Build Lean Muscle Mass
Cardio is excellent for burning belly fat, but you can give your body a boost by adding in resistance training. When you build muscle, your body expends a lot of energy. It also burns calories maintaining that muscle. Fat doesn’t require such energy expenditure.
Having more lean muscle mass will increase your resting metabolism, which is the calories your body burns just to carry out physiological processes. According to Paige Kinucan and Len Kravitz, Ph.D., of the University of New Mexico, lean muscle mass increases total daily energy expenditure by 20 percent, whereas fat only contributes about 5 percent.
Lower ab workouts are a good addition to your regimen, but they won’t do much to flatten your lower stomach you have to do some type of total-body resistance training. This could be lifting weights at the gym, taking a power yoga class, or doing calisthenics or any other type of training that taxes your muscles. Whatever activity you do, engage in it at least twice a week, more if possible.
Tips On How To Lose The Belly Fat After Menopause
As a woman progresses in her later years, aka her menopause years, she loses estrogen. One frustrating consequence of this lost estrogen is that the normal contours of her body change. What she now finds that instead of weight settling on her hips, it goes to straight to her belly.
Even a thin woman may be frustrated to discover that, as her estrogen levels decline during perimenopause, she is suddenly sporting belly fat, a place that she may never have had to worry about before now.
And it is not only women that suffer this fate.
Men often refer to their belly fat as “the beer belly”, beer gut, pot-belly or front butt. For men, this sudden increase in belly fat can be due to the loss of testosterone levels that results in them suddenly developing belly fat in their later years.
Whatever the reason, belly fat occurs when excessive abdominal fat accumulates around the stomach and abdomen and has built up to the extent that it is likely to have a negative impact on health.
Making it a priority and trying to lose some of your belly fat is important, not only for personal appearance and vanity, but also for your health with research showing the significance of belly fat and its role in the risk of acute myocardial infarctions, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol as well as other inflammatory conditions.
Here are a few suggestions on how to lose weight after menopause.
Earlier on Huff/Post50:
Avoid Sugar And Sweetened Beverages
What you eat and drink are the largest contributors to your lower belly fat. Sugar, specifically, is one of the biggest culprits. Consuming excess sugar, especially fructose one of the two primary components of added sugar in foods and beverages triggers chronic inflammation in the body, which leads to a host of problems, including increased visceral fat, according to a 2017 research review in the journal Nutrients.
Sweetened beverages like soda, sweet tea, fruit juice, coffee drinks and even so-called healthy vitamin drinks are even worse than sugary foods because they provide no satiety the sense of fullness that is key to controlling calories and losing fat.
To lose lower belly fat, you should first take aim at sugar in your diet. Instead of sweetened beverages, drink water or unsweetened tea. If you cut out that soda at lunch, you can reduce your daily calorie intake by up to 200 calories. You should also avoid cookies, cakes, candy, ice cream and other sweet treats, except for the occasional indulgence.
Sugar lurks in some unsuspecting places too. Flavored yogurts, cereal, dried fruit, instant oatmeal, and dressings and sauces can be high in sugar, so be sure to check food labels and ingredients lists.
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How To Lose Belly Fat: 11 Realistic And Proven Tips
Working to get rid of belly fat comes down to nailing a number of things – all of which will require different approaches, but there is one constant: don’t focus on how to lose belly fat fast, drastically stripping back calories or overdoing it with the gym workouts. Nutrition and daily movement are crucial, but going hell for leather on either will have detrimental effects. Here’s all the expert-backed advice and tips you need to lose belly fat safely.
Include High Intensity Exercise
One way to help decrease overall body fat is to try out a high-intensity exercise like the well-known high-intensity interval training several times a week.
This type of training alternates from intense bursts of movement to lower intensity or rest periods, thus the intervals.
The point is to get your heart rate up during those bursts.
Because youll be burning a lot of calories in the form of energy, youll see lower abdomen flatten and overall body fat percentage goes down as well.
Good examples of HIIT workouts:
- Burpee
- Squat jumps
- Medicine ball slam
Keep in mind that high intensity during workouts can be dangerous, consult with your doctor first before starting this type of fitness routine.
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Youre Doing The Same Exercise And Eating
the same healthy diet of whole foods you always have so why does the weight still go on?
The thought of having to starve and flog yourself as you did in your 20s is crushing. Back then your diet consisted of lettuce leaves and low fat cottage cheese on a cracker and at least 4 times a week you wrestled your way into a leotard to do jazzercise!
Fat loss back then was as easy as a piece of cake. Only not cake, more a smearing of vegemite on a cruskit.
