Few people are looking for weight loss diets anymore - everyone is trying to lose weight with proper nutrition. But sometimes it doesn’t help women who want to lose belly fat and get rid of excess weight until a psychologist gets involved in losing weight. How can it be useful in trying to lose weight?
From all sides you hear: “These products will help you lose weight quickly!”, “A unique weight loss program!”, “Lose weight with us!” From the outside it looks like a real zombification of the population. I understand when some TV presenters talk about this: they need to sell special cocktails produced under their name. Why do you need to lose weight? Let's start from the very beginning: with the etymology of the word.
Will it be possible to lose extra centimeters?
If you set this goal, you can lose up to 0.5 kg of fat per week without harm to your health. The solution to the problem should be approached comprehensively. To burn 1 kg of body fat, you need to spend 7500 kcal. It’s easier to do this if you create a daily calorie deficit.
When the body does not receive the proper level of energy, it draws it from the “depot”. If you create a deficit of 500 kcal every day, then 1 kg of fat (7500: 500 = 15) can be lost in 15 days, and 2 kg in 1 month! This type of weight loss is considered safe.
Important! The calorie deficit must be increased by energy expenditure, and the process of burning belly fat will go faster.
Be sure to check out:
Features of losing weight in men at home: how to remove belly and sides in a short time Effective ways to remove belly fat in a short time in men and women at home An unequal battle: how to remove fat from the belly and sides Goodbye to a sagging belly: how to really remove excess fat from your stomach waist at home
How to lose weight psychologically? 7 tips
- Step on the scale no more than once a week. Don't make a cult out of weighing.
- Cultivate and increase your confidence in achieving results! Visualization will help with this. You need 10 minutes a day alone with yourself. Imagine yourself in great shape, doing what you love, happy. Remember your emotions. Return to them when your mood drops and your self-confidence disappears.
- Set yourself realistic and non-long-term goals. Losing 2-4 kg per month is quite enough.
- Reward yourself for success. You need a positive connection with yourself. Only the gift should not be food. But going to the spa, swimming pool, buying linen is what you need!
- Give yourself rest days when you can eat candy or another favorite food. This will help you avoid feelings of guilt and get a little release of endorphins.
- Live in a positive mood! Think positive! In any negative situation, look for the second, positive side.
- Find teammates. Groups on social networks can help you! And if it’s a person from real life, even better.
And remember that the main thing is health, physical and mental.
Proven ways to quickly remove excess fat from your waist
First you need to find out whether excess belly fat is a symptom of any disease. If fat deposits are localized on the abdomen and face, and the lower part of the body remains normal, then this may be a sign of endocrine pathology (Cushing's syndrome).
Important! Obesity can be one of the signs of diabetes. Therefore, if you gain weight due to fat, you should consult an endocrinologist.
Expert opinion
Evgeniy Kislitsa
Practicing surgeon. Certified massage master. Two-time vice-champion and heavyweight champion of regional kettlebell lifting competitions.
In addition to specific fat deposition, Cushing's syndrome is characterized by the formation of a moon-shaped face with a purple blush. A clear sign of pathology is thinning of the limbs due to a decrease in the proportion of muscle tissue. A characteristic manifestation of Itsenko-Cushing syndrome is the appearance of numerous and large stretch marks on the skin (striae). They are especially often noted on the abdomen (usually the lower sections), thighs, and buttocks. People suffering from this pathology often experience the appearance of acne, which is difficult to get rid of. And in places where the skin rubs with clothing, areas of increased coloration of the body (zones of hyperpigmentation) form.
This disease should be excluded by undergoing examination. But the most common reasons for gaining excess weight are systematic overeating and a sedentary lifestyle.
If everything is in order with your health, then you need to set a goal for yourself - to achieve a flat stomach and a thin waist. It will not be possible to remove fat in just one place, because the body loses it evenly from different parts of the body. In men, the lower part loses weight first, and in women, the upper part.
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How to burn fat on the stomach and sides of a woman, first steps:
- Exclude sweets, fast food, baked goods, fatty, fried, salty foods, alcohol. This type of food is “empty” calories that are of no benefit and quickly add inches to your waist.
- Go to the store for the right products.
- Move more. Walk, take the stairs, not the elevator.
- Download apps to count calories and steps.
- It is necessary to control your physical activity. A fitness tracker will help with this. He will promptly indicate the need for physical activity.
Important! The main components of successfully achieving the goal will be: proper nutrition, sports exercises and daily routine.
Useless ways to get a “wasp” waist:
- Twisting the hoop. Even if it is heavy, with various iron balls, it will not help get rid of fat on the sides. This exercise has a massage effect. It requires a lot of time, but not calories.
