5 Proven Ways to Smartly Burn that Stubborn Belly Fat

 

If you want to melt that belly fat but don't have time for proper diets, plans, or extensive workouts, then this article is just for you. Here, I will share with you 5 proven ways that are just amazing for fat loss. So without any further delay, let’s get started.

Why Losing Extra Fat is Important

Extra fat on the body not only looks bad but is also an invitation to problems like fatty liver, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. So let’s talk about 5 simple and smart ways for fat loss.

5 Proven Ways to Burn Belly Fat

5. Add an Acid to Your Meals

Only if you add an acid along with your meals, your chances of cutting extra body fat increase by 40%. How?

Whenever we eat food, our body converts it into glucose. Simplistically putting, more glucose in the blood means more body fat. Now, if we reduce this glucose spike, body fat will automatically come down. And an acid does that effectively.

Studies have shown that 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar diluted with a tall glass of water, if consumed before a meal, reduces the glucose spike by almost 34%. In an interesting study, two groups were given the same pasta to eat. 

One group consumed vinegar and then ate the pasta while the other group directly ate it. The results showed that people who consumed vinegar had a much lower glucose spike, whereas the other group’s glucose spike reached the red zone.

The same experiment was done with other foods like bread and chips and in each case, the results were strikingly similar. However, it’s neither practical nor advisable to drink vinegar before each meal.

Studies show that even if you drink a glass of vinegar water just once a day, let’s say before breakfast, the acetic acid in the vinegar will slow down the absorption of the carbohydrates.

This effect works for other acids like citric acid and lactic acid as well. Which is why if you consume a glass of lemon water before a meal or even squeeze juice from a lemon on your meal, the citric acid in the lemon will not only reduce the glycemic load of the meal by almost 40% but the same meal will keep your stomach full for longer. This was explicitly mentioned in the conclusion of the study.

Similarly, lactic acid from curd or buttermilk is a good addition if you want to lose body fat faster. A study in Japan showed that homemade pickles along with a meal also have a similar effect.

So, make use of an acid and burn that fat 40% faster. For example, when you know that you have to go to a wedding tonight or a late-night dinner, before leaving home, you can have apple cider vinegar diluted in a tall glass of water. Following just this simple hack, you will put on less body fat from that same meal outside.

4. Get the Order Right When Eating

You might be surprised to know that by just changing the order in which you eat your food, you can significantly affect whether you will put on weight or lose body fat.

In 2015, a study was conducted on diabetic patients to check if the order in which they eat the same meal had any effect on their blood sugar levels. The results were surprising.

• One group was given bread first, then chicken, and finally salad at the last.
• The other group was given salad first, then chicken, and finally bread.

The glucose spike was almost 75% lower for the group that ate salad first, even though the two meals were exactly the same.

In another study, one group ate rice first, then tofu, and then broccoli. Another group ate broccoli first, then tofu, and rice last. The glucose spike was significantly lower when vegetables were eaten first.

How does this happen? When we start our meal with a plate full of vegetables, the fiber in veggies coats your intestines creating a sort of protective mesh, a kind of shield on the walls of the intestines. This shield slows down the speed at which the rest of the meal is absorbed into your bloodstream, providing constant energy for a longer period. This keeps you full longer and prevents unhealthy food cravings.

So a simple rule: If you want to melt that fat faster, eat whatever you are eating, but start your meal with salad—a plate of carrots, cucumber, or whatever you feel like having. First complete that salad and then start eating roti, sabzi, rice, dal, whatever it is. Just a simple thing and the speed at which your body reduces fat will increase by 75%.

Talking about food order, studies clearly pointed out that the best time to eat a dessert is after a full meal and not before. This keeps sugar levels stabilized. No wonder, this is our traditional way as well.

3. Move After Eating

In 2016, a study was done on diabetic patients. One group was suggested to walk for 30 minutes anytime of the day, while the other group was asked to walk lightly for just 10 minutes but after meals.

Guess what? The study concluded that a 10-minute light walk after a meal is superior to a 30-minute walk at any other time.

When we eat, our body converts food into glucose. If at that time we move our muscles, that glucose will be readily used by the cells. You need not do any rigorous exercise; in fact, rigorous exercise just after a meal is rather bad for you. Just do simple things like walking around, doing the dishes, or cleaning your room.

Here’s a comparison of glucose spikes:

• Eating a rice bowl and resting
• Eating a rice bowl followed by 10 minutes of walking

The glucose spike was much lower in the second case.

Interestingly, modern studies say that if one activates calf muscles after eating, metabolism increases and blood sugar is utilized faster. Ayurveda recommended thousands of years ago to sit in vajrasana for 10 minutes just after eating a meal. 

Of course, it’s not always practical to do vajrasana everywhere, so basically, move your body lightly for just 10 minutes within 1 hour of eating a meal and you will be surprised with the results.

2. Don’t Eat Naked Carbs

Look at this graph of how your body reacts when you eat carbs versus when you eat protein and fats.

Type of Food	Glucose Spike Level
Carbohydrates	Highest
Proteins	Moderate
Fats	Lowest

Remember, the more the glucose spike, the more fat your body will store. This is the reason when we cut down our carbohydrate intake, we automatically begin to lose weight. A recent study confirms: want to lose weight? Limit carbs and add more nutrients to your diet.

