Overview
Today, every other person we meet is attempting to lose weight or trying to get rid of that stubborn fat around their stomach. Obesity is a major concern these days and is increasing at an alarming rate. Junk foods, sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy habits, excessive alcohol consumption, and irregular sleep patterns are a few of the common risk factors leading to this health condition. Obesity increases the risk of several health conditions like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart diseases, and stroke, and can even cause cancer (1).
While most strive to combat obesity, there is one another issue that is common and people are struggling with, which is Belly fat. Belly fat (also known as Visceral fat) is the excess weight that is developed around the center of the body gradually over time. Belly fat, unlike other fats stored in the body, is a very stubborn fat and is very difficult to be burnt. Also, as we grow old, the metabolism rate starts slowing down and it can get extremely difficult to get rid of those excess pounds from the belly area.
What can be done to reduce belly fat? For those who find it difficult to burn their belly fat even after following diets and normal exercises can opt for HIIT exercise, different meal plans, or supplements.
One such solution that has recently made a name in the market is the Cinderella Solution. It is a unique online weight loss program that is designed especially for women over 25 years of age. This program focuses on the hormonal changes that women experience through puberty to menopause which potentially destroys the metabolism. The Cinderella Solution program consists of a proper diet and a series of exercises that aims at reactivating the metabolism, thereby helping you burn fat effortlessly. Unlike other diets, you do not have to record your calorie intake as this program has already taken care of it. This program has detailed information about the calories of various meals. It is a completely safe and natural program that any woman can try out. All you have to do is to inculcate the exercises and diet into your daily routine and watch your dream of getting a perfect body come true. You do not have to sacrifice or give up on any of your habits. The program gives you detailed instructions on when to have specific food items that you like the most. That means you can have all that you want and still enjoy weight loss. This unique program lets you enjoy carbohydrates and starch while maintaining a proper balance. It lets you have dessert and tells you the best time to have it. It also helps you to lose weight in certain targeted areas of the body. This program lets you consume alcohol by instructing which is the best time to consume it without affecting your overall weight. Further, it gives you a detailed idea about what is the best time to eat specific food along with maintaining a healthy metabolism.
If you are looking for diet plans in general, here are a few that ought to help.
Breakfast Meal Plan
Breakfast is the most important meal. Skipping breakfast can break the body’s overall rhythm of fasting and eating. Skipping the first meal of the day can also have a heavy impact on your metabolism as it might make you overeat during the rest of the day. Below are some meal plans that you can follow for breakfast. You can have these meals on any day as per your preferences.
- Greek Muffin-Tin Omelets with Feta and Peppers (290 calories), 1 medium orange and 1 cup of green tea – The compounds called catechins in Green tea helps in improving metabolism and protects our body against obesity.
- Matcha Green-Tea Latte with Bagel Avocado Toast and 2 Kiwis. (380 calories)
- Kefir with unsweetened Muesli and berries (490 calories) – Take 1 cup kefir, ¾ cup muesli, and ¾ cup raspberries.
Lunch Meal Plan
- Whole Wheat Veggie Wrap (345 calories)
- Spinach and Artichoke Salad with Parmesan Vinaigrette (324 calories)
- White Bean and Veggie Salad ( 360 calories)
- White Bean and Avocado Toast (230 calories)
- Chicken Spaghetti Squash with Avocado Pesto (497 calories)
Dinner Meal Plan
- Baked Vegetable Soup (410 calories)
- Basic Quinoa
- Chickpea Pasta with Lemon-Parsley Pesto – Chickpeas help in getting a toned belly. Half a cup of chickpeas constitutes 5 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. The nutrients in it keep your hunger in check and stabilize your blood sugar level.
- Orange-Sesame Salmon with Quinoa & Broccoli (414 calories)
- Roasted Root Green Veggies & Greens over Spiced Lentils (453 calories)
- Shrimp Paulista with 1 cup brown rice and 1 cup steamed broccoli topped with 2 tablespoon olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper (532 calories)
- Hasselback Caprese Chicken with 1 cup Brown rice and ½ tablespoon dried oregano (605 calories)
Snacks
- Chile Lime Peanuts (221 calories)
- Air-popped popcorn with Italian seasoning (46 calories)
- 1 medium Apple
- 1 Medium Banana and 1 tablespoon of peanut butter (210 calories)
- 1 Medium Apple and 1 Tablespoon peanut butter (200 calories)
- ¾ Cup Kefir with 1 cup raspberries and 2 tablespoon chia seeds (186 calories)
Drinks That Help Best for Reducing Belly Fat
Below are a few of the drinks that you can consume during your diet. They are healthy and have several properties that help to make your weight loss much easier.
