Lose Your Belly Fat Quickly and Naturally

One of the biggest questions I get is “how do I lose my belly fat? I’ve tried several things but nothing worked”. When I ask what you tried I hear 100 daily sit-ups, cutting calories drastically, excess cardio, fat burners, etc.

If you can’t lose your belly fat, you’re using the wrong approach. You don’t need endless sit-ups, supplements, starving yourself or worse surgery. Here are the 10 best ways to lose your belly fat – quickly and naturally.

1. Stop Doing Crunches

Crunches will strengthen your stomach muscles, but won’t burn the belly fat that covers your abs. Spot reduction is a myth. You’re wasting time & effort doing 200 daily crunches.

Crunches can also cause lower back pain, slouching shoulders & forward head posture. The Reverse Crunch doesn’t cause these problems, but again: spot reduction is a myth. To lose your belly fat, you need more. Keep reading.

2. Get Stronger

Strength training builds muscle mass, prevents muscle loss and helps fat loss. The Squat & Deadlifts work best to build strength.

• Your lower back keeps you upright from the back. Your abs from the front. Both muscles will work hard during heavy Squats & Deadlifts at keeping you from collapsing under the weight.
• Squats & Deadlifts allow you to stress your body with heavy weights, working all your muscles from head to toe. This helps getting stronger quickly and bulding muscles fast, including ab muscles.

Spot reduction still doesn’t exist, so Squats & Deadlifts won’t burn your belly fat directly. However they’ll strengthen your abs and lower your waist size. If you never did both exercises, check StrongLifts 5*5 . Only takes 3x45mins/week.

3. Eat Healthy

As the saying goes “abs are built in the kitchen”. You can train hard & build muscular abs, but if you eat junk food all day, you won’t lose your belly fat. Stop eating processed food. Eat whole, unprocessed foods.

• Proteins. Meat, poultry, fish, whey, eggs, cottage cheese, …
• Veggies. Spinach, broccoli, salad, kale, cabbage, …
• Fruits. Banana, orange, apple, pineapple, pears, …
• Fats. Olive oil, fish oil, real butter, nuts, flax seeds, …
• Carbs. Brown rice, oats, whole grain pasta, quinoa, …

No need to be perfect. Eating junk food actually helps fat loss by keeping your hormones sharp. Don’t overdo it though. Eat junk food 10% of the time max. That’s 4 junk meals/week if you eat 6 meals/day.

4. Limit Alcohol Consumption

To lose your belly fat, what you drink is as important as what you eat. Alcohol from time to time is OK. But forget about losing your belly fat if you drink beer & sweet alcohols daily.

Beer drinkers always have a pear shape: belly fat & man boobs – especially as they get older. Alcohol also stresses your liver which has to overwork to clear the toxins. This can get in the way of building muscles.

Drink alcohol 10% of the time. Example Friday & Saturday night. Normal alcohol consumption, not the get drunk. Rest of the time: water, water with squeezed lemon, green tea, etc. Either that or forget about losing your belly fat.

5. Eat Less Carbs

You need carbs for energy. Problem is that most people eat way more carbs than they need. Your body will stock the carbs it doesn’t need as fat. And this is often how you get belly fat.

Unless you’re a skinny guy who needs to gain weight, lower your carb intake. Keep eating fruits & veggies with each meal. But cut back on potatoes, pasta, rice, breads, … Eat these post workout only.

6. Eat More

Eating tons of healthy foods won’t make you fat. Especially not if you exercise 2-3x/week. Starving yourself is the number 1 nutritional mistakes. Healthy nutrition is important for 3 reasons:

• Energy. Food is energy. Your body uses food for weight lifting, working, digestion, etc. Lack of food means lack of energy, in all areas of life.

• Fat Loss. Eating the right foods helps fat loss: protein has the highest thermic effect and satiates, healthy fats promote fat loss.

• Maintain Muscle. If you starve yourself, your body will burn muscle for energy – NOT fat. You’ll become skinny + fat.

Hunger means you’re not eating enough. Don’t worry about calories. Just eat breakfast and eat every 3 hours from there on, including post workout. Eat healthy foods 90% of the time to lose your belly fat fast.

7. Eat More Protein

Protein has a higher thermic effect than other foods: your body burns more energy processing proteins than it does processing carbs and fat. That’s why high protein diets work great at burning your belly fat.

How much protein do you need daily? Do like I do: eat whole protein with each meal without worrying about the numbers.

8. Eat More Fat

Fat doesn’t make you fat. Bad nutrition and lack of exercise do. Eating fat actually helps fat loss. Your body won’t stock fat as easily if your give it a constant intake of healthy fats.

Fish oil is the best source of fat to lose your belly fat. Fish oil naturally increases testosterone levels and increases fat loss. 6g omega-3 per day is a good start. Check Carlson Fish Oil: 1600mg omega-3 per tbsp.

Stay away from trans-fatty fats present in products like margarine. Trans-fatty fats are bad for your health. Eat whole unprocessed foods 90% of the time as I recommend in point 3 and you’ll avoid trans-fatty fats easily.

9. Lower Your Body Fat

As a man, your belly is the last place where you’ll get rid of fat. If you have man boobs and a double chin, you’ll have to lower your body fat to lose your belly fat. Here’s how:

• Get Stronger. Strength Training builds & maintains muscle, increases fat loss, helps sticking to diet, … Check StrongLifts 5*5 if you don’t know where to start: it only takes 3x45mins/week.

• Eat Healthier. Apply the 8 nutrition rules. Eat breakfast. Eat every 3 hours. Proteins, veggies & fruits with each meal. Carbs post workout only. 2 cups of water with each meal. Whole foods 90% of the time.

