The Best Foods for Losing Belly Fat

All of the foods listed below are proven to help you lose belly fat, get fit, and be healthier. Try to incorporate a few of them into each meal and snack you eat. For even better and faster fat loss results, eat nothing but the "fat burning" foods listed below for a few weeks. You'll lose weight and feel better faster than you probably thought possible. No matter what, try to diversify your meals to prevent "meal boredom," eat a combination of protein,carbs, and fats at every meal, and make sure to get some protein into each meal and snack.

Fresh and frozen vegetables - Packed with fiber as well as important vitamins and minerals -- yet low in calories -- these are simply the healthiest things you can eat. When it comes to losing abdominal fat they can't be beat because they fill you up without adding significant amounts of calories to your overall diet. You can basically eat as many veggies as you want each day, as long as they're not cooked in or smothered with fats or high-calorie sauces, dips, etc.

Nuts and seeds - These are full of "good" monounsaturated fats as well as protein, fiber, vitamin E, and several important minerals. Most importantly, a handful of nuts and/or seeds can fill you up quickly and keep hunger at bay for several hours. Just be sure to avoid highly salted and smoked versions. Peanut butter and other nut butters are great choices too as long as you choose "natural" versions with no added fats or sugars.

Beans and legumes - These are packed with protein, fiber, and healthy nutrients... plus they taste great and keep you feeling full for a long time. Just watch out forrefried beans, which often contain lots of unhealthy fat, as well as baked beans, which usually contain large amounts of added sugars.

Low-fat dairy products -- There is lots of evidence that consuming plenty of calcium helps to get rid of belly fat and keep it off. Dairy products are full of the stuff. Low-fat yogurts,kefir , cottage cheese, and other cheeses are good choices.. but the best choice may be low-fat milk simply because drinking liquids tends to make you feel fuller. Plus milk is one of the best-tasting bases for whey protein shakes.

Oatmeal - This is one of the few truly "great" grain products you can eat, especially when it comes to losing belly fat and improving health. It's a complex carbohydrate that's packed with appetite-reducing, health-promoting fibers... including soluble fiber which does all kinds of good things for your body. Studies have shown that eating oatmeal helps to control blood sugar levels and insulin product better than most other foods, which is extremely important when you're trying to lose weight.

Lean proteins - It's very important to include lots of low-fat proteins in your diet when you're trying to lose stomach fat. Besides building muscle, eating protein helps to make you feel fuller, boost metabolism, burn more body fat, stabilize blood sugar and insulin levels, and ensure that you're getting the nutrients you need to be healthy. Lean steak, poultry, fish, eggs, and whey protein powders are all good choices. Eating fish once or twice a week also ensures that you're getting the super-healthy, metabolism-boosting omega 3 fats into your diet.

Healthy oils - Believe it or not, you need to eat some fat in order to burn fat... and you definitely need some fat in order to enjoy great health. The key is eating the right fats. Olive oil is one of the best choices because it's full of monounsaturated fat, speeds up your body's natural fat-burning processes, lowers bad cholesterol levels, and can be used in a variety of ways. Other good oils are peanut oil, sesame oil, and canola oil. Be sure to avoid all refined fats and oils that contain trans fatty acids, such as hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Fresh fruits - Some diet experts feel that fruits should be avoided when attempting to lose belly fat because they contain sugars. But, for the most part, one or two servings of fresh or frozen fruit per day is going to boost your health and help you lose weight. Great choices are berries, apples, and citrus fruits. They all contain lots of fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, and other good stuff. Frozen berries make a great-tasting addition to protein shakes.

Tags: lose belly fat, fat loss, fat burning foods, weight loss foods

How to Eat to Lose Belly Fat

When it comes to losing belly fat your diet is probably about 80% of the solution. How, what, and when you eat has a huge effect on your body fat levels... especially your abdominal fat levels. Most good fitness experts will tell you that the best way to reduce stomach fat is to eat a "clean" diet based around natural unprocessed foods, limit sugar intake, increase your intake of protein and healthy fats, and exercise regularly.

Yes, it is possible to get rid of some belly fat without changing your diet and just working out more often. But unless you learn to identify fattening foods and make healthy eating a daily "habit" any weight loss you experience is going to be temporary. Also by changing your diet, cutting out the "junk" foods, and eating healthier, nutrient-dense foods on a daily basis you'll do more than just lose stomach fat... you'll also significantly boost your energy, improve your health, reduce your risk of disease, and feel much, much better!

The 3 Keys to Eating for Fast, Healthy Weight Loss

In the most simple terms, there are really only 3 keys to eating for faster, healthier weight loss and less belly fat. Here they are...

1. Learn to identify the "good" foods as well as the "bad" foods
2. Eat small, balanced meals containing the good foods 5 to 6 times per the day
3. Limit or completely eliminate the bad foods in your diet

Learning to identify good and bad foods really isn't that difficult to do. There are many books on diet and nutrition available for purchase. But a simple rule of thumb is this: the more a food was touched by other humans, the less healthy it is. Processed foods (even many so-called "diet" foods) simply aren't as healthy as natural foods and are a big contributor to the obesity problem we're facing.

The absolute "best" foods for losing body fat and boosting your health are lean proteins (including meats, fish, eggs, low-fat dairy products, nuts, seeds, and whey protein powder), fresh and steamed vegetables, fresh fruits, oatmeal, beans and legumes, and healthy oils (such as olive oil). Keep in mind that even some totally "natural" foods -- such as white potatoes -- aren't good to eat when you're trying to lose weight, for reasons explained below.

[Note: If you really want to learn how to identify which foods are good and which are bad for losing belly fat and getting fit, I highly recommend reading the Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle book.]


The Big Secret to Losing Belly Fat: Control Insulin Production

Controlling your body's production of certain hormones -- especially insulin -- is vital to any weight loss plan, but even more so when your focus is on losing belly fat. You see, studies have shown that elevated insulin levels "force" the average person's body to store more fat in the abdominal region, rather than in other areas of the body. Why is this? No one knows for sure. But there is little doubt that eating foods which boost insulin levels causes an increase in abdominal fat levels in most people.

Generally, any food that contains refined flours and/or refined sugars is going to cause a significant increase in your body's insulin production. Obviously, these foods (which include most candies, sodas, and junk foods) fall into the "bad" food category mentioned above and should be avoided as much as possible. Other common foods that can raise insulin levels are starchy carbs (such as white potatoes, breads, cereals, and pastas) as well as high-sugar fruit juices.

One of the best traditional diets for controlling insulin levels and therefore reducing belly fat is the "Mediterranean" diet. This diet is based on naturally healthy whole foods such as fish, lean meats, nuts, seeds, whole grains, fresh vegetables and fresh fruits. Unlike the typical Western diet, the Mediterranean diet limits processed foods, refined sugars, and saturated fats. Besides helping to control insulin production, eating in this way helps to control inflammation in the body that can cause disease, quicken the ageing process, and even increase the amount of stomach fat you have.

For an extremely useful, easy-to-follow guide to losing abdominal fat, getting fit, and looking better fast click here.

Tags: lose belly fat, fat loss diet, healthy eating