Belly bloat, we’ve all dealt with it at some point. Perhaps you get a bulging belly after meals or maybe you suffer from a stubborn “beer belly” that just won’t go away no matter what you try. Are you tired of your bulging tummy and feeling blotted after every meal? Then here are ten tips that will help you lose that stubborn belly fat.
Tip Number One: When grocery shopping, keep to the outside isles.
This is a simple tip to help you avoid over processed and sugar filled foods. The outside isles of the grocery store are where you will find all the natural, whole foods such as meats, eggs, full fat dairy, vegetables, and berries. These are foods your body knows how to use. If you avoid stocking up on sugary and overprocessed snacks when you are at the grocery store, you will not have to worry about the temptation of those snacks sitting in your cupboards at home. To put it simply, out of sight and out of mind!
Tip Number Two: Only purchase one ingredient or ‘whole’ foods.
If a food has more than one ingredient, do not buy it, no matter what that ingredient is. Your body knows what to do with steak, broccoli, butter, they are natural, whole foods. However, if you start to shop in the center isles, you will find foods that have up to twenty ingredients or more. These heavily processed foods are filled with additives and added sugars that will spike your insulin and cause you not to lose your belly fat.
Tip Number Three: Avoid drinks with carbohydrates or added sweeteners.
This applies mainly to soft drinks and fruit juices. Your body does not know the difference between added sugar and natural sugar. If these drinks are a part of your regular diet, this will cause you to increase your belly fat and have a harder time losing it.
Tip Number Four: Eat at least one gram of protein, per pound of body weight, every day.
Protein is very satiating, also your body needs all the amino acids in the protein to re-new and rejuvenate itself. The more protein in your diet, the longer you will feel satiated after a meal, not only is protein excellent for your health, eating more of it will stop you from snacking on carb and sugar filled foods throughout the day.
Tip Number Five: Eat more fat.
Yes, you read that right. Of all the three macronutrients, fat is the most satiating while carbohydrates are the worst as it turns into glucose in the blood and will spike your insulin, if your insulin is high, you will not burn your belly fat. Eating more fat and less carbs will keep your insulin levels low and allow your body to more easily get rid of that stubborn belly fat.
Tip Number Six: Eat plenty of real salt.
The key word in this tip is “real”. When we get cravings, it is often because we are low in our salt and mineral intake. You must eat salt that has the minerals, sodium and chloride, in it like Redmond Real salt. Doing this will give the body all the minerals it needs to function, and you won’t be having weird cravings that make you wind up binging on something like salty chips.
Tip Number Seven: Recognize your sugar addiction.
Any carbohydrate will break down into sugar, it then hits the pleasure center of our brain, making some people very addicted to sugar. To cut sugar and carbs from your diet can be very difficult as removing it can trigger withdrawal-like symptoms. Many people who try to cut out sugar will often relapse as their bodies crave it like a drug.
Tip Number Eight: limit your alcohol consumption.
Alcohol like beer is full of carbohydrates. This can be a huge factor in one’s ability to lose weight, especially if they are in the habit of cracking a beer when they get home from a long day of work. Limit your alcohol intake to one serving per day, not one drink, one serving, and it should be a carbohydrate-free sweetener-free drink.
Tip Number Nine: Stop all sugar intake.
Whether it’s added or natural, your body can’t tell the difference between sugar from a coke can or a bag of grapes. Again, sugar will spike your insulin, making it very hard to lose your belly fat.
Tip Number Ten: implement some degree of intermittent fasting into your lifestyle.
Try to start with a sixteen-hour fast. If you sleep for eight hours, you will then wait four hours after you wake up to have your first meal, and you will stop eating four hours before bedtime. When you are fasting your insulin level is very low almost to normal, this is where you need to be to lose your belly fat.
Bonus Tip: stay away from protein shakes and protein bars.
While they are marketed as healthy and in line with weight loss goals, they are often mislabeled, full of sugar and other additives and will lead to a spike in your insulin.
The two nutritional protocols that will help you lose belly fat and keep it off are the keto and carnivore protocols. For more information on these protocols, send me a message at a message at any time! You can also reach out through my official website, bodysmithsportsperformancetraining.com.
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