Eat Plenty Of Soluble Fiber
Soluble fiber absorbs water and forms a gel that helps slow down food as it passes through your digestive system.
Studies show that this type of fiber promotes weight loss by helping you feel full, so you naturally eat less. It may also decrease the number of calories your body absorbs from food .
Whats more, soluble fiber may help fight belly fat.
An observational study in over 1,100 adults found that for every 10-gram increase in soluble fiber intake, belly fat gain decreased by 3.7% over a 5-year period (
Make an effort to consume high fiber foods every day. Excellent include:
- flax seeds
- blackberries
SUMMARY
Soluble fiber may help you to lose weight by increasing fullness and reducing calorie absorption. Try to include plenty of high fiber foods in your weight loss diet.
Why Do You Gain Weight
You are doing the regular things. The routine life. But your weight is increasing and it is very very frustrating when you dont know the exact reason why your weight is increasing day by day. While the diet is the biggest contributor to weight gain there are also other things that are causing weight gain to you.
- You are eating too many highly processed foods like sugary cereals, fast food, and microwave dinners, etc
- You consume too much sugar like candy, cakes, soda, sports drinks, ice cream, iced tea, and sweetened coffee drinks, etc
- A physically inactive lifestyle like you have a desk job, or you spent your whole day sitting in front of your T.V. or computer.
- You dont sleep enough. We have explained the whole issue below in this article about lack of sleep and weight gain, so, continue reading.
- You stress out. Stress is a very common problem associated with weight gain.
- You eat too many calories.
Trying To Lose Belly Fat Here Are Three Things You Might Be Doing Wrong
To lose belly fat, you need to eat smart, fast smart and train smart. Weve consulted the experts to show you how its done.
So youve cut back your calories, youre in the gym five times a week and youve even scaled down the nights out. You want to lose weight and you want to lose belly fat. The weight is falling, but your waistline wont budge.
Its frustrating. After all, committing to eating well and exercising is a pretty major lifestyle shift youre doing your bit, so why wont your body co-operate?
So whats going on?
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Eliminate Sugar And Reverse Insulin Resistance
Along with all of the other problems sugar causes, it also contributes to visceral fat.
If you havent already done so, cutting sugar from your diet is the very first step you should take to combat belly fat.
In particular, fructose may be the worst culprit behind ever-increasing abdominal fat levels.
The authors of a 2018 paper hypothesized that fructose leads to cellular inflammation, which raises cortisol levels, moving stored fat from subcutaneous fat cells to visceral fat storage.
The most common sources of fructose are sweetened beverages and table sugar .
Not coincidentally, studies show that the consumption of sweetened beverages and sugary foods leads to higher levels of abdominal fat and ectopic fat.
Sugar from fruits is less of an issue, even on keto, because fruits are whole foods with limited amounts of fructose and contain fiber and natural antioxidants.
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New research suggests that your body fat distribution can predict your risk of heart disease and other issues, and having a spare tire is worse than other types of fat.
In fact, if you carry fat in your midsection, you may be at higher risk of health problems compared to overweight people who store their fat elsewhere even if your body weight is normal.
Keep reading to learn why keto is the best way to burn fat, how belly fat leads to health problems, and the most effective ways to lose abdominal fat according to research.
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Flavor Your Food With Garlic
A little garlic in your meals could mean a lot less weight around your middle. The results of a Korean study found that mice given a high-fat diet supplemented with garlic lost significantly more weight and abdominal fat than those who just ate fatty foods. Even better, they also improved their liver health, making it easier to stay healthy and burn off that excess fat in the long term. For more flavorful ways to make your food more enjoyable, turn to the metabolism-boosting spicy recipes and watch those pounds melt away.
How Long Should I Wait To See The Results
Just like with any lifestyle change, you must give intermittent fasting some time before you can expect to see results. Ideally, you should try to do intermittent fasting for at least 10 weeks. Therefore, the method of intermittent fasting that you choose should fit your lifestyle so that it is more sustainable.
If you have tried to lose belly fat before but have not been able to do so successfully, then you should give intermittent fasting a try.
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But Wont I Get Hungry
One of the benefits of intermittent fasting is that your body rapidly adapts to the new style of eating. If you deliberately skip breakfast each day, the hormone ghrelin adapts to this, meaning you wonât feel hungry until your ânormalâ eating time. It takes a few days for this entrainment to set in, but once youâve gotten used to eating your first meal of the day at lunchtime youâll never be hungry at breakfast again!
This benefit is seen best in those who choose to fast each and every day. The exact duration of your own personal fast can change , but it needs to be over 12 hours long to start seeing the benefits mentioned above. Women normally get a little hungrier than men , so 14 hours is a good option for women, whereas men can usually fast for 16 hours without any hardship.
