Have you ever tried to wear your favorite outfit, only to find out that the zip cannot close? Tell me about it, please. It can be so stressful to have some inches added to your waistline. Belly fat is one of the major health problems.
The sad part is that belly fat does not only trouble us with appearance and clothes that do not fit but, it also increases the risk of getting some diseases. This includes high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, asthma, and many others.
The good news is that some things can be done to lose belly fat.
By belly fat, we are referring to the fat around the abdomen.
There are two types of belly fat.
Subcutaneous: This is fat that can be found under the skin.
Visceral: This fat surrounds a person’s organs.
Visceral fat is considered more harmful to our health than subcutaneous.
Let’s go through the practical ways of reducing the waistline.
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Reduce alcohol intake
Taking more calories than the body can burn, is a good way of gaining weight. Normal beer has about 150 calories. It is easy to have one too many. Meaning more calorie intake.
The other problem is that, when the liver detects alcohol, it starts burning it instead of fat. This is another way alcohol contributes to weight gain.
Most men tend to gain weight around their bellies due to alcohol. 
Please let us bear in mind that a high intake of alcohol can cause several health problems, especially liver disease, digestion problems, and heart disease.
It is important to be careful of how much alcohol one drinks.
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Consider plant-based diet
This is one of the simplest, most convenient, and most flexible diets that I know of. A plant-based diet is not a vegetarian or vegan diet. It is making plant-based foods the main dish and reducing the other foods like dairy and meat.
It is eating more fruits and vegetables. Legumes are included as they are high in protein and carbohydrates.
The reduction of other foods usually depends on the individual. For instance, some people go to the extent of cutting meat altogether, while some may prefer to eat it only a few times per week.
There are some foods that cause visceral fat like deep-fried foods, processed foods, dairy, sodas, sweetened foods, and refined foods.
Eating a plant-based diet means eliminating all the bad stuff. By doing so belly fat should also reduce.
Remember to eat different colors of vegetables and healthily prepare them.
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Consume More Fiber
Fiber slows digestion and as a result, it increases fullness and reduces hunger. That may help in weight loss because one can easily reduce calorie intake.
Soluble fiber can be a good tool to fight belly fat. It slows down emptying the stomach. It is considered to be very good in reducing appetite and making us feel full. This means eating less food.
Sources of soluble fiber include; Legumes, avocado, chia seeds, sweet potatoes, fruits, and flax seeds
Insoluble fiber helps one to be regular when passing the stools. That is a very good way of reducing the waistline.
It can be found in food like; whole-wheat flour, wheat bran, green beans, blackberries, and cauliflower.
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Walk, Walk, Walk
Walking is one of the simplest and most effective ways of exercising. It helps in shedding some pounds, I mean the overall weight loss including belly fat. Walking an extra minute every day can make a huge impact on our health.
Taking a walk after a heavy meal can help to flatten the tummy. The body can easily absorb nutrients when it is active.
You can start by taking a 10 minutes walk and increase it when your body gets used to it. Consistency is key so that you can see the results. Please don’t be too hard on yourself.
There are walk some walk at home videos that one can use in the comfort of your home.
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Home-cooked meal
It is considered healthy to eat home-cooked food than fast food. This can help to lose belly fat. The truth is, when you are cooking at home it is easy to watch the calorie intake because you will be doing it yourself.
It allows you to prepare the meals exactly the way you enjoy them. Even if you are following a certain diet you can make the changes that work for you.
A combination of a healthy home-cooked meal and a bit of workout including simple walking can reduce belly fat.
The trick here is having more vegetables and fruits, of course with other foods. All these have to be prepared in a healthy way.
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Avoid sugar-sweetened drinks
Too much sugar is not healthy for the body. Sugar-sweetened beverages have liquid fructose which may cause gaining belly fat. This means the reduction of these beverages can lead to the loss of belly fat.
When fructose is too much, the liver transforms it into fat. Then abdominal fat increases and the waistline gets bigger.
Sugary beverages include energy and sports drinks, fruit juice, sodas, and sweetened coffee.
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Intermittent fasting works
Intermittent fasting is a pattern of eating, where you go without food for a certain time. It is not strict on what to eat.
It is one of the most effective ways of losing belly fat. One should stick to eating times. To make it more effective, consider eating healthy foods during the eating periods.
There are several ways of intermittent fasting methods. The popular one is fasting for 16 hours and eating for 8 hours. It is called the 16/8 method.
For example, you can eat between 9 am and 5 pm. Be consistent and do it for at least 30 days.
The first few days might be challenging in terms of hunger but once the body adjusts and gets used to the eating period, it becomes easy to survive.
During fasting hours, you can still drink water and non-sugar-sweetened beverages.
Remember that our bodies are different, if you react negatively, kindly stop and consult your doctor.
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Green tea
One of the old and trusted healthy beverages for weight loss is green tea.
It contains antioxidants that boost metabolism. The higher the metabolism, the faster the calories are burned.
Drinking 2-3 cups of green tea daily depending on the brand that you are using, may lead to shedding belly fat and body weight in general.
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Be patient
Gaining weight happens gradually, therefore losing weight will also be a process.
Patience is a virtue! In most cases when it comes to weight loss, we need rapid results. The reality is, weight loss is a journey and a lifestyle to be maintained. Let’s be gentle and patient with ourselves.
This will take off the burden of stress that comes with the number of pounds that we have added.