For many of us belly fat is insanely hard to shift, no matter how many healthy foods we try to eat or how much exercise we seem to do.
Get your beauty sleep
It’s been proven that people who sleep less are more prone to weight gain. And, if you are sleep-deprived, you are more likely to crave unhealthy foods and eat more of them.
Chill out
The stress hormone, cortisol, is linked to higher levels of belly fat. Levels of this hormone rise when we experience stress, mental or physical. So, learning to relax and not stressing quite as much if you miss that workout may actually help you to lose the belly.
Avoid sugar
Eating more sugar increases our levels of insulin, high levels of which are linked to fat storage. You can shrink your stomach by reducing the amount of sugar in your diet. Try replacing it with healthier alternatives; natural sweeteners such as Stevia will prevent spikes in insulin levels.
Eat fat to lose fat
If you decrease dietary fat in an effort to lose fat you may be sabotaging your efforts. Fat helps us to feel fuller for longer and may actually help us to burn fat. Cut fat and you risk replacing it with sugary foods and eating more. Include foods such as nuts, avocados and oily fish in your diet.
Avoid trans fat
Trans fats, the only fat that nutritionists definitely agree is bad for you has been strongly linked to more fat around the middle. This type of fat often hides so make sure you check labels; you’ll find it in some store bought snacks and margarine’s.
Eat protein
As well as helping to control hunger and increase satiety – the feeling of being full – higher protein intakes are also associated with a smaller waist. Spread your intake evenly throughout the day and make sure your breakfast includes a decent portion; eggs, yogurt, nuts and fish are good sources of protein for runners.
Strength train
Strength training is a great way of promoting a better body composition; it has been shown to promote a better muscle to fat ratio. It may also improve your hormone balance, which will help to promote belly fat loss. It’s also been shown to boost metabolism afterwards too, so you’ll burn more calories with no extra effort
Come down to Kept Fit today and join in our strength training classes – memberships are £38 per month (£22 per month for students from 14yrs old), there is no joining fee and you can do as many classes (Class-schedule-Nov-2016.pdf)as you want.
Call 01204 308250 or email enquiries@keptfit.co.uk for this months membership and Personal Training offers