Guest Post: Tips for Losing Belly Fat

Hope you like this guest post! Without further ado:

Tips for Losing Belly Fat

Belly fat is the biggest problem facing many health-conscious folks today.  It surrounds our body and immobilizes many of us to the point depression. How can we get rid of belly fat without having to join a diet group or run a marathon? Here are a few tips.

Your Last Meal
Don’t fret, I am not saying never eat again. I am just saying that you should make the last meal of the day be an early one. Eat at seven, at the latest. Going to sleep on a full stomach is a terrible thing to do when you’re trying to get rid of fat. On the other hand, when you don’t eat late, your body uses the fat stored around your stomach as a source of energy. Just this one little change can make a huge difference. I am not saying it’s easy. It’s not! This is especially true for the late eater, and most of us at least snack late from time to time.

If you’re apprehensive, simply prepare for the night. Water is ok, and tea is ok too. Be ready when those hunger pangs show up with lots of these at hand. If this is too much, then start small! Try every other night or even start with once a week and move this into a daily habit. Furthermore, if a special event comes up, go ahead enjoy it. Have a drink or two on your birthday, go out a late dinner with friends after a long week.  Simply pick up again the next day. The key is consistence over time. Fitness should NEVER be about immediate results.

The Dreaded Crunch 
Yes, belly fat requires some working out. No one likes sit-ups or crunches, but you need them. Reason being, that strengthening the muscles in your belly, allows them to grow stronger and they in turn eat that fat up. Fat is energy, so muscles like to snack on that fat in order to grow. Then, once the fat’s gone, you’ll have something to show for it! However, remember that if you have fat all over your body, your body will likely burn it at a uniform rate, and your stomach fat may in fact not come off until you’ve evened out elsewhere first.

Fortunately, there are many different ways to work out your stomach muscles. For example, if you are just sitting on a chair watching TV, lift your legs up and down holding your stomach in. It works! Your muscles will feel it and they will start making a change deep inside. When you are in bed, do a crunch. Put your hand behind your neck, hold in your stomach tight and lift your upper body a bit. Do these until you can move to the floor. Little by little! You don’t have to over whelm yourself.

Don’t be a Camel
Drink water - at least six to eight cups a day. Your body needs it. Yes, I mean water! Not soda or energy drinks. Water is what our body really needs. Our organs NEED water. Most people don’t realize it, but a great deal of our physical problems are caused by not drinking enough water. People mistake thirst for hunger too, so before you run to the fridge, listen to your body. Are your lips dry? That’s a sign of thirst. If you don’t drink regularly or don’t like water, introduce it to yourself in small amount. One cup a day is better than no cup a day. Then, work your way up to eight cups. You’ll find yourself less hungry, more active, and your skin will radiate. 

Take the time! Work on these tips. Small beginnings will lead to great endings. You will lose that dreaded belly fat, and feel great about your accomplishments. Before you know it, you will start walking around the block, you’ll have energy, and within a year, you will be slimmer. Just do it!

Jenna Hughes writes about wellness, finances & saving money at www.termlifeinsurance.org.

--
Guest Post U

The University of Great Content

www.guestpostu.com

More Half Marathon Complete

It was inspiring and empowering. Glad I was able to run the entire length.

Nearly There

Today is my final training run before the More Half Marathon in NYC’s Central Park this coming Sunday – three days from today. It has been a long journey to get to this place.

As long time readers know, I began this journey in December, 2010 as a test not only of myself, but also of the video game world. The initial question was: can someone lose weight and get fit simply by using video games? Over the course of a year, I proved to myself and others that it is not only possible, but probable. I lost approximately 60 pounds by changing nothing but adding exergaming to my life.

Sometime in the second half of last year, I incorporated running into my weekly regimen. While I’ve only lost about five more pounds since then, clothing sizes have continued to drop and my endurance and stamina have continued to rise.

I am constantly amazed at how others balance everything with such aplomb and take on more. Stepping to Star Wars and getting out for runs has helped me stay focused on precisely what needed to happen each particular morning, day, and week.

Over the last two months, training for this half marathon has supplanted my exergaming, which continues, but is more sporadic. Exergaming was definitely the bridge to my getting back into fitness, but I have generally reached the other side and am running to the next goal.

New challenges abound. On a business trip to DC two weeks ago, I became one of the people I used to think were either military or insane – the ones who run around the DC Mall. I did it, thrice, and ran up the steps to the capitol building and the Lincoln Memorial. Yes, I have happily become *that* person.

Along the way, I’ve also made many new friends and deepened existing relationships. It’s wonderful how positive people can be when they come together to conquer their individual goals.

It has been extremely gratifying to me to hear from so many of you, who have privately shared your tragedies and triumphs, and who my meager blog has nudged in the direction of picking up your Wii, turning on your Xbox, getting a Gamercize stepper, or hitting the pavement or trails near your homes.

We are all one instant away from becoming healthier versions of ourselves.

Go for it. You can do it.