Pot belly fat is something all of us who have ever lost weight battled at one point or another. If you want to get rid of your pot belly, you need a multi-pronged approach. On the one hand, exercise alone is generally not enough to see major weight loss transformations. On the other hand, if you follow a diet without adding any exercise, you miss out on the massive benefits of physical activity on weight loss, physical appearance, and general health. A healthy combination of exercise and diet generally leads to more success than just focusing on diet alone.
If you’re ready to kick off your diet and exercise program to get rid of your pot belly, you’re in luck. The following is a list of my top exercise and diet tips to help get rid of stubborn pot belly fat. Keep reading to learn more, and next, don’t miss Melt Lower Belly Fat With These Bodyweight Exercises.
No one diet works for everyone. However, the common denominator between all successful diets is that adherents eat fewer calories than they burn each day, on average, over time. You need to consume roughly 500 fewer calories than you burn to lose a pound of fat per week. Whether you follow a low-carb diet, plant-based diet, or just overall reduce your intake, you need to maintain this caloric deficit to burn belly fat.
High-intensity interval training, also known as HIIT, is a style of training using brief higher-intensity periods followed by lower-intensity periods of exercise. HIIT burns a lot more calories, takes less time, and gives an overall metabolic boost compared to steady-state cardio.
To perform HIIT, select a training modality such as bodyweight calisthenics, a track, a rowing machine, or other equipment that allows you to go hard and then easy for cycles of 10 to 30 seconds. From there, choose an interval ratio. I usually use 1:1 work:rest time. For example, 20 seconds hard, 20 seconds easy/rest. Perform five to six rounds of the 20-on, 20-off cycle, and then rest for a minute. Work up to three rounds.
Being physically active is not limited to your workouts. Consider incorporating lower-intensity physical activity into your day. This can include walks, going to the park with a furry friend or your kids, or even just taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Any additional physical activity you get in your day increases your calorie expenditure.
Consistently missing sleep harms virtually every system in your body. I have trained clients who worked late hours and did not regularly sleep. The progress detriment was very obvious. From raising resting cortisol levels to increasing hunger cravings, lack of sleep is an absolute wrecking-ball for losing pot belly fat.
If possible, incorporate weight training or other resistance training into your routine. This can be part of your HIIT training or done separately. Training to build muscle in particular can actually help your weight loss.
While you won’t build as much muscle on a caloric deficit, novice lifters can still see substantial increases in muscle mass with a basic weight training program while they are also losing weight. Furthermore, the added muscle helps you look better and even increases your daily calorie expenditure due to its energy requirements.
Tyler Read