How to Lose Belly Fat-12 Foods You Must Avoid
how to lose belly fat! It is the unwanted fat that makes your pants feel tight and appears when you are wearing comfortable clothing.
If you are wondering how to lose belly fat fast, don’t worry. A few simple actions can make this impossible dream a reality. If targeted the right way, weight loss in a short time is achievable.
What is belly fat? Why is belly fat bad for health?
Belly fat is usually estimated by measuring the circumference of the waist. This can be easily done at home with a simple tape measure. Therefore, anything over 40 inches (102 cm) in men and 35 inches (88 cm) in women is known as abdominal obesity.
In fact, having a lot of fat in the abdominal area is strongly linked to diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. For this reason, losing belly fat has enormous benefits for your health and can help you live longer.
If you have a lot of excess fat around your waistline, you must take some steps to get rid of it even if you are not overweight in general.
How to lose belly fat fast?
Wondering what you should eat, and what you should not eat to lose belly fat?
Well … in order to have a flat stomach, you just need to adhere to healthy and sustainable eating habits.
Foods to avoid
Here, we provide you with a list of foods you must avoid if you want to shed unwanted weight around the lower part of your belly.
1. Avoid carbohydrates
How to lose belly fat? The answer is simple- cut off the carbohydrates. Eating fewer carbohydrates is a very effective way to lose fat. This is supported by several studies. When people cut carbs, their appetite decreases, and they lose weight (1).
More than 20 randomized controlled studies have shown that low-carb diets sometimes lead to 2-3 times more weight loss than low-fat diets (2).
Studies comparing low-carb diets with low-fat diets indicate that low carbohydrate intake specifically reduces lower belly fat, around the organs, and the liver (3)
This means that some of the fats lost on a low-carb diet are considered harmful belly fats.
Just avoiding refined carbohydrates – like sugar, candy, and white bread – should suffice, especially if you keep your protein intake high.
2. Avoid potato chips, Cracker, chips, and french fries:
Stop eating unhealthy snacks, especially salty potato chips and french fries. And if you crave gobbling up every now and then, try to remember that it is loaded with very unhealthy hydrogenated oils, which make your cholesterol level high, which leads to heart disease.
And do not forget, potato chips are packed with sodium, which is why your body will carry its equivalent weight in water.
It is therefore advisable to avoid eating french fries and other fried foods on a regular basis. Eating fresh salads and fruits will serve you better.
3. Cut off processed meats
What makes this type of food inappropriate for you is the fact that they have undergone various types of food processing in food processing plants.
These meats could have either been fermented, canned, smoked or dried and don’t forget that they are usually packed and preserved for a longer time.
These types of meat are most often high in salt as a result of processing. They lack most of the essential nutrients that the body needs to stay healthy, and aside from that, they also have a high-calorie content compared to other protein sources like fish, beans, poultry, etc.
This is to tell you that you should avoid processed meats like sausages, ham, salami, jerky, and bacon, to name a few, if you really aim to burn belly fat.
4. Avoid dairy products
Avoiding or limiting dairy products like cow’s milk, cheese, and yogurt can be very beneficial, as this will help you lose some fat from the stomach area. However, if you find you can’t do without it, try alternatives like lactose-free milk or almond milk.
5. Dried sweetened fruits
When the fruits are dried, they tend to be high in fructose. So it is easy to conclude that dried fruit contains more sugar and calories than the fresh variety. But this does not mean that you cannot eat some dried fruits while you are trying to lose weight.
Moderation is always the key. You should also make sure that you do not consume dried fruits that have been sweetened with added sugar (11).
6. Baked foods:
These foods are prime culprits because they are usually prepared with a lot of sugar, especially high fructose corn syrup.
Most baked foods are often high in unhealthy fats and carbohydrates, such as saturated and trans fats. The Food and Drug Administration also notes that partially removing hydrogenated oils from foods may reduce the rate of heart attacks and sudden death.
