How to Reduce Body Fat

The perfect six-pack is not a myth. In fact, you already own it, it’s just hiding under belly fat. And since you can’t spot-reduce fat in specific areas, the key to losing belly fat is reducing your overall body fat percentage. The magic number is 10% to put your abs on stage, but there are many health benefits to lowering your body fat percentage.

The higher your body fat percentage, the lower your life expectancy. Being overweight or obese significantly increases your chance of dying from heart disease, diabetes or cancer, as well as suffering many other health problems.

But losing weight doesn’t just help you live longer, it also helps you get more enjoyment out of your longer life. Losing weight increases your mood and positivity, makes food taste better, improves your libido and sex life.

Eating healthily and exercising regularly are your first steps, but in addition, each of these small changes will help make the difference.

Caloric deficit.

Simply put the body into caloric deficit. That is the scientifically proven for losing fat. It literally can’t happen any other way.

So just what is a caloric deficit? It’s what happens when you burn more calories than you consume (or consume less calories than you burn).

Basically, every single person has a unique calorie maintenance level. This is the amount of calories that your body requires each day to burn for energy to perform all of the tasks it needs to perform. From intense exercise like cardio and weight training, to simple daily tasks like brushing your teeth and getting dressed, to the various physiological functions needed to keep you alive (like digesting and breathing).

Calories is what our bodies use for energy to do all of these things, and we provide these calories with the foods we eat.

The three Calorie Intake Scenarios:

1) If we consume the same amount of calories that our bodies need to burn each day, we will be at our maintenance level. Our weight will be maintained because all of the calories we needed were provided.

2) If we consume more calories than our bodies need, al left over calories that weren’t burned will then be stored in our body in some form for later use. Most often stored form in our bodies are in body fat form. This is known as a caloric surplus, and it is the one and only cause of fat gain.

3) If we consume less than our maintenance level amount. Than our bodies are forced to find some other source of energy to burn instead. That source most often is stored body fat! And this is the one and only cause of fat loss.

Eliminate sugar intake

Start with cutting refined sugars – the obvious ones like soft drinks, chocolate, cakes, and biscuits. Then phase out foods with hidden sugars, like pasta sauces, tomato and BBQ sauces, pre-made soups, stir-in sauces, and ready meals. Check food packages before you buy; aim for products with less than 15 g of sugar per 100 g, though even less sugar is ideal.

Eat enough protein

Protein is essential to good health. The body breaks the protein down into amino acids and, among other things, uses them to build muscle. Any protein left over is available to fuel energy needs.

Guidelines also say that the healthy range for protein extends up to 35% of daily calories. In practice, it can be difficult to consume that much protein every day without resorting to eating a lot of meat and other animal products or relying on protein supplements.

It is important to choose protein sources that are low in saturated fat. Protein powders and shakes provide amino acids but offer limited nutritional value. Ready-to-drink shakes may also contain added sugar and other caloric sweeteners, so make sure to read the nutrition labels.

Exercise

Obese stage:

Exercise moderately with aerobics (walking or cycling) and weights (12-15 repetitions, gradually increasing the intensity as weight is lost.

Moderately overweight stage:

Exercise moderately with aerobics (a combination of walking, cycling, and rowing) and weights (8-12 repetitions), while incorporating the occasional HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) session after the first few pounds are lost.

Smooth stage:

Train aerobically with one moderate intensity session and four HIIT sessions per week.

Weight train all muscle groups using 8-12 repetitions.

In shape stage:

HIIT sessions can be done five times a week, independent from any other form of training.

Train with weights using 8-12 repetitions