The Natural Path To Losing Belly Fat

By Author: Vince DelMonte
Total Articles: 14
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When I ask people to share their fitness goals, more often than not, they tell me they want to lose their belly fat. I think that's partly because a lot of people equate fitness with tight abs. But another part is that belly fat is just harder to shed. Even folks that work out strenuously and diet conscientiously will often find that the last couple of pounds of fat around their belly is the toughest to trim off.

When I ask people to share their fitness goals, more often than not, they tell me they want to lose their belly fat. I think that's partly because a lot of people equate fitness with tight abs. But another part is that belly fat is just harder to shed. Even folks that work out strenuously and diet conscientiously will often find that the last couple of pounds of fat around their belly is the toughest to trim off.

Why is belly fat harder to get rid of? Blame in on hormones! Culprits like estrogen, insulin, leptin and ghrelin, for instance, all make it tougher, but estrogen and cortisol both prompt fat buildup in the lower body, with cortisol being the largest stumbling block when it comes to losing belly ...
... fat.

Blame the Hormones!

Cortisol is released when the body feels stress. Whether it's mental, physical or emotional stress makes no difference. So it's important to realize that when you stress your body physically, you're allowing cortisol to trigger fat storage.

There are ways to manage your cortisol level, though, which will make it easier to shed your belly fat. Here are a few tips to help you keep your insulin level under control, manage your hormone levels and reduce your caloric intake from carbs.

Let's talk first about reducing your estrogen and cortisol levels.

Reduce estrogen by increasing testosterone

You may be one of the many people that thinks that estrogen is a woman's hormone. You may want to sit down for this shock, guys - you produce estrogen, too! Women just have an estrogen level that is higher than their testosterone level, while you and I are the reverse.
Estrogen encourages the storage of fat, so reducing its production even more than usual will make losing your belly fat easier. And the easiest way to push your estrogen level down is by drowning it in testosterone. That's why some bodybuilders resort to steroids (even though they do terrible things to their systems).

Since a natural method is much better, your way to boost your testosterone level should be by increasing your workout's intensity level. You can follow a quicker tempo or just push yourself harder - both will do the job.

Reduce your cortisol production

Reducing your mental and emotional stress can help too, but limiting your physical stress is probably going to be the easiest way for you to control the release of cortisol into your system. Studies have shown that during a workout, cortisol production is boosted. The shorter the duration of the workout, the less cortisol is produced.

Your body feels stress because of insufficient rest, too, so it's very important that you get at least 8 hours of sleep each night. Studies show that people who habitually get less will have a higher level of body fat and especially more belly fat.

In addition, growth hormone is produced while you sleep, and it greatly lessens the effects of cortisol. So there's a double benefit in getting plenty of sleep.

Okay, that covers cortisol and estrogen - now let's talk about how nutrition can help you peel off belly fat.

Proper nutrition for losing belly fat

Carbs = insulin spikes = more fat storage. Got that? That means that cutting carbs can stop insulin spikes. And insulin is what triggers fat storage. What you should be doing is eating low-glycemic vegetables, grains and low-glycemic fruits like berries, with a high protein diet. Your amounts will be determined by your workout intensity, how much fat you're targeting and your metabolism.

High quality meat, nuts, leafy greens and healthy fats are perfect, as are olive and coconut oils. They leave you feeling full, but don't mess with your energy level or insulin production.
Timing is everything

It's important to know what to eat, but it's just as important to know when to eat it. When you're out to lose belly fat, get your carbs in the morning. That way, you'll have plenty of energy, but you'll burn it off instead of storing it. You can get your healthy fats and protein later in the day.

I've said it many times, and I'll keep saying it - know how your body works and how it responds, and you'll be able to get it to do what you want. Burning belly fat isn't hard when you work with your body instead of against it. Control your hormones and your diet, and it's a lot easier.
Resource: http://www.vincedelmontefitness.com/