Diet Changes to Get Rid of Stomach Fat Pt 3.

This is the third part of a series on diet changes to get rid of stomach fat. I'm constantly changing and adapting the way I approach eating to get my weight down and keep it there. In this post you'll find more easy diet changes to help you come the new you.

Notice I said "the way I approach eating", because you should be thinking about the food your putting into your  body. It's a decision like any other, just more important, and it's not something people actively think about. Try it, make yourself think about what you're going to eat, what it contains, what effect it's going to have on your body and how you feel. If you can do this, it gets easier to make these changes.

1. No more fast food. Seriously, none. It's really not that difficult to plan ahead. You know your schedule is crazy, so keep some food in the car so you're not a slave to hunger. Put a couple protein bars, some nuts or beef jerky in your car for a quick bite to eat when you're in a rush. You can get 400 calories dense with nutrients your body needs or 800 calories of empty fat and filler. You're call. 
2. Learn to love Fish. Even if you claim you hate the taste I can almost assure you there is a certain type of fish and way you can prepare it that you'll enjoy. Why am I so sure? Because I never liked fish either. First, I was able to eat haddock, then tilapia and code, now I'm eating salmon, flounder, I'll eat almost any kind of fish. Fish is low in calories but packed with protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which are the good fats. Just replacing red meat with fish once or twice a week will help you lost stomach fat and fat in general. Try your hardest to learn to love it. I'll provide some recipes in the future to help you.
3. Vegetables. Ahh, where to begin here. We've always hated these, it's ingrained in us from childhood. Those gross, green, mushy, smelly, well you get the idea. Not really helping my cause here am I? Well, let me defend myself. If that description sounded right, then I'm sorry, but your Mom is a bad cook and she should feel bad for killing such a great food source for you. I jest about the bad cook part, but trust me, vegetables are delicious. And if you don't agree, you're not preparing them right. It's that simple. Making vegetables a center piece of a meal is a great diet change you can make to get rid of stomach fat. You'll eat less calories and less fat, two staples of any diet. If you have a tough time enjoying vegetables, try grilling some with your favorite grill spices. Start there and we'll go over some great recipes in future posts. 

Those are three more basic and simple diet changes to get rid of stomach fat. These may seem like torture at first, but it's nothing compared to what you'll feel later in life if you don't make these changes now. I'm closer to 40 than 20 and I feel better now than I have in years, so trust me when I say it's worth it. 

Exercises to Lose Stomach Fat

If you've read any of my previous posts then you probably understand that there are no exercises to lose stomach fat. Just so we're all clear, you cannot target fat loss in certain areas. It's just not how the human body works. You can however lose fat all over your body. Doesn't it sound like a better idea to lose a few inches everywhere anyway?

If you came to this post expecting to see a list of exercises to "lose stomach fat" like sit ups, crunches or leg lifts then you're not going to get the information you expected. What you will get is some idea to get healthier and lose fat in the process. Taking that kind of approach is the only tried and true method there is.

Before I make any recommendations, I need to remind everyone that I am not a doctor and my advice should be not taken as such. If you're starting a new workout regimen you should always consult your physician first.

So let's assume you're not an avid gym goer, but you're looking to lose weight. Where do you start?

Well, you should always start simple and easy. It's easy to underestimate the toll an activity like running or biking can take on your muscles and connective tissue. It is counter productive if you can only run 1 day a week because your in too much pain. The best starting point is a brisk walk.

The first step is to map out a route. The approach I like to take is to see how fast I can do a route. It makes it feel like a race against myself and I don't like to lose (or take a step backward in this case)!

Before starting your walk be sure to stretch and pay special attention to your legs. Once you feel nice and loose note the time or start your stopwatch. When you walk, it should be faster than your normal pace. It should feel like your pushing yourself. You want to walk for at least 20-30 minutes. If you start to finish your route quicker than that then expand it or take another lap. Whatever works for the area you're walking in.

