What's In Your Diet? - Safe Ways To Burn Belly Fat

What are some of the most effective ways to lose weight? Could it be diets like Atkins, South Beach or Nutrisystem?  Hardly...in my humble opinion...although some will find success with different plans. 

Although companies will continue to make millions with fad diets....the most effective way to burn fat is through diet and excercise.  When I speak of diet....I'm not referring to the latest fad on the talk shows or the best selling book of the moment.  Simply proteins, omega 3's, fruits & veggies and all of the other essentials needed for a healthier lifestyle.

Read this from Live Strong...

What Are Safe & Fast Ways to Lose Belly Fat?

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Safe and fast ways to lose belly fat involve discipline and the avoidance of risky supplements and crash diet plans. You still need to pay strict attention to your diet, but not while jeopardizing your health. The key point to remember is that you have to lose weight throughout your whole body to lean out your stomach.

Safe Calorie Cutting

The way to lose weight is to expend more calories than you consume. To set yourself in the right direction, restrict the number of calories you currently take in. If you cut back by 500 calories a day, you can expect to lose about 1 lb. of weight a week, according to MayoClinic.com. If you need assistance tracking your calories, refer to a free online guide, like The Daily Plate.

Calorie Burning

To boost your caloric deficit, perform cardiovascular exercise. The type is not important -- what is important is the intensity. If you work out at a slow pace, you will burn calories, but you will not lose your belly fast. By doing interval training on the other hand, you will increase your caloric expenditure and rev up your metabolism once you are finished. To lose weight, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity, five days a week. If you are new to exercise, start out with 20-minute sessions and increase your time each week. You can still do interval training either way. Even if you alternate walking speed from fast to slow, it is still effective.

Frequent Eating

Eating frequently throughout the day solves the problem of being hungry. If you continually eat small, balanced meals every two to three hours, you will constantly feel satisfied and not overeat. A balanced meal contains a portion of protein and complex carbohydrates. When creating your meals, make sure you use healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, lean meats, beans, low-fat dairy and fish. Celery sticks with peanut butter spread across the middle is a healthy meal example.

Weight Training

Weight training builds muscle, which in turn raises metabolism. Your goal is to pack on as much muscle as possible. This can be done by performing compound exercises. Unlike isolation exercises, compound exercises work more than one muscle at a time, leading to fast gains in size. Include exercises like bench presses, shoulder presses, dips, back rows, lunges and stiff leg deadlifts. As an added bonus, you have to contract your abs forcefully when doing these to generate power.

Water Consumption

Sugary beverages like soda, lemonade, fruit punch and sweetened tea are all high in empty calories -- the same calories that can prevent you from losing your belly fat. Replace, these beverages, and any other beverages containing calories, with water. Not only will it help keep your calories down, but it will also hydrate your body.

Added Caloric Expenditure

Adding more movement to your daily grind will increase your daily caloric expenditure. When you are at work, stand up while fielding phone calls and mix in single foot balances. You can also tap your feet, chew gum and go for power walks at lunch. On the home front, walk in place while you prepare dinner and play catch in the yard with your neighbor or kids.

Ab Training

Abdominal training will help you tighten and tone your stomach as you are melting away the flab. Perform exercises like leg raises, windshield wipers, bicycle maneuvers, crunches and planks. These exercises target your whole abdominal area.

Many people...women especially... are put off by weight training because they don't want to "bulk up".  This is somewhat of a myth in that you are not likely to look bulky unless you are already very lean to begin with and you weight train for a very significant time.  While muscle is quick to tone and strengthen....significant size doesn't happen without a LOT of time invested.  Muscle burns calories whether you are moving, eating or sleeping....so one of the most effective fat blasters out there is weight training.  As an added benefit....a toned body is a healthier body.

What are some of your weight loss stories?  Success or failure?  Do you have a favorite excercise plan?  Tell us about it in the comments....