Losing That Stubborn Belly Fat

A question I get asked on a daily basis and the one that I feel to be surrounded in misconceptions is How Do I Lose Stubborn Belly Fat?.

Most companies promoting Ab Machines out there would have you believe 10 minutes a day on one of their machines and you can see results in just one week. If losing belly fat were this simple dont you think wed all being walking around with rock hard six packs? The fact is it is a combination of three separate factors that you need to follow in order to achieve a flatter stomach.

*1: Exercise Well duh, but when I say exercise Im not talking about 10 minutes whilst watching T.V. using your Ab Gliding, Rocking, Rolling, Twisting, Shouting Machine Its all about balance.

Cardio Exercise (C.E.), or cardiovascular is crucial in achieving your weight loss goals. C.E. is the use of large muscles in order to elevate the heart rate (to around half of its maximum level) for a sustained period in order for capillaries in the cardiovascular system to deliver high amounts of oxegen to cells within the muscles therefore aiding in the burning of fat not only when exercising but at rest as well.

The obvious forms of C.E. are of course running, jogging, walking but there are numerous forms of exercise one can do including cycling, any sports, pilates, step aerobics, treadmill work and the list goes on. Anaerobic or strength training is by definition exercise in which oxygen is used up more quickly than the body is able to replenish it inside the working muscle. As a result, muscle fibers have to derive their contractile energy from stored substrates like Glygogen (stored carbohydrates), ATP (Adenosine Tri-Phosphate), and CP (Creatine Phosphate). Weight training is an example of such an activity. It is highly anabolic in nature but also highly catabolic if done in excess.

This is where we hone down on specific muscle groups in order to build muscle. Targeting your abdominals neednt cost you the Earth either, there a numerous highly effective ab exercises you can do right at home without the use special equipment. Some of these exercises include the bicycle crunch, single leg bridge, vertical leg crunch, long arm crunch, and reverse crunch to name but a few. A good point to bear in mind is belly fat in particular can be one of the hardest areas of body to lose so dont get to discouraged when you havent got a six-pack after 2 weeks, just as it takes time to gain weight so it also takes time to lose it.

So in summation you need a good balance of cardio + anaerobic exercise in order to achieve the most effective results when losing that belly fat. There is an absolute wealth of information available online regarding typical workout routines involving what I have just mentioned above but I wont be going into detail here, thats a whole other subject.

*2: Diet The foods we consume have a direct effect on the way our bodies burn and store fat.

Lets say youre jogging 5km a day 4-5 days a week as well as weight training at the gym, but consuming foods high in saturated fats and sugar such as burger and fries, takeaway pizza, fried chicken, soft drinks and potato chips, its going to make it a real struggle to maintain a healthy weight even with the exercise. Obviously this is a fairly extreme example but the point Im making has I think been made.

Consuming so called fat burning foods such as fruits and vegetables, as well as eating low carb or foods that have a low G.I. (glycemic index) such as natural mueslis, whole-grain breads, nuts and beans to name but a few. The types of foods one should be looking at eating when undertaking a diet and fitness regime are endless so I wont go into great depth in this article but suffice to say I cant stress the importance of the combination of both exercise and a well balanced healthy diet. *3: Consistency The key to losing fat and maintaining a healthy body is the ability to have a plan and stick to it. Lets say you plan on doing cardio 4-5 times per week and strength training 2-3 times a week with a healthy menu set out for that week, do it! Of course in the real world things just happen and sometimes you may not be able to make a gym appointment or do your cardio for that day, and hey, thats just life but try and make it up wherever possible, remember staying healthy need not be a chore, its more about adjusting your lifestyle.

If you can sit down and make a practical game-plan that fits into your life incorporating a balance of exercise and healthy eating and maintain that plan with a certain amount of regularity the goal of losing weight that may have seemed to be unattainable in the past will all of a sudden become second nature.
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