24 January 2024 , 13:06
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Stomach fat often feels impossible to shift, and research shows it is actually harder to lose than fat in other areas of your body.
Whether you're aesthetically motivated to tone up, or you want to drop pounds for your long term health, losing fat around your tummy can make you feel a lot better across the board.
But how do you go about achieving it? Thankfully, weight loss guru doctor Michael Mosley has the answer. He'd shared his three golden rules that people need to follow if they want to shrink their belt size. Here's everything you need to know on losing belly fat quickly.
Eat less sugar
Dr Mosley said: "To make a serious impact on your belly fat, cutting out sugar spikes is key. A surprising number of 'diet' snacks and drinks are high in sugar and are marketed as diet foods because they happen to be low in fat."
In other words: "Limit your intake of any food or drink containing more than five per cent sugar to no more than twice a week." He also says this includes smoothies and juices, as well as sweet fruits like pineapples and mangoes.
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Sugar is one of the main kinds of carbohydrates, and so many carbohydrate foods that might not seem sugary at first could also actually be high in the sweet stuff. Processed foods like white bread, pasta and chips should instead be swapped out for the likes of quinoa or brown rice.
Dr Mosley said: "Two things will surprise you: the amount of sugar you were consuming unawares and the speed at which your belly fat will begin to tame itself when you cut it out."
The Fast800 website says that compared to a low-fat diet, "lower-carb diets can lead to two to three times more weight loss".
Intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting is based on the idea of eating on a regular schedule for a time and then removing food for another. Dr Mosley explains that a day of fasting shouldn't involve eating more than 800 calories.
He claims: "Not only do you simply lose weight by eating fewer calories, but your body responds to the stress of fasting by enhancing hormone function to facilitate weight loss and burn fat for energy. Short-term fasting can lead to several changes in the body that make fat burning easier."
Do high-intensity training
Dr Mosley says that exercise is vital for many different reasons, adding: "It is amongst the best things you can do for a long and healthy life."
It is worth mentioning, however, that the exercise alone won't be enough for getting rid of that last bit of stubborn fat but it certainly does help your chances of keeping it off.