Okay, so I've been getting too many emails enquiring about how to lose belly/tummy fats. I used to dislike answering this question, even for my clients, because I personally do not believe in spot reduction. But, I'm gonna summarize and share 5 quick tips to expedite your 'getting abs' goals a little!
So here goes!
1. Increase your Protein intake
I have to admit, I get really annoyed when people (especially female) start asking me questions like, "Wah, I don't dare to eat too much protein for fear that I will grow muscles too big!" Because, protein is the most important macronutrient when it comes to losing weight! Protein also aids in building and repairing tissues, and is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood.
In the first place, females will not be able to bulk up like a man because of the meagre amount of testosterones in our bodies.
Secondly, our bodies (male and female alike) are not able to absorb the full amount of protein in every high protein food that we consume. Moreover, studies have shown that the amount and quality of protein consumed was inversely related to fat in the belly and that people who eat more and better quality protein actually have less belly fats.
So what are some examples of the high protein foods?
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| Eggs (unprocessed) |
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| Prawns and fish |
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| Salmon |
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| Chicken Breast |
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| Tofu (for vegetarians) |
Of course, there is protein in other meat, poultry and seafood, nuts and seeds and vegetables like asparagus, spinach, broccoli, etc. Go ahead and do a quick google and I'm sure you will be able to find some of your favorites that you can eat enjoyably! :D
2. Avoid Processed food, go WHOLE
This, is something I highly emphasises especially on my
clients.
If you cannot see the read deal, avoid it!
If you cannot even see the fibre of chicken, or fish or
vegetables of any sort, chances are, the food has been processed (unless you
homemake the food from scratch). OR, if you cannot figure out how the food is
made, avoid it! Healthy food should be simply made and prepared. I’m not
asking you to cut them out totally (because there are some that we cannot even
avoid), but just reducing your intake on these foods. :D
Here are some examples of processed foods:
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Donuts, chocolates, waffles, sweets, carbonated drinks,
sweetened drinks, pizza, puffs, etc.
|
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| Processed carbs |
If you are willing to take up the challenge (and have the budget to do so), go whole grains as much as you can. Well, eating healthy unfortunately, seems to be really high maintenance in Singapore because healthy food are generally more expensive. However, do not fret, Singapore is swiftly and steadily catching up to the trends of US and Australia and very soon and hopefully, we will be able to have more access to healthy food at more affordable prices! *fingers crossed so do not lose hope!
3. Go easy on the Sugar
I had a personal experience while I was preparing for the Yahoo! shoot with Cheryl Tay. I had less than a week to prep and I cut down sugar totally, not even sweet fruits like banana, papaya, watermelon, etc. I could see a huge difference in the belly area and I loved it! However, even for me, sugar is a must in my daily diet, I quickly went back to having sugar right after the shoot! :P But what I made a point doing, is that I cut down my sugar intake drastically, especially to just as early in the day as possible.
If you need to eat something sinful, do it as early in the day as possible!
I love to advise my clients this way because I'm human too, and I love to eat what I love too! :D When you do that, you usually have the next half of the day to burn it, even if it means just walking around and not working out. But, if you can, start getting used to making little changes to your daily life by ordering your drinks with less sugar, cutting down on sweetened drinks, especially carbonated ones (makes your belly bloat) and slowly cut these sweetened drinks out from your life completely. Go for green tea and drink ALOT of distilled/filtered water (less sodium). Its not that difficult, actually. All you need is the right mindset!
4. HIIT often
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a form of training, alternating periods of short, intense anaerobic exercise with less-intense recovery periods. HIIT is a form of cardiovascular (cardio) training and if done correctly, can achieve improved athletic capacity and condition (for athletes), improved glucose metabolism and improved fat burning.
Then I have clients who are looking to build mass (even females) and they are afraid to lose muscle mass and look skinny when I make them do short HIIT. Well, cardio exercises/training done at a higher intensity for a shorter period of time will not only help you maintain your muscle, but may actually help you build muscle mass (building up on the fast-twitch muscle fibers). Studies have also shown that when HIIT is done correctly, your body gets into an 'afterburn' effect which is known as Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC), which simply put, is a process where your body burns more fats to fuel the restorative process (of hormone balances, phosphagen stores, carry out cellular repair and oxidize built-up lactic acid) even up to 38 hours after you finished the HIIT.
This form of training doesn't have to be long, but to be done correctly, they have to be really INTENSE.
5. Tighten your Core
It is already a good news that you are starting to workout and doing HIIT but to maximize your workouts and trainings, I always emphasize and nag non-stop about tightening your core when I train my clients and of course, this in-built nagging is constantly in my mind during my own workouts and in my daily standing, walking and sitting down too.
This would mean, tightening your core when you are standing still, walking and sitting down (which will naturally also keep your back straightened and chest upright).
Try it! And when it comes to working out, yoga-ing, running, jumping, dancing (whatever form of exercise you do), also try to tighten your core to make your workouts more effective! I actually found this instructions on livestrong.com and I thought it could serve as a simple guide if you do not know how to tighten your core (while working out and not). (Credits: http://www.livestrong.com/article/424203-how-to-contract-your-abs-when-exercising/)
Step 1:
Locate your transverse abdominis -- a deep abdominal muscle that helps keep the abdomen flat -- by placing your hands on your hip bones at the front of your pelvis. Once you've located the bony portion, move your fingers in toward the center one inch and down toward the pubic bone one inch.
Step 2:
Inhale deeply, getting your diaphragm at the bottom of your belly into the action.
Step 3:
Exhale and pull in the muscles under your fingers, thereby tightening that transverse abdominis. If it helps, visualize drawing your navel in toward your spine. When you're contracting the muscle it should feel tight and not bulge out.
Step 4:
Practice a few deep inhalations and exhalations while keeping your hands in that same position, so you'll get used to the feeling of tightening in that transverse abdominis. When that muscle is tight, all other muscles of the abdomen should be contracted as well, since the core muscles all contract together as one unit.
Step 5:
Begin your workout warm-up, practicing deep breathing techniques throughout, so you'll get used to breathing deeply from the diaphragm as you work out.
Step 6:
Return your thoughts to your abdominal muscles any time you think of it. Straighten your spine, pull your shoulders back and down, and pull the abdomen in to about 30 percent of maximum tightness, aiming to maintain that tightness throughout the workout; you don't need them to be fully contracted. Place your hands back on the transverse abdominis if you're not sure whether you're contracting enough. If you use a smartphone during your workout, you might try setting an alert every two to five minutes, reminding you to contract your abdominals.
SO, I hope you can learn something new from my sharing and feel free to contact me if you need help to kickstart your fitness journey or achieve your fitness goals! :D
Always remember though,
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