In order to be successful, you need to diet to lose belly fat and not just start exercising. I am assuming that you know the usual diet rules to lose stomach fat i.e. cut down on sugars and bad fats, eat smaller meals more often and don't drink anything other than pure filtered water. If you have to have a caffeine fix then go for a small black coffee or cup of tea but keep it to a minimum.
But in order to be really successful and make lose abdominal fat you need to do a complete overhaul of your diet. You know you need to eat more fruit and vegetables but some are better than others. You want to increase the quantities of antioxidant rich foods in your diet. This means eating more berries e.g. strawberries, raspberries, black berries, redcurrants and blackcurrants. You need to stock up on brazil nuts, broccoli, carrots, kale, hazelnuts, raisins, papaya, spinach and sweet potatoes.
You need to increase the amount of essential fatty acids in your diet. The best way to do this is to use sesame, rapeseed, walnut and soya oils in the kitchen for dressing your salads etc. You can also add a little to the smoothies you make with the aforementioned fruits. Eat at least two portions of oily fish per week choosing from Mackerel, salmon and sardines. At the same time cut the saturated fat in your diet so limit butter, cream and other full fat dairy products.
You need to keep up the vitamins and minerals you consume as they all play a vital role in keeping your internal organs healthy. Did you know that stubborn belly fat that is proving difficult to shift can be a sign that your liver is not working at optimum levels. It may have too many fatty cells in it caused by consuming too much sugar and alcohol and not just bad fats.
Women in particular need to keep their B vitamin levels topped up to prevent depression, mood swings and brittle bone disease after the menopause. So eating plenty of bananas, soya beans and wholegrains. Zinc is a dieters friend as it speeds up healing thus helping to prevent stretch marks which can happen when you lose weight quickly. Good sources of zinc are seafood, quality red meat and turkey. If you are vegetarian you can try eating mushrooms and wheatgerm.
When exercising your body will be pumping the blood faster around your body so it is vital that your iron levels are kept topped up. This will also help to prevent those dark undereye circles us women can spend hours trying to conceal. Good sources of iron are quality red meat and leafy green vegetables or apricots.
We know that we need to drink more water to keep us hydrated when exercising. But the other benefit of water is that it will help your internal organs become more efficient at eliminating waste which in turn prevents gas and bloating. Result is a flatter stomach. Your main excretion organs are your skin, your liver and your kidneys. So get those water intake levels up and you will have less problems with fluid retention and puffy skin. Your muscles will also benefit as they will become more flexible and this will make your workout and diet to lose belly fat much more effective.
Snacks are some of the most expensive foods on the market. It is not uncommon to spend $5 on a big grab bag of chips and a 44 ounce soda at a gas station. Not only are you wasting a lot of money when you make such purchases, you are also contributing to an unhealthy waist line.
Cookies, chips, crackers, and soda are all problem areas both for the diet and for the budget. So, here are 10 healthy snacks which have less than 200 calories and are also under $2 per serving.
1. Raw veggies dipped in fat-free ranch dressing:
Include lots of bright-colored veggies like carrots, green, red and yellow peppers, broccoli and tomatoes. Red peppers contain almost four times more vitamin C than oranges! Calories: 60 Cost per serving: $1.49. Serving size: 1 cup veggies, 2 tbsp. dressing.
2. Hardboiled egg
One whole egg provides 7 grams of protein but 212 mg cholesterol. If you're concerned about the cholesterol, toss the yolk and just eat the white. Calories: 78 Cost per serving: $0.28. Serving size: 1 whole egg.
3. Dark chocolate chips - 60% cacao
Dark chocolate contains antioxidants and phenols, which can lower blood pressure. Calories: 80. Cost per serving: $0.11. Serving size: 16 chips.
4. Mozzarella cheese stick rolled up in a turkey slice
Provides 15% of the recommended daily calcium and 18 grams of protein. Try dipping in spicy mustard for some kick. Calories: 90. Cost per serving: $0.85. Serving size: 1 cheese stick, 1 turkey slice.
5. Apple with peanut butter
Apples have fiber to make you feel full longer. Spread on some peanut butter for flavor, but limit the portion size of the peanut butter since it is high in calories. Calories: 105. Cost per serving: $0.95. Serving size: 1 medium apple, 1 tbsp. natural peanut butter.
6. Low-fat cottage cheese
A good source of calcium and protein, but those with high blood pressure should eat cottage cheese in moderation because of the high sodium content. Calories: 110. Cost per serving: $0.90. Serving size: ½ cup.
7. Fresh berries with fat free yogurt
Berries contain antioxidants to help you prevent cancer and heart disease, and yogurt is a nutritious alternative to whipped cream. Sprinkle on some ground flaxseed for additional heart health benefits. Calories: 115. Cost per serving: $1.81. Serving size: 1 cup berries, 1/4 cup yogurt.
8. Whole grain crackers with hummus
Hummus is made from chickpeas, a great lean protein. Whole grain crackers are a preferable alternative to those made with white flour. Calories: 137. Cost per serving: $0.47. Serving size: 10 small crackers, 2 tbsp. hummus.
9. Almonds
Almonds make you feel full and studies have shown they can lower cholesterol, but they're high in calories so limit the portion size. Calories: 160. Cost per serving: $0.55. Serving size: 1 oz.
10. Low-fat yogurt
Another good choice for calcium, providing 20% of the recommended daily allowance. But yogurt can be high in sugar. Reduced-sugar varieties have about 100 calories. Cost per serving: $0.59 Serving size: 6 oz.
As you can see, you don't have to break the bank when your trying to eat healthy. With a little common sense and sticking with cheap snack food, cutting calories can be fun and you can lose weight at the same time.
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