I empathise. At 50 years old I could no longer ignore my cottage cheese belly fat. When I looked in the mirror I didnt like what I saw and if I was being honest with myself hadnt done for some time.
I had been turning a blind eye to it and pretending that I was okay. But I really wasnt.
Then I saw myself in a photo and I didnt recognise me.
Not smiling, because I hated having my photo taken, slouching to try and diminish myself and THAT BELLY!
So why is it difficult to weight after 50?
Add More Lean Protein In Your Diet To Lose Weight
Including plenty of good quality protein in your diet will not only help with weight loss but will help slow muscle loss.
Older women have higher protein needs than those of their younger counterparts and it is shown that eating a protein rich diet can not only prevent but reverse muscle loss that occurs at this time in your life.
A bonus of eating protein is that it keeps you feeling fuller for longer meaning you are less likely to snack.
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Answers To Common Questions
What exercise is best for burning belly fat over 50?
It is important to include a good mix of aerobic activity and weight training. Your aerobic activity can be exercises like walking, swimming, cycling, and running and should include bursts of high intensity interspersed with lower intensity. Strength training is about doing enough that its not easy and once you feel your not being stretched step it up a notch. This will keep you muscles strong and metabolism fired up.
How can I lose fat over 50 fast?
Top 7 things to do:
- Cut out sugar
What foods are best for losing belly fat over 50?
The best foods to include in your diet that help you lose weight are:
- Plant based food such as vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds.
- Lean good quality protein or plant protein such as lentils, legumes and chickpeas.
- Healthy fats such as olive oil and avocado.
- Plenty of soluble fibre eg: phsyllium husk, lentils, ground linseed and brussel sprouts.
- Insoluble fiber eg: berries, spinach, cocount and peas
Snack On Tart Cherries
That sour cherry is pretty sweet when it comes to your health. The results of a study conducted at the University of Michigan found that rats given high-fat foods along with tart cherries ditched nine percent more body fat than those in a control group over just 12 weeks. Cherries are also a good source of antioxidant pigment resveratrol, which has been linked to reductions in belly fat, dementia risk, and lower rates of macular degeneration among the elderly.
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Add Some Calcium To Your Meals
Increasing your calcium intake does more than just improve the strength of your bonesâit’s also an easy way to keep those extra pounds from congregating around your waist. Researchers in Shanghai found that college students with low calcium intakes who increased their calcium and vitamin D consumption and engaged in moderate exercise lost more visceral fat than the control group. While many people assume that dairy is the best way to boost your calcium intake, there are plenty of vegan-friendly ways to do that very thing, too. Sunflower seeds, oranges, almonds, beans, and green vegetables, like kale, watercress, and broccoli, are all easy non-dairy ways to add calcium to every meal.
You’re Not Paying Attention To Your Food
Scrolling through your feed over a breakfast bowl? Eating your lunch in front of your desk? Dinner with the TV on? If this sounds familiar, there is a risk you are not paying attention to your food.
“It can take up to 20 minutes for signals to reach our brains to tell us we are full, explains Clarissa. “If we are distracted, we can miss these signals and end up over eating which can lead to weight gain.” It’s the small things.
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Consider The Health Benefits Of Intermittent Fasting For Weight Loss
Intermittent fasting is not deprivation but haveing a smaller window in which you eat and extending the window of time in which you dont eat.
This is an easy way to lose weight by only eating in a specified period. Generally your eating period will be 8-10 hours while fasting for the other 14-16 hrs.
This type of fasting has many benefits such as:
- More energy
- Increase in muscle
- Balancing hormones
The most common fasting periods are 12, 14 or 16 hours without food. Typically those times would include the time that you are asleep so not as difficult as you might think.
If you eat your last meal at 7pm then you eat your first meal at 7am and thats 12 hours. Its a great starting point and as your body gets used to it you can stretch it out to that 16 hours which can be very beneficial to losing belly fat.
If intermittent fasting it is not an opportunity to eat anything and everything in your chosen time. In fact with the shortened time you have to eat if you choose a healthy diet of wholefoods it is likely or hopeful that you will be eating fewer calories.
Break Out Your Yoga Mat
Practicing yoga gives you more than just an excuse to wear stretchy pants all day â it’s also a great way for older individuals to shed that belly for good. Yoga is a great, low-impact exercise that’s easy on the joints, builds lean muscle mass, and can burn upwards of 300 calories an hour, even in a gentle practice. Research conducted at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences in Bangalore even found that practicing yoga can help lower cortisol levels, limiting the risk of belly fat storage and reducing stress, too.
