We hear it enough: diet and exercise burn fat! While this is generally true, it doesn’t tell us just HOW to burn the fat we want to burn. I am in no way saying that we can spot treat our fat cells, because that is definitely not the case. What I am saying is the things you would think of first to mitigate certain areas of body fat are actually not the keys to success.
Namely, when we think about belly fat, our first inclination is to knock out a BILLION crunches, or wobble around like a moron on a Bosu ball for 15 minutes pretending to know what you’re doing.
Yeah, we have all been that guy. Don’t pretend like you haven’t done it. I see you, Marina girls… Let me help you out. Please.
So… Check it out. Here are the ways to blast the crap out of some belly fat:
- Interval training. Whether you choose to do an extended workout of HIIT (high intensity interval training) or just add in some speed work to your runs, you will be helping your body toward burning fat more efficiently. Its a proven fact that coupling periods of intense cadiovascular activity with periods of rest boost your metabolism, which is a big contributing factor to burning that fat around the middle, and overall as well. Don’t believe me, and just want to go out on another hour long steady state run? Read this.
- Cut calories. It goes without saying, but if you eat less than you burn throughout the day, you are going to lose more. Cutting calories from sodium and sugar are going to give you the greatest results, so stay away from processed foods and get your recommended daily does from whole foods instead. Cutting grains and starches are key. If you must consume them, your cutoff for them is 3pm.
- Don’t get stuck in a routine. Doing the same workouts day in and day out will only get your body to plateau and not move past the stubborn phase of fat burning. If you keep your body guessing by throwing in different workouts and changeable circuits into your regular running routines, you will begin to see more progress, especially around your middle!
- Don’t skip breakfast. Like, DON’T. It is the most important meal of the day for a reason. It kickstarts your metabolism, so why cross that off your list for the day? You need something to jolt your body’s ability to burn calories, and it starts with fueling your body correctly. Try something easy like steel cut oats with a sprinkling of blueberries, almonds and coconut sugar.
You’re welcome 🙂
