5 Tips on How to Get Rid of Belly Fat

By Carrie Dagenhard

Growing belly fat is one of the most common complaints adults have as they age. As your metabolism and hormones change, it becomes more and more difficult to naturally maintain a flat stomach without making serious lifestyle changes or opting for outside intervention.

If you’re looking to learn how to get rid of belly fat and achieve a slimmer physique, here are five proven tips to help you meet your goal.

1. Cut Back on Sugar

Refined sugar is one of the most common ingredients in many processed foods, including sports drinks and protein bars often advertised as “healthy.”

While it’s difficult to eliminate all processed sugar from your diet, it’s important to at least cut back. Too much sugar can lead to insulin resistance and hijack your body’s natural appetite controls. In addition to helping pack on the pounds, sugar can also trigger an inflammatory response, which can make your waistline look even puffier. When you’re craving a sweet snack, opt for a piece of fresh fruit instead.

2. Reduce Alcohol Consumption

Alcohol is full of empty calories, which means it provides almost no nutritional value. In addition, it can temporarily inhibit lipid oxidation—which is a fancy way of saying it makes it harder for your body to burn fat. So, all those early mornings or evenings spent at the gym become much less effective in yielding the results you want.

But that doesn’t mean you have to completely give up alcohol to lose unwanted fat. Drink in moderation, and consider lower calorie options, like a vodka soda instead of a piña colada, for example.

3. Combine Cardio and Weight Training

Cardio is great for burning fat and weight training is great for toning muscle, but to achieve the best results, you should combine both. That’s because the more muscle you build, the higher your calorie-burning potential. Make sure you also include plenty of exercises focused on core strength, such as planks, reverse crunches, and yoga.

Keep in mind that exercise is only half the battle when it comes to getting rid of belly fat. You also want to adhere to a diet rich in whole foods and lean protein and limit foods high in sugar, simple carbs, and trans fats.

4. Focus on De-stressing

When wondering how to get rid of belly fat, most people focus on diet and exercise. And while both are important for burning fat and improving your health, there’s a third factor to consider: stress.

When you’re under stress, your body releases a hormone called cortisol. This “stress hormone” drives insulin levels, which causes your blood sugar to plummet. Because low blood sugar ignites your appetite, people who are under a great deal of stress tend to overeat. To make matters worse, it can also drive you to crave fatty and sugary foods, according to the journal Obesity Review.

To banish belly fat, make sure to cut out time for de-stressing activities like yoga, meditation, a chat with a close friend, and a good night’s sleep.

5. Get a SculpSure Treatment

All of the above options can help you lose weight and reduce body fat but, unfortunately, none of these solutions offer permanent results, unless you stick to your lifestyle change forever.

SculpSure^® is a body contouring treatment that’s cleared by the FDA for use on the belly. It uses targeted lasers to damage fat cells beneath your skin’s surface, permanently destroying fat cells in the targeted area. A treatment session lasts only 25 minutes, and there’s no required downtime.

Because it’s noninvasive, you won’t have to worry about unsightly scarring. Your body will process and eliminate the destroyed fat cells in the weeks following the treatment, which will leave you with a natural-looking, slimmer, and more toned appearance.

Are you interested in finding out if SculpSure^® is right for you? Find a nearby provider to schedule your free consultation today.