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Increase Your Good Fats
“Yup, I said increase! Healthy fats such as nuts, seeds, olive oil, and avocado can help normalize your weight and balance your blood sugar both of which help combat the development of visceral fat in the abdomen,” says Seti. And this is especially true for women. Looking to blast belly fat? “Include a portion of healthy fats with every meal.”
Understanding The Risks Of Belly Fat
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How To Lose Belly Fat In Seven Days
Include aerobic exercises in your daily routine to help you lose your belly fat.
A fat belly is linked to various diseases as it is the most harmful fat in your body. Aside from working out, avoiding junk food and alcohol are among the ways to get a flat belly.
Additionally, check out these tips for how to burn belly fat in less than a week.
1. Include aerobic exercises in your daily routine
If you want to burn fat fast there is no getting around cardio training. Studies find that this is the most effective form of exercise to reduce belly fat.
2. Reduce refined carbs
One should avoid consuming refined carbs to lose fat around the abdominal area and have good metabolic health.
It is not necessary to stick to a strict low-carb diet, however it should be replaced with unprocessed carbs. Instead of white bread, white rice and sodas, eat more vegetables and whole grains.
Read also: Six reasons why you still have a fat belly despite exercising
3. Add fatty fish to your diet
Fatty fish such as salmon, sardines or tuna is a high-quality protein and rich in omega-3 acids. By eating 2 to 3 portions a week you can reduce the risk of illnesses like heart disease and also burn your belly fat.
Studies revealed that Omega-3 fats have the ability to reduce visceral fat that is around your abdomen.
4. Start the day with a high protein breakfast
5. Drink enough water
6. Reduce your salt intake
7. Consume soluble fiber
- Topics :
Cut Back On Carbs Especially Refined Carbs
Reducing your carb intake can be very beneficial for losing fat, including abdominal fat.
Diets with under 50 grams of carbs per day cause belly fat loss in people who are overweight, those at risk for type 2 diabetes, and women with polycystic ovary syndrome .
You dont have to follow a strict low carb diet. Some research suggests that simply replacing refined carbs with unprocessed starchy carbs may improve metabolic health and reduce belly fat .
In the famous Framingham Heart Study, people with the highest consumption of whole grains were 17% less likely to have excess abdominal fat than those who consumed diets high in refined grains .
SUMMARY
A high intake of refined carbs is associated with excessive belly fat. Consider reducing your carb intake or replacing refined carbs in your diet with healthy carb sources, such as whole grains, legumes, or vegetables.
Coconut oil is one of the healthiest fats you can eat.
Studies show that the medium-chain fats in coconut oil may boost metabolism and decrease the amount of fat you store in response to high calorie intake (
39 ).
In one study, men with obesity who took coconut oil daily for 12 weeks lost an average of 1.1 inches from their waists without intentionally changing their diets or exercise routines (
41 ).
Also, keep in mind that coconut oil is high in calories. Instead of adding extra fat to your diet, replace some of the fats youre already eating with coconut oil.
SUMMARY
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Get Outside To Help Lose Belly Fat
According to Hughes, a lack of sunlight can increase levels of belly fat. Indeed, findings presented at the European Society of Endocrinology annual meeting, revealed that, in women, both total and abdominal fat were associated with lower levels of vitamin D.
In addition to sunlight, vitamin D can be obtained from food and supplements. Check out nutritionist Rob Hobsons guide to overcoming a vitamin D deficiency.
If you’re not sure how to make the most of your time outside why not try this month-long walking for weight loss plan or learn to run for 30 minutes comfortably with a four-week running plan.
Diet For Losing Belly Fat In 1 Week
The trick of this diet is to provide the maximum nutrients with minimal calories, fats and sugars. The following is recommended for this diet:
- Eating six meals a day, one every 3 hours
- Drinking at least two liters of water or green tea a day
- Eating a different salad every day and a piece of meat, fish or chicken that fits in the palm of your hand
- Eating two pieces of fruit a day, every day, preferably low-sugar fruit such as berries, kiwi or orange
- Eating two yogurts with live lactobacilli a day, such as Yakult, as this will encourage your bodys bowel movements, and thus reduce abdominal bloating
- Eating less salt, by using more herbs and seasoning salads with lemon, for example
- Drinking one cup of boldo tea half an hour before lunch and dinner because boldo fights flatulence, and so decreases bloating.
Weight loss programs that have lasting effects are those that include regular physical activity and dietary changes, however, it is possible to see visible results in just one week if you follow the above guidelines. You can also do aesthetic treatments such as ultrasonic cavitation, radio frequency, and lymphatic drainage massage to eliminate excess fluid, and fat and promote skin firmness as these treatments can complement this weight loss program.
References
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