Of course this is only the first step, but I bet you never thought anyone would tell you that walking was an exercise to lose stomach fat did you?

In future posts I'll cover more exercises to lose stomach fat and diet ideas to supplement the workout you're getting.

Diet Changes to Get Rid of Stomach Fat Pt. 2

In the last diet changes to get rid of stomach fat post I discussed some high level diet changes you can make to cut calories. In this post I'll cover some more specific changes and food substitutions to help achieve your goals.

I covered the biggest swap you can make in the last post, process grains for whole grains. Please, if you only make one of these changes, let it be this one.

Here are three common practices you can change.

1. Stop drinking regular soda and sugary drinks. I realized I was getting so many calories from liquids. If you have 3 sodas a day that's roughly 500 calories, or 20-25% of the calories allowed in a day for a normal diet. That's crazy. I'd rather get my calories from something substantial that will give me energy for a longer time. Sugar has also been linked to many long-term health issues. Remember, water is free, both in terms of money and calories. 
2. Stop adding fat to your dishes. If you find yourself dumping oil or slinging globs of butter into your frying pans every time you cook then this is for you. Get cooking spray! It's pretty much aerosol-ed oil so don't be scared. It won't add weird flavor or anything. Plus it's 0 calories. If you absolutely must use oil, make it olive oil. It's full of good fats. 
3. Stop eating chips. Another big one. Just don't buy them. There are plenty of more healthy alternatives. There is no better way to guarantee you'll have stomach fat than to munch on fatty, salty, high calorie potato chips, tortilla chips, whatever. Recently, cracker chips have been released by a well known snack brand. Look for them in the cracker isle. They're fantastic tasting and an entire box has something like 350 calories or less. You won't even miss chips, I promise. 

Those are three easy diet changes to get rid of stomach fat. The best part is that they're so easy to implement in your life. There are good alternatives to all of them, so the only excuse you could possibly have is laziness. Don't let that stop you from being the person you want to be.

Check back often for more easy diet changes and recipes to get rid of stomach fat!

Diet Changes to Get Rid of Stomach Fat

In my journey to get rid of stomach fat and fat in general, the one biggest difference maker was a better diet. I enjoy working out for the most part, so that was never an issue. The issue was that I enjoyed food more than working out!

It's easy to get into the mentality of "I worked out today, I can have this <insert favorite unhealthy food here>". Doing that once in a while isn't that bad, doing it several times a week is.

I looked at the reason why I was craving these foods and many times it was that the healthy food I was eating was bland and boring. I was so used to getting flavor from things like butter, cheese and frying in oil that the food I made without these ingredients was just bad.

It was at that point that I had to learn how to cook again, this time with healthy ingredients. It was apparent that I would need to make some bold and long-lasting diet changes to get rid of stomach fat.

I thought big to start out. What changes to how I approach eating can I make to get myself going? Here are the biggest first steps I made. Start with these and we'll take it from there!

1. Set a goal! Maybe it's a dress or suit you used to fit in but its bursting at the seams now. Or maybe it's a goal weight. Or maybe it's just to feel healthier. It doesn't matter as long as it's not too easy to achieve. If you have something you're working towards then it's much easier to stay motivated. 
2. Count Calories! Count every single thing that you put in your mouth. Thankfully, the Internet and smart phones have made this easier than ever. There are a number of sites and apps that will make this as easy as clicking the food you ate. Don't forget to add drinks as well! These can add up quick. Many apps will also tell you how many calories you need to eat to get to your goal weight. 
3. Eat Lean Protein. Chicken, fish and turkey are your best friends. They contain a ton of protein and not much fat. This means it's healthier and lower in calories. Protein is what your muscles use for fuel, and we want to lose stomach fat, not muscle. 
4. Reduce Carbohydrates. This was something I concentrated on because of what I've learned about my body over the years. I always looked and felt bloated when I ate too may carbs, so I cut down on them. 
5. Whole Grains. The last big change I focused on to start was to replace processed grains an replace them with whole grains. Basically, any carbohydrate source that as white or yellow was replaced with one that was brain. Whole grains contain more fiber and nutrients so there are less wasted calories.

