For most people, gaining weight is much easier than losing it. It can take a lot of effort, determination and struggle to lose weight. Your belly, or gut, is an area that accumulates fatty tissue during weight gain. This fat may be visceral (between organs) or subcutaneous (under the skin). Some amount of visceral fat is healthy as it helps cushion and protect organs, but too much visceral fat can lead to problems, such as fatty liver disease. Excess subcutaneous fat is the cause of love handles or a drooping belly. Trying to lose or avoid belly fat is one of the reasons why some people become gym junkies. Others buy home exercise equipment that is used for a while and then gathers dust and takes up space. Others still turn to fad diets, cleanses, fasts or other weight loss programs
No matter the approach you take towards weight loss, a healthy diet and exercise should be part of your routine. This doesn’t mean you have to slog it out at the gym five days a week, but rather that you need to stay active. Likewise a healthy diet doesn’t mean you have to pay through the nose for organic food and specialty products but rather limit portion size, avoid sugars and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Read on for other tips that may help you lose that excess weight.
Green Tea
Green tea contains caffeine, polyphenols and antioxidants, all of which may help aid in weight loss. Moderate caffeine intake can stimulate the metabolism, helping the body naturally process its stored fat into energy. Polyphenols are a category of plant compound, consumption of which has been linked to a boost in digestive and brain health. Green tea loaded with a type of antioxidant called catechins. These powerful antioxidants help the body eliminate free radicals that can cause cell damage and have also been linked to potential weight loss. In addition, green tea may help the body become more sensitive to insulin, helping you better metabolise sugars and may help prevent people with insulin resistance from developing type 2 diabetes, a disease that is linked to excess weight and obesity.
There is no specific timing for drinking green tea to maximise its potential weight loss properties, but it has been suggested that 30 minutes to an hour before or after a meal may be optimal.
Fat Burning Medications
Fat burning medications are readily available over the counter or online. While they are not a quick fix or guaranteed to make you lose weight, fat burning supplements may help you kickstart a weightloss journey by speeding your metabolism, allowing you to convert fat into energy more easily, or suppress the appetite to make dieting easier. The best belly fat burner that might be best for you may depend on what you are looking for the medication to do, such as raising fat metabolism, reducing fat absorption or reducing appetite. Although to be sold legally in Australia, fat burning supplements must be listed with the TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration), listed products aren’t as highly monitored as prescription medicines. Fat burning medications bought online may not be monitored or assessed by an official body at all, so you will be taking them at your own risk.
Different fat burning supplements may have different instructions for when and how much should be taken, but as a rule of thumb, many recommend taking your daily dose around half an hour before your first meal of the day.
Exercise
Exercise is an essential part of any weight loss journey. Not only can exercise slim down the waistband, it can also help improve cardiovascular health, your breathing, and alleviate pain in the back and neck, all of which have been linked to obesity. Although BMI may be able to roughly categorise your weight, a more accurate measure of potential health risks from weight gain can be taken from a simple waist measurement. The bigger the waist the more potential problems arise. Exercise can also boost metabolism and help combat insulin resistance, a condition that makes it harder for the body to convert sugars into energy and may lead to type 2 diabetes . It may also enable your liver to better utilise fatty acids , to lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol levels.
Exercises don’t have to involve special equipment or an expensive gym membership. Simple cardio exercises, like skipping rope or riding an exercise bike (or just riding a bike in general) can help burn fat and keep you in shape. Simple taking long, regular walks for half an hour or more, in combination with a healthy diet can help kickstart your weight loss and improve your metabolism and cardiovascular health. If you are capable, jogging or running can help burn even more fat. The more active you are and the more vigorous the exercise, the more calories you burn, but don’t over do it. Don’t hurt yourself trying to lose weight.
Eat a Balanced Diet
Eating healthy food doesn’t mean you have to splurge for expensive ingredients or opt for a fad diet. Rather, eating healthily is all about ensuring that the food you eat is full of good nutrients and that you limit portion sizes so you don’t over-eat. Many people looking to lose weight opt to either limit or eliminate carbs from their diet. Although carbs can give you a lot of energy, that energy if not used can easily be stored as fat. Avoiding excess sugar is also a major component of most healthy eating. High fibre and high protein meals offer long-lasting energy and can make you feel fuller for longer.
Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables should be part of any healthy diet. Meals should have a mixture of insoluble fiber (found in root vegetables, pulses, green beans and numerous other vegetables) as well as non-starchy leafy greens like spinach, chard, roquette and the like.
The larger your waistline, the greater the risk of developing numerous conditions or diseases, including cardiovascular disease, high blood sugar, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease and even some forms of cancer. Losing weight, particularly abdominal fat, may also promote sleep quality and reduce sleep apnea. Losing weight may seems hard, but with some effort and lifestyle changes, as well as help from a fat burning supplement if needed can help you start your weight loss journey and improve your overall health.