- Abdominal pumping, and nothing more. The rectus abdominis muscle is pumped, but the long-awaited abs will not appear, because they cannot be seen under a layer of fat. Pumping up the abdominal press in the presence of fat deposits on the abdomen will only lead to an increase in waist size, and not to the desired weight loss. The sides remain unnoticed.
- Side bends alternately, which are often weighted with dumbbells. The oblique muscles work great, they tense up from such efforts. The result: they increase in size. The waist is getting bigger.
- Wrapping with cling film. A greenhouse effect is created. The skin sweats, fluid and useful minerals are lost. The fat stays in place.
- Using modeling body creams. They perfectly improve blood circulation, eliminate congestion in the skin and subcutaneous fat, but are unable to remove fat deposits. Such creams can be used to increase skin elasticity and eliminate minor stretch marks, since they contain substances that activate the body’s synthesis of collagen.
Important! It is necessary to develop discipline, dedication, the principles of constancy and regularity in order to gain not only a flat stomach, waist, but also health in general. There is no need to do extreme sports (starve yourself and torture yourself with killer workouts). The approach must be rational.
Why doesn't the weight come off?
The psychosomatics of weight is an important topic. Often people don't understand how it works. When you look at the reasons why weight doesn’t come off, the explanations can be very interesting.
For example, a girl dreams of getting married, follows the principles of proper nutrition, makes all kinds of masks and wraps... But the weight keeps growing and growing and, as a rule, fat is deposited around the abdomen and hips. Why? Or maybe her mother raised this girl alone, with the attitude that “all men are assholes”? Now the girl develops a kind of protection from men. Or, if a husband torments a woman with his jealousy, she often wears “breeches” so that “no one will look at me.”
Weight gain also happens during other life situations and fears, for example when moving or starting an independent life. The body creates a kind of “safety bag of fat”, because our unconscious has completely different plans, and excess weight (especially its concentration in certain places) is a kind of signal.
Proper nutrition
You should keep a food diary and write down everything that a person consumed in a day . At the first stage, this is necessary to perceive the problem of overeating. Modern technologies allow you to use calorie counters on your phone and see the “limit” for the day. The main condition for losing weight is to constantly create a calorie deficit!
The recommended number of calories per day for the average woman losing weight is 1500-1600 . It is not recommended to exceed this figure (the deficit is taken into account). Remember: losing weight is 80% dependent on nutrition and only 20% on physical activity.
The calorie figures given are for a woman of average height and weight. Those who have less or more of these parameters are recommended to calculate the caloric intake necessary for weight loss using special programs or seek help from a nutritionist or fitness trainer.
Shopping list:
- Complex carbohydrates. Smoothly increase the level of sugar and the hormone insulin necessary for its absorption in the blood. The best options are cereals (buckwheat, rolled oats), legumes, and durum wheat pasta.
- Protein. The component is necessary for the formation of healthy muscle tissue. Sources - eggs, kefir, cottage cheese, yogurt, lean meat (chicken, veal, rabbit, turkey), seafood and fish.
- Fats. Healthy fats are found in fish, vegetable oils (olive, coconut, flaxseed), avocados, nuts, and chia seeds.
- Cellulose. Helps with intestinal function and creates a feeling of satiety. Contained in vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, cucumbers, eggplant, zucchini, sweet peppers, carrots), fruits (apples, pear, orange, grapefruit, lemon), herbs, berries. A great bonus is the low calorie count.
- Green tea. Speeds up metabolism.
- Spices. Improve the digestion process, add piquancy to dishes (ground pepper, Provençal herbs, paprika, cinnamon).
The list allows you to create a complete diet. You should divide your day into 5-6 meals to speed up your metabolism. The last meal should be 3-4 hours before bedtime.
Sample menu for the day
Breakfast. The ideal option would be: porridge, eggs, fruits, cottage cheese.
Lunch. You can fill it with fruit, plain yogurt, nuts (10 pcs.), or a portion of a protein shake.
Dinner. A great tandem would be vegetables/legumes and meat/fish.
Dinner. The evening meal should be light. Fish, stewed vegetables, and dairy products are perfect.
Snacks (1-2 per day). You can fill it with fruit, plain yogurt, nuts (10 pcs.), or a portion of a protein shake. At night it is better to drink a glass of low-fat kefir.
Exercises that will help you get rid of fat and tighten muscles
You can exercise at home by doing simple exercises.
Exercise "vacuum"
Strengthens the tone of not only the superficial, but also the deep abdominal muscles, making it flat and the waist thin. The best time to perform it is after waking up, on an empty stomach, without getting out of bed.
