Every girl and woman dreams of a beautiful and flat stomach. And if you are not genetically disposed to this, then you need to put a lot of effort into this. To help you get closer to your goal, we will tell you how to get rid of belly fat.
Belly fat has a certain structure. It is not just located between the skin and organs, like fat in other areas of our body, but envelops the internal organs. This fat mass is called visceral fat.
Myths about weight loss in the abdomen
To lose weight in the waist, many believe that you just need to pump the press. And they are deeply mistaken. In the process of swinging the press, we simply strengthen certain muscles, and do not burn fat in the abdomen. Meanwhile, the fat remains in place.
Getting rid of belly fat with a diet is not easy. By going on a diet, you can lose weight in places you do not need, while the stomach remains. In addition, during the diet, your body does not receive all the substances and trace elements it needs. And it is also harmful to your health.
It is simply impossible to drive fat only in a certain place either with the help of training or with the help of diets. The body can lose weight in a complex, and not in separate areas. Only liposuction can remove fat only in a separate area. And after surgery, you are unlikely to change your diet and physical activity. So there is a high probability that your kilograms will return to you in the near future.
Classic recommendations for losing belly fat
It is possible to get rid of extra pounds on the stomach. To do this, it is necessary to approach the solution of the problem comprehensively. A low-calorie diet, aerobic exercise, and regular abdominal strength training will help you achieve the desired result.
Physical exercise
Aerobic exercise is the most energy intensive. They must be at least 30 minutes long. While running, jumping rope, cycling, active fat burning occurs and metabolism increases.
Training should include 3 stages: warm-up, a set of exercises and stretching. A warm-up is necessary to warm up the muscles and protect them from injury. And stretching is needed to relieve tension from the muscles after a workout. Your classes should take place at least 4 times a week and be sure to make yourself 1 or 2 days off. First of all, you need to determine which abdominal muscles you need to tighten. It can be a lower press, side or central. Depending on this, it is necessary to choose a set of exercises.
When performing exercises for the press, you need to develop all the muscles of the abdomen. When doing a regular ab exercise, you swing only in the sagittal plane. In order to pump the abdominal muscles in the transverse plane, you need to make turns of the torso to the right and left. But the folds back will help develop the frontal plane.
By regularly performing exercises for the abdominal muscles, you can reduce your waist by up to 8 cm in a month. This can be achieved with daily training. The wider your waist, the more noticeable the result will be.
No matter what type of exercise you do, it needs to be changed every few weeks. During 5 workouts, the muscles adapt to the loads. And getting used to, the body begins to perform the same exercises to spend fewer calories. It turns out that the effectiveness decreases with each training session.
You need to perform exercises for the abdominal muscles at least 20 times in 2 sets. After you can fully perform the exercises, the load should be increased or more complex exercises should be selected.
During training, do not take long breaks between exercises. Exercises should be performed in the same rhythm. During breaks, you can walk or stand. It is undesirable to sit down and rest. During a long rest, the muscles cool down and relax, and from this the effectiveness of the exercises is sharply reduced.
When doing abdominal exercises, make sure that the muscles are in constant tension, otherwise you will not see the result. It is better to do fewer times, but with high quality. If during the exercises on the press you feel a burning sensation of the muscles, then you are doing everything right.
Breathe properly while exercising. You can’t hold your breath. Relaxing the muscles, take a deep breath, and straining – exhale.
Proper nutrition
To achieve the desired result, it is necessary to observe one principle in nutrition – the number of calories consumed should be less than the number consumed.
The body primarily spends calories obtained from food, and when they run out, it begins to take the energy it needs from fat reserves. To comply with this rule, you need to avoid high-calorie foods as much as possible.
Food should be low in calories. Give preference to vegetables, fruits, lean meats. You can include foods in your diet that help burn fat and speed up your metabolism. Avoid alcohol, especially beer. Alcohol has almost twice the calories of most carbohydrates and proteins. The exception is dry red wine.
