Changing our eating habits in order to lose weight is one thing,
but getting off the couch and doing some exercise is entirely
something else, and something that not everyone is willing to
do.
So, can we or can't we lose belly fat without exercising?
The answer to this is Yes and No.
Yes, because when our bodies go through a process of losing
weight, they don't burn fat from a specific part in our bodies,
but fat begins to be reduced all over our bodies.
That means that if you'll burn enough fat, then your belly fat
will also be reduced.
So theoretically you can lose your belly fat just by changing
your eating habits and reducing your caloric intake.
But there are two catches here:
One -– losing weight without adding exercising to the process
is much more difficult to attain. When we add exercising, we're
actually increasing the caloric expenditure of our bodies,
which allows us to be less strict with our diet and to lose
weight much easier.
Two - the appearance of the belly isn't affected only by the fat
surrounding it, but also by the abs.
If your abs are strong, then they hold your belly tight and
contribute to the look of a flat belly.
But if your abs have gotten weak, a phenomenon that is well
known after pregnancy, they won't be able to hold your belly
tight, and it'll look like you have a little swollen belly, even if
you're not fat at all.
In this case, it's strongly recommended to do some exercises
to strengthen your abs, thus achieving the desired look.
However, if your goal is to flatten the belly without exercising,
here are 4 strategies to assist you in doing that.
1. Avoid sweet drinks
One of the biggest problems with sweet drinks is the quick
rate of absorbance of their sugar to the blood stream.
When this sugar reaches the blood, it stimulates the secretion
of the hormone insulin, which in its presence the body will
convert excess sugar into fat and won't be able to burn fat
from its fat reserves to produce energy.
In other words, as long as there is a high level of insulin in
your blood, your body won't be able to burn fat and will only
accumulate fat.
Sweet drinks include all the sodas and industrially-made juices
we know. Even those that have zero calories and are
classified as "Diet".
Studies show that the artificial sweeteners in these drinks are
mistakenly interpreted by our bodies as glucose/sugar due to
their sweet taste, and therefore also increase the secretion of
insulin (1).
So are fresh fruit juices that you've squeezed yourself.
Indeed these contain vitamins and minerals from the fruit, but
they're also loaded with lots of sugar, without the fiber of the
fruits that will mitigate its absorbance to the blood. As a
result, the sugar from the juice enters the blood too quickly
and in too high of a quantity, and stimulates a high secretion
of insulin, just like any other sweet beverage.
Therefore, in order to lose your belly fat, drink lots of water,
unflavored soda, or unsweetened coffee or tea, and leave the
sweet drinks to the side.
2. Eat more fiber
Dietary fiber is found in plant foods such as fruits, vegetables,
grains, legumes, and nuts and seeds.
Aside from having lots of health benefits, fiber (from natural
sources, not by artificial supplements) also slows the
absorption rate of sugars from food to the blood, thereby
mitigating their effect on insulin secretion.
When insulin levels in the blood are low, it allows the body to
utilize fat stores as an energy source and thus, to burn belly
fat.
A study that examined the influence of fiber consumption on
belly fat found that for every 10 gram increase in soluble fiber,
the rate of belly fat accumulation decreased by 3.7% (2).
Increasing the consumption of dietary fiber will also help you
to feel satisfied for longer and thereby to eat less.
So how you can practically assimilate this?
Make sure that in every meal you eat, half of your plate will be
fresh or cooked vegetables (not including root vegetables).
This way you'll make sure that every meal will contain an
abundance of natural and quality dietary fiber.
Of course if you choose to eat fruit salad as your meal,
veggies aren't necessary. You'll get enough fiber from the
fruits themselves.
3. Eat less bread
All types of bread, whether it's whole wheat bread, whole grain
bread, spelt bread, rye bread, or all the sourdough breads, are
eventually broken down in the body mostly into sugar.
Many people think that if they don't add bread to their meal
they won't be satisfied.
But this is a misconception that stems from a lack of
understanding of our biology.
What bread actually does is to increase the sugar levels in our
blood, causing us to feel satisfied right after eating, whereas in
fact these high sugar levels stimulate the release of the
hormone insulin that transports the sugar from the blood into
the cells, leaving the blood too low in sugar. This lack of sugar
in the blood is interpreted in our brains as a lack in energy,
sort of like starvation, and causes the brain to signal the body
to eat again.
That's how you find yourself hungry again or craving
something sweet just a half an hour to an hour after the meal.
The solution is simply (or not simply if you're a big fan of
bread) to give up on bread as a part of the meal and replace it
with lots and lots of raw vegetables, a portion of protein, and a
bit of high quality fats, that will have you feeling light, yet
satisfied for a longer time after the meal.
4. Avoid small meals that are spread out throughout the
day
This ties in to the insulin matter we've just spoke about.
As I mentioned, in the presence of insulin our bodies
accumulate fat and are not able to reach the fat stores for use
as an energy source, even if we're really lacking in energy and
need this fat for producing energy.
So why do I mention it here?
Because when we eat lots of small meals during the day,
we're actually maintaining a constant level of insulin in our
blood, which only sabotages our attempts to burn fat and lose
weight.
The worst are those small meals that cause spikes in insulin
levels, but don't supply us with much energy.
Here I'm referring to all those rice cakes, low-fat yogurts, light
breads, low-fat ice creams, and many other diet foods and
snacks.
The problem with those foods is that, on the one hand we
don't get enough energy from the food itself because it's low in
calories, and on the other hand, due to the presence of insulin
in our blood (actually caused by those foods), the body can't
use its fat to produce energy, although the body is begging for
energy.
Meals with these kinds of foods leave us weak, tired, and
craving for sugary foods in order to lift our energy back up to a
normal level.
So the end result is that we consume more food and burn less
fat - not so recommended for someone who wants to lose
weight.
So what can we do to overcome this predicament?
Eat fewer meals during the day (up to 3). Make sure they
include lots of vegetables or fruits, a portion of protein, and a
small amount of quality fat.
That way you'll keep your insulin levels low while gaining a
long-lasting feeling of satiation.
So there you have it.
The 4 strategies to losing belly fat without exercising.
I just want to remind you, that if your belly looks flabby due to
weakened abs, you won't be able to skip the exercising part.
Just do a short abs workout, 7-15 minutes, 3 times a week,
and that will definitely do the trick.
I warmly recommend that you'll give it a try.
That's all for today.
See you in the next post.