So, how to lose stubborn belly fat in 2 weeks ?! Is it even possible?
Nowadays, we have countless weight loss programs, diets, and meal replacement plans. However, the vast majority of these resources aren’t backed by science. They’re mostly commercial products offered by companies and mostly internet “gurus” who have little to no authentic scientific background.
In this article, I’d like to save you the time and effort of trying diet plans that don’t work as promised, and share with you real methods backed by science and approved by real doctors.
Before we go into details, let’s give a brief answer to the main question of this article.
How To Lose Stubborn Belly Fat In 2 Weeks By Implementing Simple Methods That Work For Everyone?
I included methods and tips that are evidence-based and proven by science to help you lose weight fast. And yes, these tips work for everyone, even though results vary from person to person.
As a quick overview, I’ll be giving you some insight on:
- The different patterns of intermittent fasting.
- How proteins affect appetite hormones.
- What happens when refined carbohydrates enter your body.
- Why fiber gives a good feeling of fullness that helps weight loss.
- How the bacteria in the gut has a significant role when it comes to weight loss
- The power of eating mindfully.
Let’s start with,
Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting or IF is a proven weight loss method with countless people who have tried it and shared their successful weight loss stories.
Simply put, it’s about allocating an eating window and fasting for the rest of the day. The main advantage here, considering that you won’t see results unless you achieve a caloric deficit, is the ability to manage your caloric intake during the eating window way more easily. In fact, you can lose stubborn belly fat in 2 weeks or less by following a good intermittent fasting plan. And how much weight you lose depends on your daily caloric intake.
What Are The Different Patterns Of Intermittent Fasting?
You can actually control how your fast will look like and for how long you will fast. Choose a comfortable eating window for you. For instance, it’s been common to set an eating window of 8 hours and then shorten that period as the participant becomes more comfortable with his/her diet plan.
Make no mistake, your goal will always be achieving caloric deficit or maintaining a certain amount of calorie consumption during the day. Fasting is only there to help you do it in the long run.
Do You Have To Do It On A Daily Basis?
No, in fact, you can fast every other day. This is what we call (ADF) or Alternate Day Fasting. And you can eat normally on non-fasting days. What’s so great about this pattern is that it allows you to have more freedom and maintain your diet for the long run.
You can as well choose to fast only 2 days a week of your choice, this pattern can be effective if you eat around 600 calories on the fasting days, and you eat normally, with healthy habits in mind, for the rest of the week.
Remember to maintain healthy eating habits on non-fasting days to get the best desired results.
Now, let’s talk about how we can achieve caloric deficit to start losing weight fast.
Eat More Protein To Lose Stubborn Belly Fat Fast
High protein foods mostly have fewer calories and help you feel full for several hours due to the following reason: Protein affects appetite hormones in your body. It causes a rise in the satiety hormones GLP-1, peptide YY, and cholecystokinin. At the same time, it decreases Ghrelin, which is the hunger hormone.
Research done on young adults showed that the effect of protein on appetite hormones can last for several hours and participants showed no urge to eat during these hours.
Here are some good high-protein foods:
Oats, eggs, nut and seed butters, sardines, quinoa porridge, and chia seed pudding.
Swap Added Sugar And Refined Carbohydrates For Healthier Alternatives
Added sugar is one of the main reasons for obesity. If you are serious about losing weight, you need to exclude foods and beverages that have high amounts of added sugar from your diet.
This alone would make a huge difference in your weight loss journey.
The second type of food that you need to eliminate is processed foods, especially refined carbohydrates like bread and white rice. Such foods are processed in a way that they no longer have fibers and other nutrients,
What Happens When Refined Carbohydrates Enter Your Body?
When refined carbohydrates enter the body they are so quick to digest and they rapidly convert to glucose. When excess glucose enters the blood, bad things start to happen, since it provokes insulin, which is responsible for stimulating fat storage in the adipose tissues.
The conclusion is, refined carbohydrates are like poison to your body. If you don’t eliminate them from your diet, your hard work won’t pay off. You can simply do that by swapping them with healthier alternatives like:
- Pasta, bread, and rice that are WHOLE GRAIN instead of white.
- Eliminate sugary snacks for nuts, seeds, and fruits.
- Swap high-sugar sodas for fruit-infused water or herb teas.
How To Lose Stubborn Belly Fat In 2 Weeks By Eating More Fiber
Unlike sugar and starch, fiber, which is basically plant-based carbohydrates, is difficult to digest in the small intestine. This is why fiber gives a good feeling of fullness that helps weight loss. Here are some good sources of it:
- whole-wheat pasta, whole-grain breakfast cereals, whole-grain bread, barley, oats, and rye.
- Beans, peas, and pulses.
- Vegetables and fruit.
- Seeds and nuts.
Let’s Talk About The Good Bacteria In The Gut
Did you know that it’s been approved by new research that the bacteria in the gut has a significant role when it comes to weight loss?
The huge number of microorganisms located in the human gut includes about 37 trillion bacteria.