Add Vinegar To Your Diet
If youre trying to lose weight, vinegar is an excellent addition to your diet. Whether white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, vinegar is one of the most versatile condiments regarding health benefits. One study found that a mere 15 to 30 ml of vinegar daily reduced body weight, belly fat and waist circumference over a three-month period.
According to one study, adding vinegar to your diet will reduce your daily caloric intake by 275 calories. Considering there are 3,500 calories in a pound of fat, you can lose over half a pound of fat per week with this one simple change. To increase your metabolism and satiety, try adding white vinegar to refreshing, hydrating salads and tangy barbecue sauces.
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Why Visceral Fat Can Be Resistant To Weight Loss
While most people would think that all fat tissue is the same, in fact, the location makes a big difference.
During fasting, fat tissue provides energy to the rest of the body by releasing fatty acid molecules.
However, the researchers found visceral fat became resistant to this release of fatty acids during fasting.
There were also signs that visceral and subcutaneous fat increased their ability to store energy as fat, likely to rapidly rebuild the fat store before the next fasting period.
Dr Larance said it was possible that a history of repeated fasting periods triggered a preservation signalling pathway in visceral fat.
This suggests the visceral fat can adapt to repeated fasting bouts and protect its energy store, he said.
This type of adaptation may be the reason why visceral fat can be resistant to weight loss after long periods of dieting.
Dr Larance said using a mouse model was a useful analogue ahead of studies in humans.
Mouse physiology is similar to humans, but their metabolism is much faster, allowing us to observe changes more rapidly than in human trials, and examine tissues difficult to sample in humans, he said.
Future research in mice and humans could uncover the mechanisms by which this resistance occurs and also which types of diet and other interventions may be best at tackling belly fat.
Best Fruits For Weight Loss
- Grapefruit: Half of the grapefruit contains 39 calories. High in Vitamin-A & C and low in calories.
- Apples: Average 220 grams of an apple contains 116 calories and 5.4 grams of fibre.
- Berries: Around 150 grams of strawberries contains 50 calories and 3 grams of fibre.
- Kiwifruit: 70 grams of Kiwifruit has around 2 grams of fibre and Vitamin-C & E.
- Watermelon: High in Water content. 160-170 grams contains 45-60 calories.
- Oranges: Provides low calories but high fibre and Vitamin C.
- Bananas: Full of nutrients like potassium, magnesium, manganese and a high amount of fibre. Provides Vitamins-A & B6 & C.
- Avocados: 100 grams contains 160 calories and Vitamin K.
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Who Shouldnt Use Intermittent Fasting
There are certain circumstances under which intermittent fasting isnt ideal or shouldnt be used. While it is an effective tool, everyones biochemistry is different and can vary at different stages or times in your life.
You should NOT use intermittent fasting if you are:
- Suffering from adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue can occur when you are under a lot of intense stress, have suffered an infection or illness, or are severely sleep-deprived. Adrenal fatigue makes you very tired, and it affects the way you metabolize your food.
- Pregnant or nursing. To sustain the increased caloric needs of growing baby and/or milk production, you should be eating regularly.
- Have or are recovering from an eating disorder. Its important to have and maintain a healthy relationship with food. If you have an eating disorder, please seek professional help. If you are recovering from an eating disorder or have struggled with eating disorders in the past, please do not use intermittent fasting as a weight-loss tool.
- Are a child. Children are growing while they sleep and need a good quality breakfast to replenish their spent energy. An ideal should not include fruit juice or grains, but rather protein and vegetables like a Green Monster Frittata or boiled eggs, meat, and vegetables.
- Consult your healthcare professional prior to beginning a fast if you have any condition you are concerned will be negatively affected by a change in diet.
Reduce Refined Carbohydrate Intake
Just as you should drink whole milk because it is less processed, you should also reduce refined carbohydrate intake for the same reason. Refined carbs, during processing, are stripped of their bran and germ. The end result is food that is artificially low in fiber and nutrients and high on the glycemic index. When you eat foods with a high glycemic index, your blood sugar levels fluctuate.
Blood sugar levels spiking and crashing increases hunger and calorie consumption. This results in excess belly fat. Contrastingly, when you incorporate more whole grains into your diet, you will lose inches off your belly, lower your BMI and burn overall body fat. Replace processed cereals, white bread, and pasta with whole wheat pasta, whole grain bread, oats, barley, and quinoa.
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Mapping Out The Inner Workings Of Fat Deposits
Before analysis, the robotic preparation of tiny amounts of protein.
The research team examined more than 8500 proteins located in fat deposits, creating a catalogue of changes that occurred during intermittent fasting, using a technique called proteomics.
Proteomics the study of all proteins a relatively new area of study that takes its name from genomics , monitors how proteins react under certain conditions, which in this case is intermittent fasting.
The results provide a rich source of data that helps to paint a more complete picture of the inner workings of fat tissue.
