If you want to trim your midsection, then check out these science-backed diet and exercise tips to lose belly fat and gain muscle.
Improve your health when you lose belly fat and gain muscle
Everyone has some fat around their middle, yet too much is bad for your health. Excess belly fat increases your chance of developing chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, dementia, and some types of cancers.
Trimming down your waistline
- Boosts your body image. Who doesn't feel better when their favorite jeans fit just right?
- Improves sleep quality
- Lowers your risk of chronic conditions
- Improves blood vessel function
- Translates to lower overall body weight.
Things you can do now to lose belly fat and gain muscle
Diet
While no magic diet plan will erase fat from your middle, some smart choices can set the stage for success.
1. Create a negative energy balance to promote overall weight loss
By eating fewer calories than your body needs (also known as a negative energy balance), you will lose weight. And overall weight loss translates to a smaller waistline in addition to a smaller number on the scale.
2. Eat a balanced diet
Lean protein and fiber are the building blocks of healthy eating that help shed belly fat and gain muscle. Plus, the combination of fiber and lean protein will fill you up without blowing your calorie budget. A balanced diet also includes healthy fats, fresh veggies, and fruit, along with dairy or dairy alternatives. Here's a great resource to get you started eating a balanced diet for weight loss.
3. Stay hydrated by choosing the right beverages
Water is a natural appetite suppressant, and some people find drinking water before eating helps quench their thirst AND takes up space in their stomachs. When the stomach senses fullness, it sends a signal to the brain to stop eating. Water in your stomach at the start of a meal will help you reach a state of fullness faster, making it easier to eat less.
Drinking water saves calories
If you replace a caloric beverage like juice, soda, or an energy drink with water, you'll consume fewer calories. The small change could help you lose weight gradually, even if you changed nothing else in your diet.
Drink less alcohol. Yup! We couldn't forget this one
Did you know that drinking alcohol tends to increase belly fat? Make an effort to imbibe in moderation. If you are truly serious about obtaining flat abs, cut out alcohol completely. Not only will this help shrink your middle, but you'll sleep better and lose weight throughout your body.
How to fit red wine calories into your diet
Can beer have a place in your weight-loss plan?
Regular exercise helps you lose belly fat and gain muscle
A Duke University study showed that aerobic activity performed 30 minutes a day, four days a week, reduced both surface (subcutaneous) and deep (visceral) belly fat. Resistance training alone only reduced subcutaneous fat.
Examples of aerobic activity include stationary biking, jogging, brisk walking, lap swimming, cross-country skiing, and rowing.
To decrease belly fat and improve your health, get your heart rate up consistently every week! If you already do this, then take it to the next level by incorporating some HIIT or high-intensity interval training workouts. HIIT fits the busy person who is short on time. A HIIT workout takes about 20-30 minutes, alternating between high energy expenditures and brief rests. This type of exercise is not suited for everyone as it shoots your heart rate up fast! Make sure to check with your doctor before adding HIIT workouts or any new activity to your routine.
Any activity is better than none
On the other hand, inactivity leads to the greatest collection of visceral fat. Even if you are short on time one week, strive to get in some exercise. Even a little activity builds foundational fitness, and then when you have more time the next week, return to the moderate- to higher-intensity workouts.
To build your own exercise plan, check out this resource.
At the end of the day, there isn't one magic diet, pill, or workout to reduce belly fat and improve health. It comes down to making a concerted effort to eat a healthy, calorie-controlled diet, eliminate empty calories (especially from alcohol), and get your heart rate up!
Still new to MyNetDiary? Learn more today by downloading the app for FREE.
Weight Loss->Body composition
We often associate weight loss with losing belly fat. Sometimes, when you’re trying to lose weight, the biggest challenge to adopting a weight-loss workout plan is finding a regimen that fits seamlessly into your life. Lots of guys who are trying to lose weight try absolutely absurd workout programs that require tons of specialized equipment or instruction, only to give up months later because it’s just too difficult to keep pace.
But losing belly fat fast shouldn’t be complicated. That’s why we’ve created a four-week, mens workout plan that you can do pretty much anywhere—indoors or outdoors, at home or in the gym, on a track or in your driveway—with only minimal equipment.
And remember: If you’re committed to losing weight, you need to commit to the proper nutrition program. You can’t exercise away a bad diet instead, focus on the 13 best foods for weight loss.
How this workout program works
This workout program involves both weights and running, but the emphasis here is on quick, increasingly difficult workouts of between 30 and 60 minutes. These workouts will help you rev up your metabolism and, when combined with improved nutrition, help you lose weight. Along the way, you’ll improve strength, mobility, stability, and overall endurance. If you’ve ever wondered how to lose belly fat fast, this workout schedule for men is the perfect place to get started.
We’ll begin each of these four-times-a-week sessions with five minutes of movement preparation to better mimic the movements of everyday life, improve flexibility and mobility, and reduce risk of injury. And, of course, it will serve as a warmup for the coming workout.
Directions
The four workouts will remain consistent throughout the four weeks, but we’ll increase the degree of difficulty by adding sets, reps, distance, time, or a combination of all four. You should work out four days a week (ideally Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday), and designate Wednesday as active recovery.
Keep your weekends free. We should note, however, that any weight-loss program should encompass healthy eating, minimal or no alcohol, and an active weekend lifestyle of sports and outdoor activities that will complement your work during the week.
The workouts
Week 1 >>>
Week 2 >>>
Week 3 >>>
Week 4 >>>
For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!