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Did you know that losing one to two pounds a week is a reasonable and healthy weight loss rate? When you’re trying to lose weight, it can feel like it takes forever.
You probably also get frustrated when you’re not losing weight from target areas of your body. For example, lower belly fat is notoriously difficult to lose.
If you’re taking all the right steps and still struggling to figure out how to lose lower belly fat, keep reading to learn why and what you can do.
How fat gets stored in the body is different for everyone. However, your lower belly is a common place for fat to collect among many people.
There are a few factors that play into this:
When you’re trying to get rid of lower belly fat, you need to be patient. But there are some steps you can take to help the process.
Stop thinking that you can focus on one area and lose fat from that area of your body. You might constantly focus on toning exercises for your waistline and still not lose fat from your lower belly.
Toning your muscles and your lower abs won’t hurt, but it won’t quickly get rid of the fat. You need to lose fat overall to start getting rid of that fat on your stomach.
It’s essential to create a diet plan with a calorie deficit. You need to expend more calories than you take in to lose weight overall.
However, you still need to remain healthy. Creating too big of a calorie deficit can be dangerous.
Calories are fuel for your body, and to function correctly, you need a certain amount. So, what’s the recommended calorie deficit?
You should aim for a 500-calorie deficit a day. Burning 3,500 calories is equal to one pound of fat.
Therefore, a 500-calorie deficit will lead to you losing around one pound of fat every week. While it can be tempting to speed up the process by creating a large calorie deficit, it’s not sustainable and can often lead to gaining the weight back after you stop that diet.
What you eat matters as much as how much you eat. Certain foods should be avoided, and others should be included in your diet. If your lower belly fat is in part due to inflammation, you want to stick to an anti-inflammatory diet.
However, whatever diet you choose, be sure to avoid or limit the following foods:
Many of these foods are responsible for blood sugar instability and digestive tract inflammation. You want to eat foods that provide fiber and healthy proteins to your diet.
Cruciferous veggies are a great choice because they help you stay full longer and are full of nutrients. Try adding broccoli, kale, and cauliflower into your meals.
Protein helps by boosting your energy and stamina without adding a ton of calories. Protein sources you should consider include lean meats, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and hard-boiled eggs.
Instead of drinking artificially sweetened drinks try sticking to water and green tea.
Exercise is necessary to help create a calorie deficit and keep you healthy. While you can’t specifically target fat on your body, there are exercises that can help more.
One great exercise to try is Hiit. This program has risen in popularity over recent years, and for a good reason.
Adults with more weight to lose have seen a reduction in fat with this program. When you’re trying to lose fat, you should do cardio first and get your heart rate up before moving on to toning exercises like weightlifting or pilates.
You’re not going to lose the weight if you don’t make lifestyle changes. Even if you do, you won’t sustain your weight loss.
Weight loss isn’t a one-time thing. You have to maintain the lifestyle changes to stay healthy and keep the weight off. You can make many changes, but we have a few you definitely shouldn’t skip.
Stress causes a range of problems, and it shouldn’t be surprising that it can impact your weight as well. When you’re stressed, your body produces cortisol.
High levels of cortisol can lead to weight gain and make it tough to get the weight off.
Not getting enough sleep can reduce the amount of weight you lose. It can also lead to overeating and increase stress levels.
Make sure you’re getting enough sleep for optimal weight loss.
Drinking enough water is essential for burning fat. It helps in a variety of ways, so make sure you don’t skip this change.
If your battle to lose weight feels like a war you’re losing, don’t despair. Instead, consult a medical weight loss program.
These programs can help you create a plan and implement it. In addition, they can give you other resources that help with your weight loss.
Medical weight loss programs also monitor your progress. This allows the plan to get changed as needed. If something isn’t working, you need to find a new solution, and this type of program can help.
Losing stubborn lower belly fat can be a challenge. However, it’s possible with the right diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes.
Are you ready to start down your path to a healthier you? Contact us today to schedule a consultation and let us help.