How to Lose Stomach Fat Fast

In today's day and age, every one is interested in the "now". With the expansion of the Internet and mobile networks we've grown accustomed to instant gratification. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it can condition us to expect the impossible, right now.

It's no wonder that one of the biggest questions in the health and fitness world is how to lose stomach fat fast. Or, more generally, how to lose fat fast. I don't want to give the impression that this question has just started popping up in the digital age, but it definitely has made it worse.

There are so many options at our finger tips that if one thing doesn't work then it's on to the next, and the next, and the next. Before you know it, it's been years with no permanent changes.

How to lose stomach fat fast is such a flawed question that there really isn't an answer. Sure, there are ways to lose 10lbs in 2 weeks, but it's all by basically fasting. That is, you're consuming nutrient dense shakes and bars (that taste like dirt that's been soaking in pond water) but eating no real food. Does that sound nice to you? Me either. And it plain just doesn't work in the long run. The only thing it will make smaller is your wallet. And that's a guarantee.

If you just want to lose a few pounds to fit into that dress or suit then these quick fixes work fine. Just don't expect the changes to last. So before you find the next big thing that promises to show you how to lose stomach fat fast, ask yourself if you want to lose that stomach fat permanently. If you do, stay away from these miracle products. They don't work.

Exercises to Lose Lower Stomach Fat

A common question asked by many people trying to lose weight is what exercises will burn fat from "insert body part here". As we age, fat tends to stick around in certain places. Stomach, hips, thighs, butt, arms etc. Since it deposits in certain areas it is widely believed that you can lose it in certain areas that you target.

So with this in mind you may go to the internet and google "exercises to lose lower stomach fat" or something similar. Inevitably you'll find tons of exercises that target the muscle in the lower stomach area and run off to do 100 crunches and 100 leg lifts. You'll do this for days, weeks or months and see no improvement. You'll get frustrated and quit. I know because I did this exact thing years ago.

I to once believed fallacies like fat turns into muscle and do sit-ups to get a flatter stomach. One quick note about that latter one, doing any stomach exercises will actually cause the muscles in that area to swell. This ends up making the stomach appear even bigger!

After years of looking for exercises to lose lower stomach fat or exercises to lose upper body fat and getting no results I got fed up. I decided I was going of find out what I was doing wrong. After months, yes months, of reading it all become clear. My approach was never going to work.

Instead of searching for exercises to lose stomach fat, I should have just been searching for exercise routines. The fact of the matter is that the stomach fat will start to come off as you lose fat in general. Targeted fat loss is one the most commonly perpetuated lies in the health and fitness realm. It's not possible and never will be unless the physiology of the human body changes.

So instead of killing yourself with 1000's of sit-ups, find an outdoor activity you enjoy that works for the climate in your area. Once you have something in mind, find someone else that enjoys it as much as you do and start doing it together. Say you really like biking, find a friend who does as well and meet up 3 or 4 times a week to go for an hour long bike ride. You'll be far more likely to continue exercising if you find something you enjoy and find someone to do it with.

Even if this is the only change you introduce you will start to see your body change. Your pants will get a little looser and you'll start having more energy. This feeling gets addictive, trust me.

How to Lose Lower Stomach Fat

I cringe whenever I hear any ask a question like "How can I lose lower stomach fat?". That question implies a misunderstanding of how the body stores and uses energy.

Wait. Energy? Who's talking about energy here?

Calories are energy. You can think of fat as stored energy. It is what your body burns when you force it to use more energy than you take in. At the most basic level, this idea controls weight loss and weight gain. But you can't tell the body which fat to use or where to get that from. It just burns fat. The converse is also true. You can't tell it where to store the fat, it just does and every one's body composition is different. Some may hold fat in their upper body, some in the their lower. Some may hold fat in there arms, some in their legs.