Some examples of baked foods to avoid include sweets and pastries. Also, foods with a large amount of nutritional sweetness and fructose should not be considered for consumption at all (4).
At the same time, it contains a low nutritional value.
7. Sugar and sugar-sweetened drinks
Avoid sugar and sugar-sweetened drinks to lose lower belly fat. Foods with added sugars are harmful to your health. Eating too much of these types of food can lead to weight gain. Studies show that added sugar has harmful effects on the metabolic health of your body (5).
Several studies have indicated that excess sugar, often due to high amounts of fructose, can lead to fat accumulating around the abdomen and liver (6).
Sugar is half glucose and half fructose. When you eat a lot of added sugar, the liver becomes too much fructose and is forced to convert it into fat (7).
It increases belly fat and liver fat, which leads to insulin resistance and various metabolic problems (8).
Liquid sugar is worse in this regard. Our brain can’t record liquid calories the same way as solid calories. When we drink sugar-sweetened beverages, we end up eating more total calories (9).
Try to reduce the amount of sugar in your diet and consider completely eliminating sugary drinks. This includes sugar-sweetened beverages, sweetened soft drinks, fruit juices, and many high-sugar sports drinks.
8. Fried foods:
When you fry your food, it will likely contain a large number of calories, unhealthy fats, and salt. Most restaurants and eating places fry French fries to make them crunchy. However, the danger in this is that a large amount of calories and fat is ultimately invested in such foods.
The job these foods do is that they only increase the level of unhealthy cholesterol in the body which may ultimately lead to clogging of the arteries.
In Brazil, it was observed during the research that there is a relationship between obesity and fast food. So, instead of fried chips, you can snack on carrots and roasted nuts to mimic the crunch (10).
9. Alcohol:
If your health is your priority, then alcohol should not be on your drink list. Drinking alcohol leads to dehydration and water retention.
Read also- 10 surprising things you didn’t know about losing weight fast
Certainly, water weight is of no use, and it will leave you feeling bloated and full. Alcohol is also full of sugars, and at the same time, it is low in nutritional value.
10. White bread, pizza, and pasta:
These foods should be avoided to lose belly fat as they are usually made from refined wheat flour.
Refined wheat flour is generally rich in simple carbohydrates and calories but lacks other essential nutrients such as fiber and protein.
Instead of eating this type of pasta and bread, it is better to eat whole-grain pasta and bread. This is recommended because whole wheat is rich in fiber and other nutrients.
This food fills the stomach healthily. Whole-grain wheat like brown rice flour and whole rye flour are healthy alternatives that you should eat while trying to reduce overall weight gain.
11. Energy bars and granola bars
Usually, this type of food contains a large amount of fiber and protein, but at the same time, it can contain a large amount of sugar.
Although most people enjoy eating this type of food, it is not ideal for people looking to lose some unwanted lower belly fat.
Instead of energy bars and granola, you should feast on apple cubes, peanut butter, berries, plain Greek yogurt, and hard-boiled eggs
12. White rice
White rice is very low in fat but at the same time contains minimal fiber and protein.
A 2016 study in Iran identified a link between white rice consumption and obesity in adolescent girls (12).
White rice also has a high glycemic index, which means that it can cause a person’s blood sugar levels to rise after eating it.
Brown rice, quinoa, and cauliflower rice are healthy alternatives to white rice. These options are rich in dietary fiber, which can help a person feel full for a longer time.
The bottom line
Lower belly fat, or belly fat, Abdominal fat, has been linked to an increased risk of certain diseases.
Most people can reduce lower belly fat by making basic lifestyle changes, such as eating a healthy diet full of lean protein, vegetables, fruits, and legumes, avoiding harmful carbs and sugar, and exercising regularly.
You should read
22 Cheap foods that last a long time without refrigeration
Benefits of chia seeds for weight loss
10 surprising things you didn’t know about losing weight fast
10 low carb foods for your weight loss journey
8 Signs You’re Addicted to Sugar-How to Stop Sugar Craving