Bathing suit season is coming up fast and if your bulging quarantine midsection has you thinking you’ll just skip the pool parties this year, there’s hope. Follow these tips and you can banish stubborn belly fat and tone up those abs sooner than you think!
Eat five to six small meals a day.
Research has shown that by keeping your meals small and frequent, your metabolism will churn and burn more effectively. These meals should be higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates. Complex or low glycemic carbohydrates such as whole-grain breads and cereals, sweet potatoes and brown rice, should be consumed with protein for breakfast and lunch to give you energy throughout the day. Avoid carbs at night to really blast fat. Protein shakes make great mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks to give you the protein you need to build lean muscle and burn fat.
Exercise, exercise, exercise.
The Surgeon General’s recommendation of 30 minutes of moderately intense exercise five days a week along with strength training two or more non-consecutive days per week was intended for reducing the risk of chronic illness. To most effectively burn fat and lose weight, you should adopt a well-rounded fitness program comprised of 60 to 90 minutes of moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity most days of the week.
Define your abs with targeted exercises.
First, it is important to note that there is no such thing as “spot reducing” an area of your body. The idea of spot reducing to ‘burn off’ fat from a specific part of the body by selectively exercising that area does not really work. So, that means you better be eating right to lose fat around your belly. Then you can make your abs pop by incorporating abdominal exercises at least 3 times a week.
Know your body fat percentage.
If it’s a washboard that you want, you’re going to have to lower your body fat percentage. For a male to see his abs, he has to be 10 percent or lower. For a woman to see her abs, she generally needs to be 14 percent or lower. An effective way to measure body fat is to stop by your local NUTRISHOP® store for an InBody body composition analysis scan.
Remember, the best way to lose belly fat is a combination of diet and exercise. You can’t do one without the other. So, get to it and get ready to show off your tightly toned midsection at the first pool party of the summer!
