For many years, dieters believed that doing endless sit-ups and crunches would target the fat in their mid section region. To lose weight in just one area, like the abdominal area is not possible. To cut your stomach fat you need to make an overall weight reduction. It is definitely achievable to lose fat and make your tummy look flatter with the right combination of nutrition and exercise.
Certain foods can encourage extra weight around the mid section, while others trim tummy fat. It's not just a matter of how much you eat; what you are eating will have a big effect on your waist size. For example, some foods and chemicals put stress on our bodies.
Caffeine and nicotine are two popular substances that act as stimulants. They increase our heart rate and blood pressure, our bodies reaction is to go into self-preservation mode, storing extra calories are the mid section. As the body starts to detect stress it's response is to produce the hormone called cortisol. Cortisol is responsible for extra fat storage, particularly around the waist. This sort of fat is potentially dangerous, and has been linked to cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
Changes to insulin production compound the problem making it worse. Our bodies produce insulin in order to utilize glucose. Foods high in sugar activate the release of insulin even when we have normal glucose levels. This is one of the reasons we still feel hungry after eating foods with artificial sweeteners. As our insulin levels increase the amount of glucose in our blood supply reduces making us feel more hungry. The effect is that we eat more, and begin to accumulate fat around the stomach.
The best foods to help you reduce tummy fat are those which don't trigger a flood of insulin. These include foods which are high in nutritious qualities and are slowly-digestible. For example, whole grain breads, pastas, lean meat and tofu, whole nuts, fibrous fruits and vegetables, olive oil and avocados.
The other part is exercise. While it's not possible to target only your abdominal fat, cardio and strength training will help you cut your overall body fat percentage. You can also do exercises that isolate your abdominal muscles, giving you a shapely six-pack that will emerge as soon as the extra fat is gone. It doesn't matter what kind of cardio exercise you do; you can walk briskly, go for a swim, jog around your neighborhood, take up yoga, or spend time working in the garden. Find an activity you enjoy, and participate in it at least three to five hours each week. With regular activity the extra weight will start to drop away giving you additional energy.
Strength training is important for fat-burning, too. Lean muscle mass allows your body to burn more calories and helps to reduce fat. Find a strength training program you can do for half an hour, three times a week. An ideal routine targets different muscle groups on different days. For example, you might work your arms and shoulders on Monday, your abs and core on Wednesday, and your legs and lower body on Friday. Taking time between workouts to rest and ensuring you stay well hydrated is important. Fluids are important to maintain your bodies efficiency, otherwise it won't burn fat as rapidly. Aim for 64 ounces of filtered water per day. Alternatively 1 ounce per pound of body weight.
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