One of the hardest areas to lose fat is in our belly.
You have probably heard people say that their abdominal fat seems to be the toughest area to lose weight from, whilst this can be incredibly disheartening for so many people, there are ways that people can lose weight in their abdominal area.
However, there are a few factors that people have to think about before they embark on their weight loss journey and focus on losing belly fat for a healthier life.
Today, we will be discussing the food to avoid to lose belly fat as well as what healthy practices can be used to help mitigate weight gain and make you feel better about your body.
Why Should You Lose Weight?
It’s safe to say that someone who is severely overweight may have additional health issues that can be highly worrying for them.
Individuals who are overweight may not be necessarily ‘unhealthy’, however, if they have excess fat storage around their belly, then this can open them up to a variety of diseases such as heart disease.
People who want to lose weight should not be focusing on how they can lose weight quickly, as this can be detrimental to their health and cause them a whole host of other issues that can have a knock-on effect in other areas of their life.
They should be focusing more on their overall health by limiting processed foods and high-calorie foods that contain trans fats, saturated fats, and sugar.
What is Belly Fat?
Belly fat differs from the fat we have on our thighs or our arms.
The belly fat that is deep within our bodies is called visceral fat.
The reason why it can be classed as a lot more dangerous for us to have an abundance of, is because of the fact that it is close to our internal organs such as kidneys, heart, and liver.
This means that people with more of this visceral fat will more likely be open to strokes, heart attacks, some cancers, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.
Weight Fluctuates Over Time
It is true when they say that our weight will change as we get older. Lean muscle will get less and body fat can increase.
It can be harder for someone, who is older, to lose weight. This is why it boils down to doing as much as that person can to remain healthy without becoming obsessed.
Older people have to pull away from certain foods that can stop them from losing weight, or just being healthy in general.
Foods to Avoid When Trying to Lose Belly Fat
Now that you know why people, who are at risk, should be losing weight, it is time to go into what foods to avoid to lose belly fat so they can keep themselves in a normal weight range that will add to their life rather than take from it.
Combining a reduction of these foods as well as exercises to help with burning belly fat, will benefit people a lot more.
French Fries
French fries (also known as potato chips) are a food that is very high in fat and high in calories.
It has been noted in studies that consuming these foods consistently can cause obesity.
It doesn’t end there as potato chips/french fries also contain substances called “acrylamides” which have been linked to cancer.
Be Aware of Intake
This is not to say that people should be avoiding this kind of food entirely. It is okay to have them but in moderation.
People think that cutting these foods out completely will help them lose weight, but, going cold turkey can increase cravings and cause stress which releases the stress chemical called cortisol, which causes belly fat storage to grow and stay.
Diet Sodas
Sugary drinks like diet soda are high in sugar and calories.
People will see the word “diet” and think of it as a healthier alternative to the full sugar drinks, however, its nutritional value is pretty non-existent.
Refined carbs such as white bread, rice, and cookies all have sugar in them to help the taste, and whilst this may be appealing to many with the taste, it is not exactly doing that much good.
They Don’t Help With Fullness
Liquid calories do not make us feel full, so we can drink these diet sodas as much as possible without feeling the full feeling that food is meant to give us, so we then eat more calories because we haven’t registered what is going inside us.
It is best to avoid these as much as possible and replace them with tea, coffee drinks, and flavored water.
Pizza
A favorite food of many people, but with the crust, cheese, oil, and processed meats, pizza is not exactly the healthiest food to consume.
Even the vegetarian options are not exactly the best choice either. If you want to lead a healthy lifestyle, then taking in these calories is just going to set you further back from your goals as there are not many health benefits to this kind of food.
What to do
If you still want to have pizza, there are things that you can do to reduce the high fat. You can opt for more vegetable toppings or choose grilled chicken instead of fried.
Instead of having an entire pizza, think about only having a few slices and then filling your plate with salad or steamed vegetables.
Cakes, Pastries, and Cookies
These can’t be too much of a surprise. There is a lot of added sugar in these foods as well as artificial sweeteners in some batches.
They can send you on a blood sugar high, then crash you right back down causing you to feel lethargic and hungry again.
Limiting Portions
Like with most food that is considered “bad”, you can still have them, but it is crucial that you limit how much you have them, and go for smaller sizes when you want them.
If you need to have your fix of something to satiate your sweet tooth, you can go for foods such as dark chocolate, trail mix, and fruit.
Fruit Juices
Fruit juices can be a wonderful way to hydrate, but, they are not all great.
They can have a pretty high sugar content and may even have more calories in them than soda, especially if they are not fresh fruit juices.
You may think that consuming them will be your fruit intake for the day, but they don’t have much in common with fresh and whole fruit.
What to Have Instead
Before you reach for that glass of orange juice, it is better to have an actual orange on you as that will have a better fiber content as well as the necessary vitamins for a healthy lifestyle.
Ways to Promote Healthy Weight Loss
It is essential to eat healthy foods and limit processed foods to help you feel and be a lot healthier. But, that is not all you should be doing to give yourself a better chance at living longer and pushing away diseases.
Do Physical Activity
Going out for a walk, a run, or cycling, can be incredibly helpful with your weight loss goals.
Moving around will help burn calories as well as help you feel good about yourself due to the rush of endorphins that exercise can give you.
Even just going for a 30-minute walk a day can help you feel alert and healthy.
Practice Self Care
When we feel low or anxious about something, our health can suffer greatly.
We don’t feel good about who we are and what we are doing which can lead to heightened periods of stress and sometimes depression.
If you feel more stressed than normal, this can make you want to reach for high-carb foods to help you feel ‘better’.
Take some time for yourself as much as possible and focus on reducing your stress so you don’t suffer mentally and physically.
It is easier said than done, but if you put your heart into it, you will find that it is definitely worth it for your mental health and physical health.
Conclusion
Being aware of what foods to avoid to help you lose belly fat, and weight overall, can put you in a better position than you were before.
It can be tough to break a habit or cycle that you are used to when it comes to something so enticing as sugary and fatty foods, but, with the right support from others and yourself, you will be able to make it work for you.