Нow to lose belly fat in women
An expert in the field of harmonization of the female and male body Artem Korobov explains:
Fat traps in the abdominal region are very difficult to correct with nutrition and go last when the fat depot is completely depleted. And they return on the contrary, in the first place.
Such problems are well solved by liposuction. In my practice, I offer patients an integrated approach, in which you can not only get rid of subcutaneous fat on the abdomen, but also redistribute it, create a sports tummy. The result of the operation is lifelong, subject to a stable weight, and in order to maintain it, moderate physical activity and proper nutrition are sufficient. There are no traces and scars after liposuction.
An expert in the field of fitness and nutrition Emmanuil Rudakov explains:
Here are a few rules that work for everyone:
- Make a meal plan for yourself so that you are in a calorie deficit. This will give a signal to the body that you need to take energy from somewhere.
- In order for the body to start taking it from fat, you need to give an incentive. The incentive in this case will be physical activity. I explain that the body in any stressful situations (and nutritional deficiency is stress) will try to preserve adipose tissue, and use it only when there is nowhere else to take energy from. So that the body does not use our muscle tissue as an energy source (and this is the process of gluconeogenesis), breaking it down to proteins and converting it into glucose, we must use this muscle tissue. Then the body will understand that it has no choice, and will “burn” adipose tissue.
- There is no need to pump endlessly the press, it is better to pay attention to more energy-intensive (basic – multi-joint) movements. So you will involve a lot of muscle tissue in the work, thereby “telling” your body “see, I’m using muscle, let’s burn fat for energy.” Everything is simple, the main thing is to set the conditions correctly, as in a school problem.
- You don’t have to do an infinite amount of cardio, you’ll just create too much energy deficit, which isn’t good. Bigger doesn’t mean better!
- Be patient, if you have been gaining belly fat for a year or longer, count on at least half that time to get rid of it.
And remember, losing weight is easy!
Нow to lose belly fat with breathing exercises
Elena Tolkach, female coach in France, ElenaBodyFlex author’s breathing gymnastics coach, explains:
Do you know that..? In 1975, the French doctor Jacques Moron created a new scientific direction “Morphomedicine”. The scientific credo of morphomedicine can be summarized in several theses:
- There are different types of fat with different origins, different distributions, and different symptoms. Including – fat on the abdomen and on the sides has its own characteristics
- Getting fat doesn’t mean eating a lot. You can diet and not lose weight
- Losing weight does not mean losing fat. Sometimes people lose kilograms, but fat (body volume) remains in place
- There is no single cause of obesity, and there is no single recipe for weight loss. Each person, his health and genetics are unique
- Each type of fat has its own specific metabolic disorder. Fat on the abdomen and on the hips has a different origin.
What can we conclude from this?
It is very important to understand that in order to lose weight in a certain part of the body (say, in the abdomen and waist), you should not rush to different diets or pump the press, but turn to specialists.
Once, when I was living and working in Paris, a woman in her 40s approached me. Her name was Olga.
She came and said, “Elena, guard! Help! I bought a subscription to the gym in order to lose weight, remove fat on my stomach and waist, and as a result, weight and size increased. I can’t button my jeans”
As a trainer in the author’s breathing exercises ElenaBodyFlex, I understand what the problem is here. The fact is that in the gym people breathe anaerobically, they just build muscle under layers of fat. Muscle weighs more than fat – that’s a fact. And if you limit yourself to only classes in the gym, without proper diaphragmatic breathing, then the result will disappoint you.
My recommendation as a trainer and bodybuilder with experience in Asia and Europe is:
- Learn proper diaphragmatic breathing. This will tighten the abdominal muscles and internal organs
- Use it during physical activity. So you will spend 2 times more calories.
- Keep a table of your dinners.
Noting there
- Dinner Time
- what did you eat
- what kind of food did you like
- What didn’t you like
- what time did you go to bed
Review the notes on Sunday evening. Much will become clear to you. This is how my clients naturally build conscious healthy habits.
It is an erroneous opinion that only by pumping the press you can create a toned and embossed stomach. There is an effective and proven method, I wrote books about it in Russian and French. This is a breathing exercise. Just 15 minutes a day before breakfast, and the process will go much faster.