Technique:
- Take the starting position - lie on your back, bend your knees.
- Inhale deeply through your nose.
- Emptying your lungs as much as possible and drawing in your stomach, exhale through your mouth.
- Stay in this position for 15 seconds.
- Inhale without relaxing your muscles.
- Exhale slowly and relax your body.
- Make several breathing movements and repeat the exercise 3-5 times.
The time of muscle tension is gradually increased.
Expert opinion
Evgeniy Kislitsa
Practicing surgeon. Certified massage master. Two-time vice-champion and heavyweight champion of regional kettlebell lifting competitions.
There is also another option for performing the exercise. This is exactly what Arnold Schwarzenegger himself once did. You need to sit on your knees and lower yourself onto your elbows, with your back straight (knee-elbow position). Further, the technique for performing the exercise corresponds to that given for the previous version.
The famous "bar"
Static type of load on the whole body. Tones the muscles of the abdomen, back, arms, legs. You can perform various variations: with emphasis on the elbows, straight arms, side (emphasis on the oblique abdominal muscles), “climber”, plank jumps.
My childhood favorite “bicycle”
All abdominal muscles work, the lower back and legs are involved.
Technique:
- Lie on your back, arms and legs along your body.
- Place your hands in a lock at the back of your head, raise your body, and press your lower back tightly to the floor.
- Raise your legs one by one, bending them at the knees. Simulation of cycling.
- Try to touch the opposite knee with your elbow at the top point of lifting the body and leg.
Perform the exercise without jerking 15 times in 3 sets.
Leg raises while lying on your back
Focus on the lower abdomen.
Technique:
- Lie down on the floor. Place your hands under your buttocks.
- Raise your legs 45 degrees from the floor, hold for 3-5 seconds.
- Lower your legs and repeat the exercise 15 times.
The closer your legs are to the floor, the greater the load on your abdominal muscles.
In addition to local exercises, you should perform cardio training: running, jumping rope. As a result of their use, fat metabolism processes in the body are accelerated. Duration – at least 30 minutes.
To visually make your waist look thinner, you can additionally work out the lower body (squats, lunges).
You may also be interested in: How a man can lose belly fat
Is it possible to remove fat only from the stomach and sides?
Quite often, fat deposits are concentrated in a certain problem area of the body, and the body mass index may even be at the upper limit of normal or slightly exceed it. In this situation, it is not advisable to go on a diet and try to lose weight. Since there is a high risk that the problem area will lose weight in proportion to the entire body and ballast in the form of fat deposits on the sides and abdomen will remain.
In this case, it is best to resort to time-tested options:
- normalization of nutrition - exclusion of fatty, floury, sweet foods from the diet;
- training of individual muscle groups;
- lymphatic drainage wrap.
In order for fat burning when training individual muscle groups to occur precisely in the problem area, it is necessary to create an energy deficit in this area. This result is achieved by loading the muscles located in this area of the body. After that, hormones ensure the breakdown of fat and redirect the resulting energy to restore muscles exhausted by training.
The lymphatic drainage procedure is similar to the effect of a sauna.
Lymphatic drainage wrap has a similar effect, but a reduction in fat deposits is achieved due to the temperature breakdown of fat and its removal along with sweat. A tight wrap with special components blocks heat exchange between the skin and the environment, so the wrapped area of the body begins to heat up and sweat.
Another advantage of the lymphatic drainage wrap procedure is the local healing effect on the skin of the tonic composition, which is applied to the skin before the wrap.
This mixture not only promotes the removal of fats, but also has a positive effect on the skin, joints, blood vessels, etc.
Mode
You need to take a comprehensive approach to burning belly fat. You should reconsider your lifestyle and habits, your work and rest schedule, and eliminate what prevents the formation of an ideal figure. The basis for a successful fight against fat is proper nutrition and exercise.
Insomnia, stress, smoking, lack of water delay you from achieving your goal. Principles of the correct daily regimen for a person losing weight:
- A balanced diet with a sufficient amount of vitamins, macro- and microelements (do not forget about the need to maintain a calorie deficit).
- Adequate sleep (7-8 hours).
- Quitting smoking and alcohol.
- Meditation, control over emotions.
- Adequate drinking regimen (30 ml/kg body weight).
- Walking 10 thousand or more steps daily.
- Regular training.
Important! Sooner or later a person will face health problems. And compliance with this regime will prevent not only the appearance of excess fat deposits, but also the development of diseases now.