- Half Lime mixed in 1 glass warm water along with 1 teaspoon honey – Lime Honey water is best to be consumed on an empty stomach early in the morning.
- Green Tea – Green Tea can be consumed one hour after meals or in the morning.
- Black Coffee – Black Coffee can be consumed any time as per your preference.
- Fenugreek soaked in 1 cup water – Fenugreek water is best consumed early in the morning on an empty stomach.
Here is a list of foods that you should consume more to get the body of your dreams.
- Food high in fiber: Fiber helps to keep the body’s blood sugar levels under control. It is also responsible for keeping hunger in check and thus helping us to avoid overeating. Artichokes and Chickpeas are proven to be extra helpful in burning belly fat.
- Yogurt: Yogurt contains healthy bacteria which helps in improving gut health and in weight loss.
- Protein-rich food: Having protein-rich foods in the day helps you stay full throughout the day and is a great source that helps in weight maintenance (2). Incorporate protein sources like eggs, fish, legumes, nuts, and yogurt in your meals.
- Water: Drinking lots of water is an essential step in weight loss. It helps to keep our digestive tract moving. Men and women should aim for 13 and 9 cups of water per day respectively.
Along with having good food, you should also take care not to have specific food items that can hamper your weight loss goals. Some food items that you should avoid are:
- Carbonated Drinks: Carbonated drinks create gas in the stomach which leads to bloating. Also, it has a high concentration of sugar that can have adverse effects on your health.
- Excessive Salt Intake: Excess intake of salt makes our body hold on to more water making our body feel heavy. Processed foods, frozen dinners, and fast foods also contain high quantities of salt in it. Make sure to cook your meal at home which is the healthiest alternative.
- Artificial Sweeteners: Avoid using sugar substitutes as they are difficult to digest and can lead to bloating for many.
Let us now have a look at some effective exercises that can help reduce body fat.
Exercises
As already mentioned, weight loss is the perfect combination of a proper diet followed by regular workouts. You can initially start with lighter workouts and then move on to strenuous workouts as that will reduce your chances of feeling bored with the workouts. Below we have listed a few workouts that will help you in burning fat and toning up your body :
- Warm-ups {Always begin your workouts with warmups. Warm-Ups help to avoid unnecessary cramps and injuries that may occur when you start exercising.}
- Burpees {strength training and aerobic exercise} – 3 sets of 8 reps
- Russian twists with Resistance band {this exercise targets shoulders, upper and lower stomach} – 3 sets of 12 reps
- Lying ankle taps {Targets obliques}
- Standing cross kicks
- Wall push-ups or regular push-ups – 3 sets of 8 reps
- Battle rope – 20 reps
- Side plank
- Crunches – 8 reps
- Leg straight up crunches
- Bicycle crunches
- Leg raises
- Flutter Kicks
- Elbow plank – 2 sets for 30 seconds each
- Kapalbhati
- Downward dog pose
- Cat and cow pose
- Surya Namaskar
- Squats – 3 sets of 8 reps
- Sit-ups – 3 sets of 8 reps
- Leg up crunches – 12 reps of 3 sets
- Side jackknife – 3 sets of 8 reps
- Leg raises – 3 sets of 12 reps
- Russian twist – 3 sets of 15 reps
- Calf raises
- Mountain climbers – 3 sets of 15 reps
- Spider climbers – 3 sets of 15 reps
- Play a sport, swim, brisk walk, or weight lift
- Cool down – 10 minutes
Remember to give yourself a “no workout” day. It is important to take rest once every week as it will help your body recover from the heavy workouts and diets that you have been following. Also, it is important to have “cheat days” once every week so that you can enjoy eating what you like while working your way towards getting a toned body.