How does it work?
Appetite becomes moderate, the volume of the stomach physically decreases, endorphins are produced – hormones of happiness, and a person does not lean on sweets in order to enjoy, he gets it already during breathing exercises.
Such breathing is great for new mothers to recover from childbirth and increase energy.
It takes one to three weeks for my client to get a flat belly. To master this breathing method without harm to health, you can order my books, which describe this method of breathing and exercises.
So, your stomach will always be flat and toned. Men with this breathing exercises lose weight faster. This is such an injustice. But that’s another story. Love breathing exercises and it will become your best friend.
Нow to lose belly fat after childbirth
Explains plastic surgeon Khatri Amit:
The most common are three situations when a woman is not satisfied with the appearance of the abdomen after childbirth, and in all three the most effective way to solve it is surgical correction. Unfortunately, diets and sports in these cases will not help.
- Diastasis is the separation of the rectus abdominis muscles after childbirth. In this case, the elimination of diastasis is used with suturing or a mesh implant.
- There is overhanging of the skin over the scar from the caesarean section. In such cases, surgical correction is effective – the so-called mini-abdominoplasty. If a large amount of skin hangs over the scar, a more voluminous intervention is performed – abdominoplasty with navel transfer. At the same time, during the operation, it is possible to eliminate the scar itself from a caesarean section, which gives an excellent cosmetic effect.
- There are cases when the presence of a skin apron is combined with diastasis. In such cases, a simultaneous operation is performed, which allows to eliminate both problems in one intervention.
Cases when women turn to a plastic surgeon after childbirth with the desire to correct the abdomen are common, and modern plastic surgery is able to solve these problems, relieving patients of aesthetic and psychological discomfort. What is important is that such an intervention will not be a contraindication for the next birth.
Sergey Barsukov, cosmetologist, Infacial clinic explains:
The condition of the abdomen after childbirth puzzles many mothers and makes them look for options to quickly return to their former shape.
The problem really exists and in most cases is not solved by proper nutrition and exercise, although this is a very important and necessary point. It is not solved, because this is a complex problem: an extra amount of subcutaneous fat, stretched, toneless skin, stretch marks (stretch marks). And an integrated approach can solve it.
For a quick recovery, at Infancy Clinic we offer a combined procedure in one session. This Slim-Tight procedure is a combination of two powerful hardware effects Ultraformer and Infini.
The first procedure is a focused ultrasound technique, with the help of which we solve the issue of extra centimeters due to lipolytic effects (focused ultrasound damages the membranes of fat cells, the fat is then utilized naturally through the blood and lymph), it also affects the dermis (a different depth of exposure) and collagen synthesis is stimulated, which will increase the overall tone of the skin.
The next step is to apply micro-needle radiofrequency to the skin with the Infini device. Microneedles penetrate into the more superficial layers of the dermis and epidermis, triggering tissue renewal at that level. This tightens the skin, remodels the dermis, eliminating scars and stretch marks, makes the skin as elastic and dense as possible.
In most cases, one is enough, you can repeat in a month if necessary. Slight redness after that can persist for a couple of days and, importantly, photosensitivity does not increase and after a few days you can even sunbathe.
The final result is formed within a month. I think this is a real lifesaver, such a combination of procedures that literally in one visit will restore the skin of the abdomen and remove extra centimeters. And of course, proper nutrition and the necessary amount of physical activity will make the result better and in general it will be useful!
Yuli Baranova, lead trainer of the Fit-On fitness app, explains:
An integrated approach is needed here. First you need to smoothly prepare the body, and indeed the body as a whole, after such stress. Here are some practical tips for you:
- Let’s adjust the daily ration. It should be systematic, varied and useful. Remove sugary drinks, fast food, convenience foods from your diet. Try to give preference to poultry, fish and vegetables in the evening.
- After the baby is born, the abdominal muscles need to be toned. Add exercises for the press (provided there are no contraindications). It is also necessary to train the abdominal muscles that are in the deep layer. For example: transverse abdominis. The “abdominal vacuum” exercise will help you with this.