The hard truth is, this cannot be controlled. If someone tells you differently then they're either misinformed or worse dishonest. Most of the time these people will have an agenda, so run for the hills if you see anything that claims to tell you how to lose lower stomach fat.

So what can we do?

Once you understand that you cannot simply tell your body "I want to get rid of lower stomach fat" and have it so, you can start making real progress. If you've ever spent half hour doing 100's of crunches I'm sorry to say that you've wasted that half hour. All you body cared about during that time is that you're using more energy than normal, not that you were working the muscles around the stomach area so you must want to get rid of stomach fat.

Instead, use that half hour for a more intense workout. Something like a brisk walk or light job would be immensely better. Your body requires more energy to put and keep itself in motion than it does to just sit up and lay down repeatedly. Think about it for a second and it makes perfect sense.

The only real, long-term solution is to make a lifestyle change if you want to lose lower stomach fat. The idea each day is simple. Burn more calories than you take in. There are roughly 3500 calories in a pound, so you should aim to burn 500 more calories than you take in each day. You can do this with diet or exercise, it doesn't matter. I do both and you can too. Do so and I guarantee you'll be seeing your body change almost immediately.

How to Get Rid of Stomach Fat for Women

So many of the women I talk to on a regular basis are constantly trying new diets and exercise regimens trying to find a quick solution to their weight issues. If you ask them what they want to change the most, many will say that they want to tone or firm up their midsection and hips. So that begs the question, how do you get rid of stomach fat for women? 

If you're tuned into mainstream media, then you might think that there are special diets, exercises or workouts made just for women. These programs are invariably ridiculously over-priced and unfortunately many don't even come from a sound medical or nutritional background. The truth is that women and men's bodies both fuel themselves in the exact same way. 

So then, what's the answer to that $1 million question; how to get rid of stomach fat? Simple, eat better and exercise. 

I know, I know, I don't blame you if you rolled your eyes at that one. Not exactly groundbreaking stuff is it? No, and that's the point. The answer to this question is so simple that everyone feels like they need to dig deeper and find that Rosetta stone for weight loss. But instead of doing, they waste time reading or researching. 

The secret to get rid of stomach fat? Do more and eat less. It's so elegantly simple and works regardless of gender. The idea that women's bodies work in an inherently different manner than a man's is one of the biggest fallacies I see perpetuated in this industry built on misleading information. 

Ways to Lose Stomach Fat

It seems like a new, scientifically proven, magic workout or diet comes out every day. The advertisements tell you that you can workout for just 20 minutes a day and get a rock hard sculpted body like the actors in the commercial. Or just pop this pill and watch the stomach fat melt away! Sounds easy, right?

Wrong!

There is so much that these advertisements are sugar-coating or just plain not telling you that it should be criminal. Yeah, you can probably work out 20-30 minutes a day and end up with that kind of body. But you better be eating healthy too.

The truth is that there is no great mystery behind losing stomach fat. In fact, you can narrow the options down to two main ways to lost stomach fat:

1.Exercise

2. Diet

That's it. It's so easy and straight forward that it sounds crazy, but it's true. If you exercise more and eat less you'll lose weight the healthy way, slowly and over time. Those crash diets do work and you will lose weight but unless you make a lifestyle change you won't keep it off. Worse, if you lose too much weight too quickly your body will have pounds, yes pounds, of saggy skin that was once filled up by fat. This is especially true about stomach fat. 

So there it is, the great secret of losing stomach fat. Here's the "catch", if you can call it that, this will take effort and hard work. So, if your allergic to hard work like so many people I know, then by all means spend your hard earned money on the next big thing. You'll lose weight, then you'll gain it back and the cycle will repeat. That's no way to live. Wouldn't you rather make a permanent lifestyle change and be healthier and happier? 

That was the choice I made 45 pounds ago and I'm still going strong. I promise it's not that difficult. What it takes is discipline, hard work and a desire to be a better you. 

In the upcoming posts I'll go over ways to eat healthier and some simple workout ideas you can use to get rid of stomach fat.