It was via proteomics that the research team were alerted of major cellular changes caused by intermittent fasting and, after further analysis, highlighted the visceral fats preservation mechanism in action.
The mass spectrometer, a machine at the heart of proteomics, in the midst of analysing the sample. The image is a thermal photo of the front of the instrument that reaches 300oC during analysis.
The study was conducted using the instruments of the Sydney Mass Spectrometry in the Charles Perkins Centre, part of the University of Sydneys Core Research Facilities.
Dr Larance says it should be noted that findings from the intermittent study may not apply to different diet regimes such as the 5:2 diet or calorie restriction, which is common in people wanting to lose weight.
Dangers Of Fasting For Weight Loss
When you dramatically reduce your calorie intake, you will lose weight. But it can also cause all kinds of health problems, including muscle loss. Further, when you start fasting, your body goes into conservation mode, burning calories more slowly.
Keep in mind that the initial weight lost on a fast is primarily fluid or “water weight,” not fat. And when you go back to eating, any lost weight usually gets a return ticket back. Not only do most people regain weight lost on a fast, they tend to add a few extra pounds because a slower metabolism makes it easier to gain weight. Worse, the weight that is regained is likely to be all fat — lost muscle has to be added back at the gym.
Continued
Side effects of fasting include dizziness, headaches, low blood sugar, muscle aches, weakness, and fatigue. Prolonged fasting can lead to anemia, a weakened immune system, liver and kidney problems, and irregular heartbeat. Fasting can also result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies, muscle breakdown, and diarrhea. When you drink laxative concoctions during a fast, there is an increased risk of fluid imbalance and dehydration.
The risks get more complicated and severe the longer you stay on a fast, or if you repeatedly go on fasts.
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The Metabolic Switchover To Lose Belly Fat When Intermittent Fasting
I am going to explain quickly how intermittent fasting works to reduce belly fat and we will go right it with some tips that will help you make the most of fasting to eliminate belly fat.
Fasting Lowers Insulin
Insulin is the main fat storage hormone. Your body produces insulin every time you eat and thats why fasting helps reduce insulin levels. Moreover, you will notice, the more you eat, the more you want to eat. As your body produces more and more insulin when you are constantly eating, your cells can become desensitized to the presence of insulin. Thats what we call insulin resistance. It will make you crave food even when you are not hungry as you store more fat.
Fasting Increases Human Growth Hormone
Fasting increases human growth hormone and a decrease in HGH is linked with obesity. HGH seems to regulate fat deposition in adipose tissue. All this means is that it regulates fat storage and how your cells receive fatty acids .
Fasting Helps Reorganize Fat Cells
Does Intermittent Fasting Burn Stubborn Belly Fat
Fasting itself has been around as long as humans have been around. Hippocrates and Plato were fans of fasting, and most major religions have rituals that involve the practice. However, using fasting to lose weight or other health benefits is relatively new and has attracted more modern philosophers.
There are many ways to go about fasting most of them fall under one of the three methods:
- In alternate day fasting every other day, you eat a small 500 calorie meal.
- In the 5:2 diet you usually eat for five days and then eat a 500 calorie meal on your two fasting days.
- In the time-restricted diet you typically eat as you would, but you cram it into a 6-8 hour window of time.
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Eat More Filling Foods
Again, hitting a calorie target sounds simple, but that doesnt make it easy!
If you find youre consistently getting hungry throughout the day when trying to stick to a diet, you may need to change up your food choices.
Sure, you could technically lose weight by eating 1200 calories of Doritos every day, though I wouldnt recommend it!
Your best bet will be to eat lots of nutrient rich foods that satiate your body and take time to digest.
Simple carbs are unquestionably delicious but offer little nutritional value, so your body churns through them quickly. They might briefly fill your stomach, but they wont leave you satisfied for long.
Complex carbs and lean proteins will keep you full for longer and better fuel your body for any workouts you might incorporate.
Where Can I Learn More About This
Neil blogs more about Fat Loss, Muscle Gain and improving Body Recomposition over at his website LeanMassGains.com. His approach uses a 16 hour fast, 8 hour feed approach, coupled with weight training, nutrient and calorie timing to deliver lightning fast changes in body composition. Head on over to check out even more benefits of Intermittent Fasting. When not blogging, Neil spends his time training for local strongman competitions.
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Do The Right Kind Of Cardio
Believe it or not, exercise is completely optional when it comes to losing weight. If you eat the right number of calories, the fat will come off regardless.
However, it will be much easier to create your consistent calorie deficit if youre active and burning extra calories at least a few times per week. Plus, exercising is a whole lot better for your health that not exercising.
Cardio can definitely help! But youll have a few choices for how to go about it:
Each form of cardio has its place, but for fat loss, Id recommend sticking mostly with LISS or HIIT workouts to burn extra calories a few times per week.