These bacteria vary in terms of type and number according to every individual. What’s more interesting is that these bacteria, certain types of them, can affect how much energy a person can harvest from his food, which can lead to weight gain and fat deposition when the energy produced from food is increased.
Why is this so important to know?
Well, it’s because there are some foods that can increase the number of good bacteria in your gut. These foods include:
- Plants that increase fiber uptake which leads to having a better well diverse set of bacteria in the gut. These plants include a variety of vegetables, fruits, and grains. The ideal amount of plant-based food should be 75% of a person’s diet.
- Fermented foods: These foods can actually inhibit the growth of bad bacteria while at the same time optimize the function of good bacteria. And this is due to the fact that they have good amounts of probiotics. Examples of fermented foods are yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, and tempeh. In fact, study results have shown kimchi and kefir to have a significant anti-obesity effect, especially for overweight women.
- Prebiotic foods: These foods help increase the activity of certain types of good bacteria that contribute to weight control. Prebiotic fiber is mainly found in many vegetables and fruits, especially artichoke, chicory root, garlic, onion, asparagus, avocado, banana, and leeks. It’s also found in grains such as barley and oats.
Track Your Diet To Lose More Weight
It’s actually quite a useful thing to do if you want to guarantee the success of your diet. You should be able to keep track of everything you eat or drink. You can, for instance, use an online food tracker or a journal to log every item you consume. By doing so, you’ll be aware of everything that goes into your body.
As a matter of fact, we have a ton of health apps that help you track your diet, weight loss, and physical activity. And there’s a huge demand for these types of apps. In fact, studies have shown that there’s a correlation between weight loss and how frequently people track their exercise and food intake.
How To Lose Belly Fat In 2 Weeks By Eating Mindfully
Have you ever tried to eat mindfully by slowing down and paying more attention to the food? Do you care about where you have your meals?
The practice of mindful eating can help people lose weight while, at the same time, enjoying every meal they have.
Moreover, you will be paying more attention to your eating habits, and make sure you don’t eat excessively especially when you’re in a rush or have to finish your meal in the car, for instance. Many people are not aware of how much they eat or how often they eat. Some might have the habit of eating while watching TV or at their desk while working for long hours.
Being mindful about what you eat, how often you eat, and enjoying your meals will definitely have a substantial difference in terms of how fast you achieve your weight loss goals.
Here are some techniques that might help you adopt better eating habits:
- Try to sit down to eat, if possible. And just enjoy your meal by paying more attention to the food.
- Try to eliminate distractions as much as you can. You can forget about your phone or laptop for 10 minutes and be mindful about the food.
- Try to slow down and take your time to enjoy and savor the food. In fact, by doing so, you’re giving your brain enough time to tell you when to stop as it gets the signals that you are full. And this is how you prevent over-eating.
- Try to make good food choices by choosing foods that have better nourishing nutrients to help you stay satisfied for hours instead of minutes.
Make Sure You Get Quality Sleep At Night
According to numerous studies, getting less than 5 hours of sleep at night is linked to an increased incidence or likelihood of obesity.
And here are the reasons why:
Poor quality or insufficient sleep causes metabolism, which is the process by which the body turns food into energy, to slow down and become less effective. When this happens, the body may possibly turn unused energy into fat. Moreover, poor sleep can lead to an increase in insulin and cortisol production, which also increases fat storage.
A person’s sleep duration has also an effect on leptin and ghrelin, which are the appetite-controlling hormones. What these hormones do is sending signals to the brain to indicate that the body has reached fullness while eating.
Keeping Down Stress Levels
There’s a correlation between stress and increased appetite, and the reason for that is basically because stress promotes the release of adrenaline and cortisol, therefore the body will have a fight or flight response which might result in increased appetite.
Moreover, when someone is under constant stress, cortisol is more likely to remain for longer in the bloodstream and causes an increase in appetite, which leads to excessive eating.
How does this happen?
Cortisol gives signals that the body’s stores of nutrition need to be replenished. And carbohydrate is the favorable option to do so.
Insulin then takes the sugar from carbohydrates and sends it to the brain and muscles. Remember that the body is in fight or flight. Therefore, if the sugar isn’t used for the fight or flight situation it will be stored as fat in the body.
What Are Some Good Methods To Manage Stress? And To What Extent Can It Contribute To Weight Loss?
Implementing stress management programs can lead to a substantial reduction in the BMI (body mass index) of adolescents and children who are overweight.
Some good methods to manage stress are:
- Tai chi, yoga, or meditation.
- Relaxation and breathing techniques.
- Going for a walk and spending time outdoors.
Conclusion
Eating a nutritious and balanced diet is the best way to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. A good diet plan can include 10 portions of vegetables and fruit, whole grains, and high-quality protein. It also helps if you do regular exercises for about 30 minutes a day.
Try to implement everything you’ve learned in this article and come up with your own weight loss plan. Try to make it as easy and simple for you to follow as possible, and you can definitely lose stubborn belly fat in 2 weeks or less.