But what are carbs? All grains like wheat, rice, oats, millets are carbohydrates. All fruits, desserts, and other sugary foods are also carbohydrates. Does that mean we should stop eating these? Not at all. Rather, just avoid eating naked carbs.

What do I mean by naked carbs? Don’t eat carbs alone. Carbohydrates are made up of glucose molecules. Studies show that when we eat something mostly carbs, the glucose spike is much higher compared to when it is combined with other macronutrients like protein, fats, and fiber.

This makes sense why it is always recommended to eat whole grains over refined grains like maida. Maida is wheat stripped off its fiber, so it is mostly carbs. On the other hand, whole wheat has carbs but with fiber intact.

Compare the sugar spikes here:

• Eating a whole apple
• Drinking apple juice

This is the difference fiber makes.

A simple hack to speed up your fat loss is to add bran into your atta which you use to make roti.

Another example: Suppose you feel hungry and choose to eat biscuits. Biscuits are made of grains and sugar and are a prime source of carbohydrates.

• Option 1: Eat biscuits alone.
• Option 2: Eat biscuits with some cashews.

In the second case, your carbs will get covered up with healthy fats and protein from the cashews, reducing the glucose spike.

Studies have proven that if we combine protein or fats along with a carb-rich meal, the chances of putting on body fat reduce by a huge 80%. In a study, one group was given only bread to eat while the other group was given bread plus peanut butter applied on it. Even though calories were more in the second group, they lost more weight than the first group.

Ayurveda says, add a teaspoon of ghee over your curry and it will help you cut extra body fat.

Also Read: 5 Things to Instantly Make Your Atta a Superfood (#2 Will Surprise You)

1. Don’t Compromise on Your Sleep

This one is the easiest and most satisfying step. We all know that sleep is important, but you will be amazed at how major an impact it has on fat loss.

When you compromise on your sleep, two things happen:

1. There is a hormonal change. A major study in 2008 concluded that when we deprive ourselves of sleep, the leptin hormone decreases and ghrelin hunger hormone increases.
2. Leptin is the satiety hormone which signals the brain that you are satisfied with the food and no longer hungry. Ghrelin is the hunger hormone that makes you feel hungry.

When people compromise on their sleep quality, the satiety hormone decreased by 18% while the hunger hormone increased by 28%. Basically, you get punished twice when you don’t sleep well. It was observed that people who didn’t sleep well ate 300 to 400 calories extra in each sitting. So just compromising on sleep causes overeating automatically.

The second thing that happens is that it’s not just overeating but also what foods you crave when you are underslept. Scientists discovered that when people were underslept, they craved starchy and sugary foods.

People were put under MRI scanners and shown images of healthy and unhealthy foods. Their brain reward centers lit up most for foods like pizza, chocolate, and ice cream.

When you are sleep deprived, you lose control of your brain and uncontrollably indulge in junk food cravings.

Not surprisingly, 28 studies evaluated that people who work night shifts are at a 35% higher risk of getting obese. So prefer day shifts and never compromise on your sleep. This can be a gamechanger.

Summary: Simple Smart Hacks to Lose Belly Fat

• Before breakfast, have a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar diluted in a tall glass of water.
• Before starting your lunch or dinner, eat a plate of salad.
• Add curd to your lunch and sprinkle lemon juice on your dinner.
• During snack time, eat something with fiber, protein, and fats, not just carbs.
• Prefer whole foods over refined foods.
• After every meal, walk or lightly move for 10 minutes.
• Sleep at regular times and sleep well.

Just simple things done smartly can boost the rate at which you lose fat without altering your diet too much.

Additional Tips

• Adding lemon juice or curd to your meals can also help reduce glucose spikes due to their acidic content.
• Choosing whole grains over refined grains helps because of the fiber content which slows carb absorption.
• Combining carbs with nuts or healthy fats like ghee can significantly reduce fat gain.

By incorporating these simple yet smart lifestyle changes, you can effectively burn belly fat without drastic diets or workouts.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: How does apple cider vinegar help in fat loss?

Apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid which slows down the absorption of carbohydrates, reducing the glucose spike after meals by almost 34%, which helps reduce fat accumulation.

Q2: Why is the order of eating food important for fat loss?

Eating fiber-rich vegetables first creates a protective mesh in the intestines that slows the absorption of glucose, reducing blood sugar spikes by up to 75%, keeping you full longer and reducing fat storage.

Q3: What kind of movement is recommended after meals?

A light 10-minute walk or gentle activity like doing dishes or cleaning is effective. It helps muscles use glucose from the meal, lowering blood sugar spikes and aiding fat loss.

Q4: What does "don’t eat naked carbs" mean?

It means avoid eating carbohydrates alone without protein, fats, or fiber. Combining carbs with these macronutrients reduces glucose spikes and fat storage.

Q5: How does sleep affect belly fat?

Poor sleep decreases leptin (satiety hormone) and increases ghrelin (hunger hormone), leading to increased appetite and cravings for unhealthy foods, causing fat gain.