I have been struggling to lose belly fat for my entire life, so trust me when I tell you this is not easy, but I am going to share with you what I did to get rid of it and how you can apply the same principles to lose the upper belly fat.
Where is upper belly fat?
The upper belly fat is stored in the upper belly of your stomach. That region above your belly button is your “upper belly,” and below your belly button is your “lower belly.”
What causes upper belly fat?
The causes of upper fat are poor diet, physical inactivity, and increased alcohol consumption. sometimes genetics can play a part in where your belly fat is located.
How do I get rid of upper belly fat?
Getting rid of upper belly fat is not an easy task, you will need to be consistent and probably it will take longer than you expect, so be patient.
A combination of proper diet and good exercise will help reduce the upper belly quickly at home. The following lifestyle behaviors will help in reducing the belly.
Stop Eating Unhealthy Foods
If there is one thing you can do to reduce your belly fat is to change your diet, when I eliminated sugar-added drinks like sodas, I was able to see a massive change in my belly fat in just 4 weeks.
Another thing that you need to cut off is junk foods, you know with apps like UberEats, Rappi, etc, ordering junk food has been easier and most of us are addicted to them.
Eating junk food adds zero nutritional value to your body, reduces your metabolism, and contributes to larger waist sizes.
Start physical activities
Human beings are exercising less compared to 20 to 40 years ago, these days walking or riding a bicycle is considered a noble thing to do.
You need to move more, you do not need to go to the gym the whole day, you can just start small, like walking just two blocks per day, just start.
Cardio workouts can give you a flat tummy if done consistently. Fat can’t be targeted in a specific area of the body; that’s why cardio is your best bet.
Additionally, strength training is only helpful for building muscle around the legs. Therefore, doing both will offer you optimal results if done consistently.
Reduce stress
There are studies that proved that stress causes belly fat due to increased cortisol levels, overeating, disrupted sleep, and lowered metabolic rate.
Whatever your source of stress could be, it’s likely causing your excess fat as well. Stress results in cortisol secretion, forcing the liver to release sugar.
I know firsthand that it is almost impossible to remove stress in our lives, but what you can do is to reduce it, you can do is to find what is the source of your stress (people, things, or in my case a football team) and have less interaction with whatever stresses you.
Get a better sleep
I know we have a lot of things to do and we have just 24 hours per day, the pressure to put food on the table for our families, the pressure we get from our jobs or lack of, the inflation, etc. All these things can cause someone to lack sleep, due to overthinking or stress.
Studies demonstrate that those that sleep six hours or less a night are more likely to gain weight than those that slept seven or more.
My recommendation is that you sleep 7 to 8 hours per day and forget about the hustle culture that encourages people to work 24 hours. Sleep well so your body doesn’t swell.
Improve your metabolism
The truth is that when we got older the metabolism rate of our bodies gets slower, this is the reason why most people get fat with age and it is more difficult to reduce belly fat after 35 years old.
Our body goes through various changes as we age. The older we get, our metabolism tends to decline, increasing visceral fat.
By eating the right food and increasing the number of physical activities, you will be helping your body to increase the metabolism rate and hence help you you lose the upper belly fat.
Drink Water
Drinking water regularly will keep you generally healthy. A body that isn’t hydrated struggles with burning calories efficiently.
If you are used to drinking alcohol or sodas, it can be very difficult to start drinking water, what I do is have a bottle of water always with me, so when I feel thirsty or hungry, that will be the first thing a drink.
Also drinking water before you eat, makes you feel full very quickly and this will prevent you from overeating.
Eat Foods That Relax You
While I recommend dieting to start losing the upper belly fat, I do not recommend going on a strict diet, the reason for this is that it might end up stressing you and causing anxiety.
You can deal with anxiety with just what you have in the kitchen. For example, bowls of oats and bananas are rich in Vitamin C, useful for fighting against stress.
Eat A Healthy Diet
The simplest way to lose belly fat is to create a calorie deficit. and you can do this by eating a healthy diet.
According to studies, 1 pound of fat is equal to 3500 calories, so if you eat the right food and create a calorie deficit of 500 calories per day, you can lose one pound of fat each week.
You can start your custom diet here.
Start walking
Walking is a great way to reduce upper belly fat, it is one of the easiest exercises you can start, you do not need to pay for a gym membership, and you do not have to buy special gear, just put on the shoes and start walking around the block.
You can start walking 5 minutes per day then slowly but surely increase the amount of time you walk and also the walking speed, this will accelerate the process.
Consume Probiotics
Probiotics help to break down food and support the digestive system. Consume yogurt and buttermilk as probiotics in your diet.
Final words
Stress, Unhealthy food, Poor sleep, Genetics, Alcohol consumption, and Smoking are the common causes of Upper Belly Fat. A good diet with proper healthy meals can help to reduce your love handles.