BMI! The same is true for alcohol. Water, a bit of coffee, and green tea are your best options for beverages – but be sure your coffee and tea are unsweetened and don’t have a ton of heavy cream!
Your diet should include a healthy mix of lean meats (chicken, turkey and fish, for example), plant proteins, fresh fruits and veggies, and whole grains. Keep the processed snack foods to a minimum and you’ll be lowering your BMI in no time!
- What you eat will directly impact your body’s ability to burn belly fat
- You can lower your BMI by choosing healthy, fresh and lean foods
- Don’t forget to watch what you drink!
Step #4 – Weight loss supplements
There comes a point in just about everyone’s journey to burn belly fat that you feel like you’ve just hit a plateau. Your body isn’t responding to the changes you’re making anymore, no matter what you do. If that sounds like you, or if you ever hit that point, weight loss supplements might be a good option for you.
There are a few types of weight loss supplements you can choose from. First, there are the appetite suppressants. If you find yourself snacking or craving foods you probably shouldn’t eat, these are a great choice. Then, there are fat burners. Fat burners can help you to lower your BMI by increasing your metabolism. Finally, there are fat blockers. Fat blockers, when taken before a meal, can help keep your body from absorbing the fats you eat.
All weight loss pills will affect different people in different ways. Before you start to take any pill or supplement, talk to your doctor about its effects and possible interactions with your medicines.
- Weight loss supplements are an awesome way to bump up your weight loss if you’ve hit a plateau
- There are three main types of supplements to choose from – fat burners, fat blockers and appetite suppressants
- Always talk to your doctor before you begin taking a supplement
Step #5 – Keep track of your progress… and shortcomings
Every human craves ice cream every now and then. And it’s okay to have a bit, even if you’re trying to burn belly fat and lower your BMI. Depriving yourself of the foods you love will take a huge toll on your motivation, so allow yourself a “guilty pleasure” every now and then.
With that said, you’re going to have more success with trimming your belly if you keep track of what you eat. That means everything! When you reach for a couple of your daughter’s graham cracker crumbs you’ll want to write it down. Eat a breath mint on your way to your meeting? Jot it down! You’ll soon find that your attention to what you’re consuming will make you automatically more mindful.
But in the same way you should keep track of your eating (and your exercise) you should also keep track of your progress. As you proceed along your journey, it will be super-satisfying to see how far you’ve come, even when you feel like you’ve still got miles to go.
- Keeping track of what you consume will make you more mindful of the calories you’re taking in
- Include everything from snacks to drinks, and don’t forget about your exercise
- When you track your weight loss progress, you’ll be able to look back and see how far you’ve come
Step #6 – Find a study buddy
This may not be the sixth step for you – it may be one of the first. But when you have a partner with a similar goal to yours, you can see great results as you burn belly fat and lower your BMI. The accountability you’ll feel when you check in – or work out – with your partner is super motivating. This is especially true for women.
Your “study buddy” can be someone you work with, someone you live with or just someone you meet on social media. If you prefer to keep it professional, you can choose a personal trainer as your partner. We’ll talk more about that later. Whether you’re accountable to a family member or a complete stranger, you’ll drop your BMI more successfully when you “report back” to a partner.
The key to finding someone to lose weight alongside of is that this person be someone you trust. It’s going to be important that you’re honest with your partner; after all, you’re both there to keep each other on track.
- Working out and losing weight with a virtual or a physical partner will keep you very motivated
- Check in frequently and update each other on your progress – or your setbacks
- If you choose, you can hire a personal trainer or even a counselor to help keep you on track
Step #7 – It’s time to target
You’ve done so well! You’ve lost weight and lowered your BMI, and you can probably tell the difference in your “before and after” now as you’ve burned belly fat. But you’re down to those last few pounds and it’s time to target your belly, getting it toned and looking like a million bucks.
What do you do?
Well, you can certainly jump online and look up YouTube videos or other instructionals that will help you to target the muscles around your belly. But we prefer the real-life experience of meeting with a personal trainer.
You don’t have to make a huge or expensive commitment to a personal trainer. Just a session here and there will be just fine. What you need to know is that personal trainers (be sure they’re certified) are trained to help you meet your specific goals. Whether you’re a member of a high-risk population, a healthy 20-something or a diabetic, your personal trainer will be able to help.
These professionals don’t just teach you how to exercise. A personal trainer can provide very individualized strategies to help you burn belly fat, lower your BMI and use exercise and diet in a safe and sustainable way.
- Consider hiring a personal trainer to help you tone and drop those last few pounds
- Personal trainers can offer very individualized plans to help you reach your goals
- You don’t have to spend a ton of money – just a session each month or so is fine
Step #8 – Set a plan for sustainability
All too often, people reach their goal weight only to gain those pounds right back again. Hopefully, if you’ve followed the last 7 steps, you know how you got to where you are and have developed habits you can stick with.
But let’s face it – weddings happen. Birthdays happen. Holidays absolutely happen. There are very sneaky events that may come up in your life that can cause you to backslide. Unless you’re a robot, it’s going to happen. So you need to set a plan for sustainability of your new lifestyle, and stick with it.
The plan you choose is up to you, but we have a few ideas. First of all, when you notice that you’ve had a slip, start fixing it today. Don’t wait until tomorrow, because that will turn into the next day and so on.
Then, when you’ve noticed that your lifestyle has shifted, consider:
- Hanging a picture of you at your goal weight on your bathroom mirror
- Calling a friend for support in getting back on track
- Doing a week-long “jump-start” diet in which you’re ultra-strict with yourself
- Scheduling an appointment with a doctor, nutritionist, personal trainer or counselor
- Reading inspirational stories of others who have lost weight
- Listing the reasons why your goal weight is important to you (longer life, better sex, play with the kids, etc.)
- Go drastic and give all your “junk” food to the next door neighbor to enjoy
You get the picture – you just need to do whatever you need to do to get back on track. You can do this!
Conclusion
Belly fat is super-stubborn and just does not seem to want to be lost. But you can burn belly fat and lower your BMI when you follow these simple steps. Remember: we’re all human. You didn’t gain the fat overnight, so losing it is going to take a little patience. But you can absolutely have the rockstar belly you’ve always wanted when you put – and keep – your mind to it!