Five Ways to Lose Stubborn Belly Fat
By: Andrea Metcalf, healthy lifestyle and celebrity fitness expert
1. Move it to lose - You have to get that blood circulating in order to burn calories and utilize fat for fuel. Walking is a great way to get into shape and the American Heart Association’s recommended way to START exercising. To really lose those inches fast try for 2 hours of walking a day. Break it up into 10 minute increments.
2. Eat this not That - You have to make choices and most of the time you probably know which ones are the right or healthier way to go. To get those pounds on the scale to fall off your body try a no label diet. Eat only foods that do not require a label to tell you the nutrition or ingredients. That’s fruits, veggies, meats and water. Skip the rest for two weeks and you can lose up to 10 pounds as many of my clients have.
3. Tea Totalling – That’s right to really whittle that waistline, you need to give up alcoholic beverages. Before you start to whine, realize that if you have a goal in mind to lose a few inches in a few weeks, then you are going to have to skip those empty calories. Opt for club soda with a slice of fruit.
4. Hydratation sensation - Water is key to keeping your muscles working optimally and your metabolic one too. So drink water as your beverage of choice even over diet sodas. You’ll reduce the amount of chemicals that you are putting into your body that may be holding onto to that waistline.
5. Muffin movers – Strength training is key to building calorie burning muscles, so try these great strength moves to tone, not bulk up, your total body. Try these 5 basic moves – You can do them everyday as long as your muscles aren’t aching.
The Squat – A basic squat is a great lower body move and by incorporating an arm raise overhead ( with or without weights) you can include your upper body muscles and burn more calories.
- Start with hands at side and feet shoulder width apart.
- Bend at the waist as you push hips back
- Keep weight in heels and arms reaching overhead
- Perform 12-15 reps the first 2 weeks then increase to 2-3 sets
The Plank - The plank offers core stability and upper body strength. Add rotation for a 360 core move or practice holding with perfect form. Place a yardstick along the spine having it touch the low back, shoulder blades, and back of head to check alignment.
- Start with hands shoulder width apart.
- Keep spine straight and abs pulled in.
- Hold for 10-30 seconds and repeat. After 2 weeks try adding alternate rotation by lifting one arm towards celing.
The Bridge - The back side of the body needs a boost to help maintain alignment and reduce risk of low back injuries. Make sure you keep your rib cage tucked in and not popping up.
- Start with knees bent and arms at side
- Squeeze, lift hips, and hold for 2-3 counts
- Alternate lifting feet while hips are held up keeping feet close to floor
- Try holding bridge with marching steps for 30 seconds increasing to 2 minute sets by weeks 3-4.
Basic Reverse Plank – The reverse plank works the triceps and back side as well as your core. Keep chest wide and squeeze shoulder blades to open and stretch the front of the body.
- Hands point outward and slightly wider than the body
- Hips lift and hold for 2-3 counts
- Start with 10-12 lifts and then by week 2 add more reps or 2-3 sets of this exercise
Bicycle - The bicycle move targets the core muscles in front and around the sides of the body. Be sure to keep legs at 45 degree angle or higher to maintain your lower back impressed on the floor. For an advanced movement, lean to the side and perform the bicycle.
- Start with one leg extended crossing your elbow to the bent knee
- Time sets for 30 seconds to start moving up to 2 minutes within a few weeks.
It is important to breathe throughout the moves, exhaling on the exertion phase of the movements. More exercises can be found on line at www.andreametcalf.com and Youtube.com/mbcfitness. Andrea Metcalf is a healthy lifestyle and fitness expert helping people to be healthy and be moved.
Image Credits:
http://www.howlosebellyfat.com/img/how-to-lose-belly-fat.jpg
http://www.westboundboarder.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/squat.jpg
http://image1.masterfile.com/getImage/NjAwLTAxNzg3NDQxbi4wMDAwMDAwMA=AK2r-3/600-01787441n.jpg
Excellent post … and thanks for sharing it! I especially like the “Eat this not that” tip … everyone seems to always be asking “what can I eat” and that clear-cut, two week plan is brilliant! Thanks!
I totally agree with your first point, to lose weight fast, you need to get moving, walking, jogging are few of the most easiest ways to get you moving.
Simon
thanks for posting this!
I will definitely try out those exercises. thanks a lot!