Causes of the problem:
The main cause of fat deposits is overeating. Moreover, many people who are obese do not notice that they eat a lot, since they consume high-calorie foods high in sugar, which do not saturate the body and quickly cause hunger. In this case, we may not be talking about sweets and cakes. To gain weight, it’s enough to eat a couple of packs of chips a day, which contain starch (this is the same sugar) and a lot of calories due to a huge amount of butter, sandwiches that are sold at the nearest fast food outlet, and don’t forget to wash it all down with sweet soda. In addition, stress and nervous disorders often force people to eat everything in sight. Add to this the lack of a routine, eating in spurts, and all the conditions for gaining excess weight are ready. There are those who have gained weight due to hormonal imbalance, but according to statistics there are much fewer such people.
Finding out the causes of the problem will help you find a way to solve it. If a modern person, having learned about the principles of proper nutrition, begins to adhere to it, then this will be enough to get rid of excess fat.
Expert advice
Tips from famous people from the world of sports and medicine will help you get rid of belly fat and find a wasp waist.
Alexey Semenov, world fitness champion
“You need to work hard: more movement, fewer calories from food. Training should be carried out under heart rate control. Formula: 220 – age * 0.65 = we get the lower limit of the optimal heart rate. And if the difference is multiplied by 0.75 - the upper one. If your heart rate is low, your fat loss workout will be ineffective. To start the process of getting rid of fat, you need to exercise for more than 30 minutes.”
Sergey Kotov, laser medicine specialist
“Of course, in order to lose weight, you should create a calorie deficit and provide the body with regular physical activity. There are situations when all this does not work. For example, a woman has a slim body, but local excess fat on her stomach and sides. This problem leads such ladies to medical specialists for the purpose of laser liposuction. The effect of such an intervention is quick and long-lasting.”
Elena Kalen, nutritionist-psychologist
“Losing belly and flank fat is not easy. You should absolutely not go hungry. The body perceives this as stress, and the body begins to protect itself from hunger by accumulating even greater reserves of fat. The “vacuum” exercise has proven itself to be excellent among models; it strengthens the muscular frame of the abdominal wall, burns visceral fat, and massages the internal organs.”
Main conclusions
Getting rid of the fat “depot” on the stomach and sides is a completely achievable goal. You should adhere to the principle: “consume fewer calories than the daily norm, but spend more of them through physical activity.” A number of recommendations:
- Keep a food diary, do not exceed the calorie limit.
- Keep your back straight. Thus, the abdominal muscles will be toned, and visually the person will look slimmer.
- Exercise "vacuum" after waking up.
- Walk more.
- Drink water.
- Have a positive attitude.
- Exercise every day.
- Buy a fitness tracker. It will allow you to track physical activity, adjust your work and rest schedule.
Don't expect immediate results; belly and flank fat are the hardest to burn. An alternative may be liposuction or other local procedures.
Why is excess fat deposited most often on the stomach and sides?
One of the most important reasons for the appearance of excess deposits in the waist area is nervous tension and stress. Mental overload usually leads to overeating, and not the most healthy foods are usually used - fast food, sweets, alcohol.
With the support of the stress hormone cortisol, all this huge mass of light carbohydrates is instantly stored as fat around the waist and abdomen. In addition, cortisol slows down metabolism and blocks the absorption of nutrients, so you feel both tired and hungry, as a result of which you eat even more fatty and sweet foods. And to break this vicious circle, a person has to make enormous efforts. Therefore, immediately remove harmful foods from the refrigerator.
The modern rhythm of life creates incorrect eating habits - you eat more on the go and dry, you only eat food 1-2 times a day and in too large portions. As a result, the stomach stretches, and in order to feel full, you have to eat more and more.
Another significant reason for the accumulation of excess fat on the sides and abdomen lies in the consumption of foods containing antibiotics, hormones and other harmful drugs. Meat producers inject animals with huge amounts of medications to make big profits. These medications negatively affect human metabolism, immunity, and hormonal balance, causing various diseases and obesity.
A consequence of the same modern life is another reason for partial fat deposits - lack of sleep and numerous stresses. As a result of overload and disturbances of the nervous system, the metabolic process with which it is closely connected suffers.
In addition, the main reasons for the appearance of excess volume in the waist area include the following factors:
- slowdown of metabolism, caused primarily by dysfunction of the endocrine system;
- a sedentary lifestyle, due to which fat is burned in minimal quantities and begins to be deposited on the stomach and sides;
- unbalanced nutrition, when the body receives some substances in excess, but insufficient amounts of other important elements;
- the onset of menopause, when the production of a number of thyroid hormones slows down or completely stops, for example, thyroid hormones responsible for metabolism.
Fast food should be completely excluded from the diet.