- You should also pay attention to the condition of the skin. Massage, special creams and wraps will help here.
- And of course, do not forget about the main assistant of our metabolism – water! Drink at least 1.5-2 liters of pure water a day.
Нow to lose belly fat and sides
Vyacheslav Vasiliev, a leading Russian specialist in the field of plastic, reconstructive and regenerative surgery, a plastic surgeon at the DoctorPlastic clinic, explains:
If we are talking about surgery, then this is either liposuction in its own form (when there is no excess skin, but there is only excess adipose tissue), or liposuction, which is combined with abdominoplasty (if there is also excess skin).
About how to remove a man’s stomach
It is very important to understand during plastic surgery on the abdomen that they are aimed at correcting external structures, namely the skin and subcutaneous tissue. With abdominoplasty, it can still be a maximum of the abdominal muscles.
Therefore, if a man has a pronounced so-called “beer” belly or a pronounced deposition of fat inside the abdominal cavity, plastic surgery can change little in such a situation. Here we are talking about either diet and weight loss, or some kind of bariatric surgery to reduce body weight, if we are talking about morbid obesity.
If we are talking about the stomach after childbirth
After childbirth, the abdominal wall can be quite normal, in some cases liposuction can be dispensed with, but divergence of the rectus abdominis muscles or diastasis is also more common, and here abdominoplasty is more often required either with suturing of the rectus abdominis muscles or without suturing. Or liposuction is required with a combination with a mini-abdominoplasty. Here we proceed from the individual characteristics of the patient.
Нow to lose belly fat for men
Yuli Baranova, lead trainer of the Fit-On fitness app, explains:
For owners of an O-shaped figure, there is a special training program. It is built on a circular principle and is aimed at strengthening muscles and burning fat. Duration: 1-2 months.
1st workout: Monday, Wednesday, Friday
- Circuit workout 3 laps.
- Rest after each round from 3 to 5 minutes, with the restoration of heart rate to a level not higher than 100 bpm.
- Number of reps per set 15-30
- Warm-up: 10-15 minutes of leisurely walking on a treadmill.
- Cool down: 20-30 minutes, brisk walking, exercise bike, swimming, stepper.
Training 2: Tuesday, Saturday
- Cardio training + study of oblique muscles and rectus abdominis muscle 5 exercise. by 3/25.
- Cardio: 30-45 minutes, stationary bike, treadmill, swimming in the pool at an average pace with an intensity not exceeding 85% of MAX.
Нow to lose belly fat and sides of a man
A special program is aimed at strengthening the whole body, but the special emphasis, of course, is on exercises that help get rid of the fat lifeline around the waist.
The program is built on the principle of separate workouts: on Wednesday and Saturday, exercises for the press, and on Monday and Friday – for other muscle groups.
1st Practice: Wednesday, Saturday
- Goal: working out the abdominal muscles.
- 5 ex. by 4/max
- Cardio: 30-45 minutes.
Training 2: Monday, Friday
- Goal: To strengthen and “balance” the upper and lower body.
- Training style: moderate weight with high reps (12-15).
- Warm up: 5-10 minutes of walking.
- Where 4 ex. on up the body, and 4 exercise. lower body and 1 exercise. on the abdominal muscles in 3 sets.
3rd workout: aerobic, (45-60 minutes)
Purpose: getting rid of excess fat.
All this while maintaining a balanced diet, where in the daily diet protein accounts for 50%, fats 20%, carbohydrates 30%
How to lose belly fat fast
This is one of the most common questions that students ask their coach. So, it is impossible to get rid of subcutaneous fat locally, especially in such a short time. In a week, it is only possible to tone the problem area, get rid of excess subcutaneous water.
As for the training process, “thousand reps per press” are powerless here. Abdominal exercises will only help tone the abdominal muscles, but they will not remove the so-called stomach. I advise you to add a cardio load to your workouts (walking on a track, elliptical, bicycle) of 40 minutes or more. And then your success will be guaranteed!
