Losing targeted fat quickly, especially belly fat, is a common dream. To achieve your weight-loss and slimmed-down silhouette goals, you need to approach this from a lifestyle perspective. You can only make this happen with healthy habits, sleep improvements, and nutritious food choices that will help you reach your desired weight and waistline.
While you may want to shed pounds in various parts of your body, focusing on actionable steps that will reduce the visceral fat in your abdomen can make a positive and long-lasting difference for your health. This can help you live longer and prevent cardiovascular issues, diabetes, and other health problems.
Think Healthy Lifestyle Instead of Diet
Changing up the way you eat with a lifestyle approach can yield more effective results than thinking in terms of diet. Focusing on a specific diet can lead you to obsess about food and abandon your new habits only to have to pick them up again later on.
Making shifts that do not focus on restrictions but instead see food as fuel, can help you implement and stick to new food choices. By making certain shifts to improve what you eat, you will still enjoy foods you like but also incorporate additional healthy options.
Food choices that can help you lose weight include:
- Prioritize lean protein like turkey, eggs, chicken, fish, and tofu
- Exchange refined carbohydrates and sugar for whole grains, brown rice, oats, and sweet potato
- Add more vegetables to your meals
- Snack on moderate portions of fruits, nuts, or seeds
- Reduce your alcohol consumption
- Eat regularly to maintain a healthy metabolism
- Swap sugary drinks for water and green tea
- Increase your probiotics intake with kombucha, tempeh, sauerkraut, or supplements
- Eat more fiber with vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains
Get Specific About Exercise
Being more physically active is always a good thing for your health, but consistency is really important when you are determined to lose weight. With regular exercise, you not only burn more calories, but eventually, your body has to adapt to this fitness schedule, which can help you burn more fat. Scheduling your exercise and varying your routine throughout the week can help you build consistency. You can also find ways to split your workout throughout the day if this helps you complete it. If your fitness regimen ever becomes stale, don’t hesitate to reevaluate to keep yourself going!
Increasing the intensity of your exercise can also burn more fat and boost your circulation. You can look into High-Intensity Interval Training or HIIT to get started. Incorporating weightlifting when you go this route has many benefits by developing and preserving your muscle mass, and supporting your metabolism. Weightlifting is an effective way to do strength training. You can also choose circuit training or use compound movements that engage multiple groups of muscles.
Reduce Your Stress
Stress, especially chronic stress, can take a toll on your mental and physical health. Sustained or regular cortisol production can lead to stress-eating, which hinders any weight loss efforts you are making. This is especially true as stressed individuals often reach for sugary foods for comfort.
Sleep is also a vital component of successful weight loss and weight management. Your body needs enough rest to function properly.
Consider the following options to reduce your stress and support your weight loss:
- Create a bedtime routine to improve your sleep quality
- Try meditation, yoga, or stretching
- Make time for deep breathing exercises
- Manage your craving by swapping snacks for healthier options
- Engage in mindfulness activities
- Consider counseling
Get Professional Guidance
Even with dedication and continuous efforts, you may become frustrated when your stubborn fat refuses to disappear. While you may be doing the best you can, certain factors can get in the way of successful weight loss. Insulin resistance and inflammation can prevent you from getting rid of belly fat, and without proper medical support, your efforts may yield few results.
If you feel stuck when working towards shedding excess pounds, we recommend you consult a weight-loss health professional. They will go over your medical history, perform a thorough physical examination, and likely order lab tests to get a complete and accurate picture of your situation.
Our team at Soza Weight loss can determine what strategies fit your goals and health. We have a wide range of techniques and tools available for our individualized treatment plans, including intermittent fasting, nutritional planning, and all-natural supplements. We especially target abnormal fat for more effective and lasting results. We are here to keep you accountable and to support you throughout your wellness journey.
Contact Soza Weight Loss today at (504) 475-9817 to learn about our rapid weight loss programs in Covington, Metairie, and Harvey!