A beer belly may be the result of some fun times, good food, and tasty suds, but it may also be making it harder to move around or fit into your clothes. In addition, extra weight may be sapping your energy and putting extra strain on your joints and heart.
Getting rid of a beer belly will take a combination of diet and exercise. It tends to take longer to lose weight than it did acquire it, too.
Read on to know the basic stages you will have to pass if you want to lose the extra inches from your belly.
Best ways to reduce a beer belly
Targeted fat loss, especially around the midsection, sounds good in theory, but it may not be the most realistic.
Exercises like crunches may help firm up muscles, but there’s mixed research about how well specific exercises can burn fat just in the belly or elsewhere.
However, a beer belly will usually shrink as you lose body weight. Losing weight is often described in simple terms: Burn more calories than you consume. To help with that, consider the following strategies.
Eat healthier
Cut your portion size in half
For example, instead of having two slices of pizza, have one. You’ll get used to simply consuming smaller portions as the days and weeks go on. This is especially important if you eat out a lot.
Count calories
It can be a pain initially, but once you learn how many calories are in the foods you usually eat, you won’t have to do as much math.
For instance, an average woman has to cut down her calories from 2000 to 1500 and an average man has to limit his intake from 2500 to 2000. All-in-all cut down 500 calories from your diet on a daily basis.
These are the vague estimates that may vary greatly from person to person. An individual’s age, weight, height, activity level, and general health must be considered.
Eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins
And eat less processed food and foods containing added sugars, enriched flour, and saturated fats.
Make healthy food swaps
For example:
- Try strawberries instead of ice cream for dessert.
- Drink water (flavored with a twist of lemon or lime) instead of soda.
- Use healthier fats, such as olive oil, instead of butter when cooking
Physical Movement
Try high-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE)
HIIE involves all-out efforts in rapid sets of sprints or other exercises, followed by brief rests, and then more short but intense exercise.
A study in the Journal of Obesity suggests that HIIE is more effective at burning fat and accelerating weight loss than many other forms of exercise.
Exercise more often than not
Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise most days of the week, as well as 2 days per week of strength training and stretching in the morning and evening.
Sneak in exercise
Make lifestyle choices that will naturally burn more calories, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or taking frequent breaks at work to take short walks.
Miss Your Beer?
If you want to get rid of your beer belly but are worried that you’ll have to completely give up your beer outing, fear not. Beer, in moderation, can still be present in your diet. You’ll just have to make some other changes to allow that beer habit to continue.
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