What is burning belly fat? | POPSUGAR Fitness

When you get there, there are two steps to losing belly fat. A: a good diet. Two: consistent exercise. Of course, it's a little more complicated and challenging than it seems.

Belly fat is stubborn and frustrating, but it is not permanent. You can take concrete and workable steps to eliminate the fat around your belly. We spoke to experts on both sides of the box – exercise and diet – to define your success plan for belly fat burning.

How to burn belly fat through exercise

When it comes to exercise, focus on staying consistent with a combination of strength and cardio training, said Tom Holland, MS, CSCS, Exercise Physiologist and fitness consultant for Bowflex. "Your goal is to burn calories by cardio and develop lean muscle metabolism through strength training, burning extra calories all day," Tom told POPSUGAR.

This is true: even if you are tempted to do cardio, all the time looking for this high calorie burn, this is really not the best way to burn belly fat. Muscle building is actually crucial for burning fat because the more muscle you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate. And the higher your resting metabolic rate, the more calories you will burn throughout the day, even after your workout.

In terms of strength training, therefore, it is not difficult to start with body weight training because you will learn to train well and get used to resistance training. As you get stronger, you will want to add more resistance and difficulty, whether with plyometric movements (jumps) or with weights with progressive overload. Heather Milton, MS, RCEP, CSCS, Exercise Physiology Specialist at NYU Langone's Sports Performance Center, said that it was paramount to increase your resistance.

You do not want to forget about cardio, though. Cardio training burns tons of calories, increases your stamina, allows you to do difficult strength exercises and balances your workout program to help you avoid injury from excessive use. So what type of cardio should you choose? Running is a classic choice known for blasting calories and will definitely help you lose belly fat, especially at high intensity intervals (like this outdoor running training), but the walking is also effective, especially for beginners. Swimming is also beneficial for weight loss if you mix at intervals of higher intensity. The most important part is to stay consistent, says Tom, which means choosing the cardio that you like the most.

And then there is the interval training at high intensity, or HIIT. Tom HIIT is one of the most effective ways to burn belly fat, he says, because it combines strength and cardio during a single session. This is not mandatory – you can burn belly fat without HIIT workouts – but Tom said that it was a good choice if you are in a hurry. Try it out with this weeklong HIIT workout program, which offers options for beginners as well as cardio and strength training sessions.

How much does it work per week to burn belly fat?

To sum it all up to a weekly workout plan, aim for "three to six quality workouts a week," Tom said, "a combination of cardiovascular and strength training." If you're just starting out, take your time and work up to the toughest workouts and the highest frequencies. Getting hurt by jumping too fast is the worst thing you can do to reach your weight loss goals.

The more you work, the more likely you are to lose that belly fat. Tom warned that it would take time. "The abdominals are often one of the last places in which your body removes fatty deposits, which is why it's difficult to achieve a flat abdominal section," he told POPSUGAR. "That being said, this can be done." Start with this workout plan for abdominal blasting, which alternates cardio and strength training for optimal results.

Will Ab Workouts burn belly fat?

One of the biggest myths about weight loss and belly fat, in particular, is that it is possible to reduce fat locally. In reality, it is impossible. This means that doing endless workouts for the abs will not automatically give you a flat stomach and could actually go against your goals. "A major mistake," said Tom, "is spending too much time doing abdominal exercises, a time that could be better spent on burning calories or developing lean muscle."

Its basic premise: "Spend about 10% of your total time doing abdominal exercises." If you do a one-hour workout, it will only take you five to six minutes to work. For a 30 minute workout, the time will be three to four minutes.

A good way to work in your job is to do it at the beginning of your workout. It activates your heart and helps keep you engaged throughout your workout. You can continue to strengthen your abdominals even when you do exercises that are not centered on the heart. By committing yourself throughout your training, you will also avoid injuries. Here are some key ab activation exercises to add on top of your workout.

Losing belly fat with a low carb diet

There is no doubt that exercise burns calories and helps you lose body fat, including around your abdomen. But Tom and dietitian Kristin Kirkpatrick of Cleveland Clinic Wellness have agreed that diet is more important than exercise when it comes to losing weight.

In other words, a healthy diet is crucial. For belly fat in particular, Kristin recommended a low carb approach, not just because carbohydrate-rich foods (which include carbs turned into starchy foods like pastas and treats like ice cream and cookies) tend to be high in calories. There is in fact a link between high insulin levels and weight gain, said Jason Fung, MD, nephrologist (kidney specialist), in a previous interview. Studies show that when your insulin goes up, just like having eaten carbohydrates and sugary foods, it can prevent leptin, the hormone that tells your body that it is full, to reach the brain. This means that you will continue to be hungry and eat, even if your body does not need extra calories. Kristin explains that eating fewer carbs flattens these insulin spikes and allows your hormones and hunger signals to function more normally.

The amount of carbohydrates you can consume with a low carb diet varies from one person to another, but most experts consider that it is between 50 and 100 grams of net carbs a day (that's your total number of carbs minus fiber). And while tracking the total amount of carbohydrates you eat is important for weight loss, you should also pay close attention to the types of carbohydrates you consume. Healthy carbohydrates include whole grains (quinoa, brown rice, breads and whole grain pasta) and vegetables such as sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts – foods that you want to keep in your dieting. In the meantime, you should try to limit your consumption of unhealthy carbohydrates such as refined grains (such as white rice) and white flour products (such as white bread, pasta and pastries), especially those containing a lot of sugar.

Reduce bloating for a flatter belly

Although it does not really help you burn belly fat, you can keep your belly flatter (and feel better overall) by reducing bloating, said Kristin. Here are 10 tips approved by doctors to do exactly that. You should also stay hydrated, avoid highly processed, high sodium foods and eat foods that fight excessive water retention, Kristin told POPSUGAR, such as:

• bananas
• asparagus
• Pineapple

Eat a high fiber diet and low in saturated fat to lose belly fat

A recent study from the Health & Fitness Journal of ACSM also suggested that a diet high in fiber and saturated fats, such as the Mediterranean diet, could also contribute to belly fat loss. For best results, Kristin recommended mixing low carb diets with high fiber / saturated fat diets. That means increasing your fiber intake by eating more fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains, while limiting processed carbohydrates and saturated fats such as red meats, baked goods and highly processed foods.

In particular, Kristin recommended eating healthy foods that help you feel more stale, such as nuts, avocados, kale and beans. Some of these healthy vegetables (such as broccoli and cauliflower) can cause gas. So she suggested starting with small amounts until your body gets used to it. For starters, try this healthy diet for two weeks of healthy meals.

"While diet outweighs exercise in terms of overall weight loss," said Kristin, "thinking that it's possible to specifically target belly fat without exercise is a myth." The diet can be more important, but the exercise goes hand in hand. they work together to achieve your weight loss goals and reduce belly fat. As Tom said, "Burning belly fat comes down to taking a balanced three-part approach: cardio, strength work, and diet improvement." There is no magic shortcut, but there is a formula. Eat healthy, whole foods, train regularly and get results.