Why Change My Diet?
There are several reasons that changing your diet can help you lose excess belly fat, especially if you are over the age of 30. First, the way that we work has changed so dramatically in the last decade that we no longer need high calorie foods to have enough energy to do the things that we need to do. While some of us may have grown up eating a steak and potatoes at dinner each night with having excess weight, the truth is that we don't need that many calories anymore.
Second, as you grow older you will find that it is much easier to gain weight, especially after having a child or other major life changes. As you grow older, your metabolism slows down, making it much easier to gain weight. If you are genetically predisposed to gaining belly fat, then you have double the chances of getting a flabby mid-section. Also, your activity levels tend to drop off after the age of thirty or so, making it far more likely to gain weight. …show more content…
What You Can Do
The first thing that you will want to do is begin to cut out high calorie, sugary foods from your diet, although you certainly may have these foods on special occasions. Alcohol is a prime candidate for exclusion from your diet, especially since its consumption has been specifically linked to gaining belly fat.
It is important to remember that you do not want to binge diet, especially if you are prone to an up and down weight pattern. For most men and women, around 1,500 to 2,000 calories is needed every day for healthy weight loss. You may want to keep a diary to help you figure out how many calories you are consuming on a daily basis, so that you will know exactly how much you need to cut.
But Why Does Diet Effect Belly Fat?
While diet does have a direct effect on overall weight, there are other factors that lead to a concentrated weight gain in the abdominal area.
One of the main culprits is stress, which produces a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol has been linked to belly fat, and both abdominal weight gain and stress have been linked to several health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. If you are guilty of stress related eating, then you will want to first try to reduce the amount of stress that you feel. You can find out more information from your doctor, who can refer you to a stress management class in your
area.
Changes You Can Make to Reduce Belly Fat