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Belly Fat Diet
The best belly fat diet consists of much more than just food. Although getting that flat stomach requires the collaboration of many factors, all are directly related to nutrition. You may be surprised as to what you're about to learn.
So you want those washboard abs, right? Great! By taking the decision to search for a solution, you've already taken that all-important first step towards a better you. But with all of the information (or sales pitches, rather) being thrown at you from the various media sources... how do you know what works, and what doesn't work? The answer is quite simple, and it's inside of you. The truth sounds familiar when hearing it, keeping in mind that it's also subject to interpretation by whoever is perceiving it. Therefore, even while reading this article, be sure to take in only what resonates with you.
Let's start with the more technical side of your belly fat diet. In terms of the frequency of your meals (meaning the number of times per day that you eat), they should be high in numbers but never forced. I have a tendency of telling people who are interested in either gaining lean muscle mass (and weight, in general) or losing weight, to eat several times a day. The reason for this is that it raises your metabolism, or in other words... signals the body to burn fat more regularly.
That part is perfect, but the overall problem with this is that sometimes we over-eat, even in terms of frequency. We don't give our system a rest. This often leads to bloatedness, constipation, and, in some cases, a lack of energy. All of this results in an increase in body fat. You would think that fueling the body more often could only increase energy levels... but if you're in any way feeling irregular, this could have a tiring effect on your system.
Unfortunately, getting fatter usually leads to feelings of discouragement and a loss of motivation to do the things we most enjoy. All of this is difficult to deal with emotionally and, in turn, sticking to your belly fat diet becomes nearly impossible. And so, by the end of the day, all you want to do is plop yourself on the couch with a bag of potato chips (thus making things worse) instead of working on your body, let alone your hopes and dreams.
Taking in too much protein is another issue we have to deal with, when it comes to figuring out your ideal belly fat diet. Even though some form of protein should be included in each of your daily meals, if taken in excess amounts it will be stored as fat. To summarize this point, and to reap only the benefits of high-frequency meals... do it, but don't make it a chore. If you're absolutely not hungry, don't eat. Forget that it's been two hours or even three (or more) hours since your last meal. Forget that your trainer will talk down to you if s/he finds out about your "inconsistency" with following your pre-designed belly fat diet.
Only you know what's best for you. This goes back to what I mentioned in the paragraph above; The truth sounds familiar when you hear it. You can even disregard this particular article, but do take this one point to heart... Your body is telling you what to do at every given moment. It tells you what to eat, when to eat, and how much to eat in order for you to successfully reach your objective. But you do have to have a clear image of what you want, otherwise it won't be able to guide you.
Now, getting back to the belly fat diet. What foods should it consist of? Since everyone more or less comes from a different cultural and even socio-economic background, I'll generalize things as much as I can. Don't let this discourage you, though. All too often I meet people who want to be told exactly what they should eat; They sometimes want to know where they can go, specifically, to buy these foods as well. They're so caught up in anxiousness to reach their goal, that they've completely forgotten about themselves and their own input in all of this.
They are dependent on others for the simplest of things, but I don't blame them. Once again, the media has us going crazy. There are all of these different methods for supposedly getting and staying lean, yet such a small percentage of people are able to do so. This leaves the majority of us stressed out, frustrated, and overwhelmed. Don't worry too much about the number of calories or the grams of protein you need to take in. Don't search for that perfect belly fat diet, because you'll never find it; The reason is that it doesn't exist.
Some of us can get great results by following a single belly fat diet for years, even decades... while others who are committed to the identical regimen have nothing to show for it. We're all different genetically speaking, but we all have the same potential, which I believe to be limitless in our own unique way. You can look awesome, but keep in mind that what works for you might not work for somebody else. It's also worth noting that most of us need variety. Eating the same foods day in and day out usually doesn't cut it. It leaves us with strange emotional cravings (of extremely sweet, salty/savoury, or high-fat foods), and sometimes creates an imbalance in our metabolism - as we're constantly battling to not give in to those cravings.
A better approach would be to eat the same types of foods with each of your given meals. My lunch and supper, for example, usually consist of meat or fish, however I do my best to alternate between lean beef, porc, chicken (or other poultry), tuna, tilapia, etc. I also include a small portion of starchy carbohydrates in those meals; Something along the lines of brown rice, a potato, yams or sweet potato, whole grain pasta, etc. Last but not least I'll have some vegetables, and regardless if they're cooked or not (but they offer more antioxidant benefits when raw), I try to eat different ones each time.
I'd say that as a rule of thumb you can repeat an exact lunch/supper meal twice per week at most. I know that all of the bodybuilders and fitness models out there who are going to read this will think I'm crazy, but this article really is for the general population. That doesn't mean that an experienced, or even professional athlete, can't benefit from my advice. It's just that, as I've said, we're all different and not everyone is predisposed to following a super-strict belly fat diet.
The last point I'd like to make is in regards to the size of your meals. If you are hungry, EAT! Don't starve yourself by taking in extra-small portions. If this is what you've been doing, then it's possible you're not getting enough of the essential nutrients needed for your body to function in an optimal way. You need food for energy, to recover, to hydrate, and to think properly... so don't say "No" to the good foods when your body demands more.
What are the good foods? Whole foods, meaning foods which have not been, or hardly been, altered from their natural state. Egg whites, lean cuts of meat/fish, vegetables, fruits, oatmeal, potatoes, rice and other seeds & grains (like couscous, quinoa, etc), beans/lentils, nuts, cottage cheese, and yogurt fall into this category.
Sometimes our emotions mask what is truly the best belly fat diet for us, but that's the subject for another article. Still, to quickly summarize, if you're determined and have nothing holding you back emotionally, your body, with laser-like precision, will communicate whatever steps need to be taken for you to create a nutritional program that's perfectly in line with your aspirations. Listen to your body, always; I can't emphasize enough how crucial this is to your overall health and level of fitness.