Whether you want to get back in shape, feel more comfortable in your jeans, or avoid bloating, everyone has their own reasons for wanting a flat stomach. Losing belly fat is a battle you can take on at any time for any reason. However, the enemy can be tough, and it's not the easiest battle to fight. We'll tell you how to go about it. Here are our best tips to help you achieve your goals.
How does nutrition impact belly fat loss?
The most important thing when you want to get rid of belly fat is to improve your diet. To achieve this, you can adopt a few good habits quickly and without making major compromises.
How to see a daily calorie deficit?
To lose fat, especially around your belly, you need to adapt your eating habits to achieve a slight daily calorie deficit. Proper nutrition management is essential. Basically, weigh the food you eat and count the calories you consume each day. Feeling like you're "eating well" isn't enough. Without paying attention, we often exceed the required calorie intake. For example, without exercising and for good health, a man needs about 2,000 calories and a woman 1,800 calories per day. Based on this benchmark, it will be difficult for you to see abdominal fat disappear if your daily calorie intake exceeds these recommendations.
It's recommended to maintain a deficit of 200 to 250 calories per day to lose fat over time without significantly impacting your muscle mass. At this level of deficit, it's not a draconian diet for your body. It's possible to implement this habit without experiencing hunger pangs, simply by slightly reducing the portion sizes when preparing your meal, which doesn't represent a major change in your daily life. This is called a rebalancing diet.
What is the ideal plate?
Measuring your calorie intake is a starting point if you want to lose belly fat. You'll also need to balance your diet; this will also have a positive impact on your health. The composition of your plate can be:
- 50% of your meal will be spent on seasonal vegetables with a good distribution of macronutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates). Choose to cook them in water or steam, and season with just a tablespoon of olive oil. Vary your seasonal vegetables; they are important sources of vitamins and minerals for our bodies.
- 25% dedicated to protein (e.g., a chicken fillet). Consuming protein (animal or plant-based) helps maintain your muscle mass. Feel free to vary your protein sources.
- 25% devoted to carbohydrates (e.g. sweet potatoes)
Our tips for losing belly fat quickly:
- Eat healthy fats in reasonable amounts, such as avocado, salmon, olive oil, or even nuts. Whenever possible, consume low-glycemic carbohydrate sources.
- Reduce your intake of foods containing simple carbohydrates, such as white bread, pasta, or white rice
- Choose whole grain products such as whole grain bread, whole grain pasta or brown rice, which are sources of fiber.
- Ban sugar. It tends to be stored specifically in the stomach area. Also, limit your salt intake.
- Drink plenty of water (2L/day)
Why is sport essential for losing belly fat?
Optimizing your diet is a good first step, but exercise is just as essential if you want to lose belly fat and get your flat stomach back. Three to four workouts per week is already a very good pace for achieving good results quickly. Vary your exercises. Above all, the most important thing is to be consistent. Choose fewer sessions, or shorter sessions, that you can repeat regularly over the longer term. This is the key to effective results and avoid yo-yoing.
Cross training to burn calories.
Cross training is ideal for people who want to try several sports at the same time. The goal is to train not just one muscle, but several muscle chains during a workout. This type of program is ideal when you're looking to burn fat. Within the cross training family, we find HIIT ( High Intensity Interval Training). This method is based on a simple principle: very intense efforts over a short period of time, followed by a recovery phase between each exercise. For example, a 4-minute circuit is divided into 8 times 20 seconds of intense effort / 10 seconds of rest. You can also practice HIIT in the form of 30/30, 45/15... choose the training method that suits your level, but it is important to work at a high intensity.
Due to the intensity produced and the limited recovery periods, it allows for greater energy expenditure compared to continuous work. Just 20 to 30 minutes of full-power training is enough to burn a lot of energy. We lose calories during and after the effort because the body has to recover from the intensive session it has just undergone. This method:
- results in very high calorie consumption in a short time.
- increases metabolism several hours after training.
- allows you to both lose fat and gain muscle mass.
Doing sit-ups doesn't make you lose belly fat.
We often think that doing sit-ups is the perfect way to get a flat stomach. Unfortunately, that's not quite the case: with traditional "sit-ups," you gain volume, which isn't necessarily the goal.
Core strengthening exercises are more recommended, as these exercises train your deep abdominal muscles (pelvis, psoas, transverse abdominal muscles, obliques) and accentuate the desired flat stomach effect.
Swimming and Yoga: Ideal Allies
Swimming and yoga are a perfect pair of sports to lose fat.
Swimming regularly allows you to work your muscles differently, while protecting your joints. By engaging your muscles, abdominal fat will gradually melt away. And, even if your stomach doesn't immediately reveal the famous six-pack you've been dreaming of, your core will be firmer and more toned. In other words, you'll strengthen your entire body and improve your posture.
With yoga, you work on your flexibility and balance, while learning to control your breathing. This learning process takes on its full meaning in all kinds of sports, but also in everyday life. By learning to relax, you will facilitate the weight loss process that is so important to you, and above all, it will do you good!
Cycling, running and walking: always a good idea.
Being active is an important habit for your health, especially to prevent your body from storing fat. Additionally, cycling, jogging regularly, or walking (brisk or leisurely) will have a positive impact on your cardiovascular system. You can easily incorporate these activities into your daily routine. As always, be progressive in the length and intensity of your sessions. All of these endurance activities will ultimately reduce belly fat.
Good sleep and patience.
Too often overlooked, sleep is very important in general, but especially when you want to lose fat. It already helps ensure good shape. Thanks to better recovery from the previous day's fatigue, our body recovers and our metabolism improves. You should aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. This will also allow your body to produce growth hormones, which promotes weight loss.
Also, try to control your stress. This can negatively affect how your body stores fat. Stress can send the wrong signals to your body, causing it to store more fat due to a sense of urgency. It can also affect your feelings of hunger, leading you to snack more. Avoid this if you're specifically looking to lose fat.
Above all, be patient. While there's no magic formula for targeted fat loss, these are the best habits you can adopt to achieve a flat stomach. After a few weeks, the hard work will pay off! 💪