• Add Cardio. 15mins post workout, build up to 3x45mins/week. If you have less than 15% body fat, just get stronger and eat healthier. That will lower your body fat and make you lose your belly fat.

Check the fat loss guide for more info about how to lower your body fat.

10. Stay Motivated

Looking at your belly or in the mirror gives you inaccurate feedback. What you see is influenced by food intake, water retention, light and your own perception. Self-image issues can make the last one tricky.

• Measure Body Fat. Every 2 weeks using a fat caliper. It doesn’t need to be accurate. What matters is that the trend goes down.

• Measure Your Waist. Also every 2 weeks. If you get stronger and eat healthy, your waist will go down fast. Your pants will start to feel loose.

• Take Pictures. Shoot pictures of yourself every 2 weeks: front, back & side. The side pictures will show the most change.

Success breeds success. Track progress accurately so you know where you are and stay motivated to keep working at losing your belly fat. Don’t just read this post and go back to what you were doing. Take action. Lose your belly fat.

Fat Loss 101: How to Lose Fat Fast (with Free Fat Loss Diets)

You can lose fat fast and forever without waking up at 5am to run on an empty stomach, without exercising 6x/week, without feeling hungry all the time or cutting your favorite foods forever and without expensive supplements.

You only need 3 things to lose fat: strength training, healthy nutrition & cardio. This post will give you a simple, efficient fat loss plan so you can get your body fat to dream numbers while still have a life & eat normally.

Get Stronger.

Strength training increases cardiovascular fitness, strengthens joints & bones, builds muscle, improves flexibility, … And it also helps fat loss.

• Maintain Muscle. More strength is more muscle. Strength training builds muscle  and prevents muscle loss so you don’t get skinny + fat.

• Burn Fat. Strength training prevents your metabolic rate from going down when dieting. This means more fat loss.

• Stick to Diet. Exercising positively influences your eating habits. You’ll stick to your diet better if you do strength training, losing more fat.

You’ll get best results doing a free weight routine of compound exercises like Squats & Deadlifts. Check StongLifts 5*5: it only takes 3x45mins/week.

Eat Healthy. 

at whole, unprocessed foods 90% of the time. Whole foods come as close as possible to their natural state: without added sugars, fats, sauces, … Buy raw foods and cook them yourself.

• Protein. Necessary to build & maintain muscle so you don’t get skinny + fat. Protein also satiates and has the highest thermic effect. Eat a wholw protein source with each meal: beef, poultry, fish, dairy, whey, etc

• Veggies & Fruits. Fill your stomach, but usually low in calorie. Also high in fiber, water, vitamins & minerals. Eat veggies & fruits with each meal: spinach, broccoli, kale, asparagus, apples, oranges, etc.

• Healthy Fats. Fat doesn’t make you fat, bad nutrition & lack of exercise do. Healthy fats help fat loss: they satiate and slow down digestion. Eat healthy fats with each meal: Fish oil, olive oil, mixed nuts.

• Water. Thirst can make you think you’re hungry. Avoid soda, alcohol and fruit juice. Drink 2 cups water with each meal and sip water during your workout. Green tea and water with squeezed lemon are OK too.

Eat Grains Post Workout Only.

Grains like pasta or rice are very caloric dense: 100g blank pasta has over 350kcal while 100g broccoli has only 35kcal. Limit your intake of grains to post workout only to automatically reduce your caloric intake.

• Eat Less Starches. Eat proteins, veggies, fruits & healthy fats with each meal. Carbs from veggies & fruits are OK, this isn’t a zero carb fat loss diet. Don’t eat starchy carbs except post workout.

• No Workout = No Carbs. If you do strength training 3x per week, you can eat starchy carbs 3x per week post workout. Eat proteins, veggies, fruits & healthy fats with all other meals.

• Eat Whole Carbs Only. Whole carbs promote fat loss and take longer to digest. Avoid white carbs. Eat whole carbs only: brown rice, whole grain pasta, whole grain bread, oats, quinoa, …

Eat More.

Frequent meals prevent hunger by keeping your blood sugar stable. Frequent smaller meals also decrease your stomach size over time, which means you’ll feel full sooner. Eat every 3 hours.

• Eat Breakfast. Build the habit of eating breakfast and try one of your choice breakfast Cook your food for the day while making breakfast.

• Eat Post Workout. The only meal where you can have carbs to replenish energy stores. Whole meal of protein & carbs or post workout shake.

• Eat Every 3 hours. 6 smaller meals per day instead of 3 large ones. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, pre-bed and 2 snacks.

 Add Cardio.

Excess cardio burns muscle instead of fat, causing the skinny + fat look. Never do cardio only. Add cardio to speed up the fat loss you get from strength training & healthy nutrition.

• Moderate Intensity. 60-70% of your max heart rate. Breathing heavier than at rest, not gasping. Your goal is fat loss, not exhaustion.

• 3x45mins. Start with 15mins cardio post strength training 3x per week. Build up to 3x45mins per week by adding 1min each workout.

• Elliptical Trainer. Aka the crosstrainer. There are many cardio machines you can choose from, but this one remains my favorite.

Fat Loss Strategies.

Now that you know what to do, you need to make it as easy as possible to apply the above fat loss tips. Follow the next 8 strategies, even if they sound counter-intuitive to you.

• Buy Healthy Foods Only. Enough for your whole week so you can stick to your fat loss plan. Don’t buy junk food – avoid temptations.

• Prepare Food in Advance. Cook your food for the day on waking up or when you get back from work. This takes about 1 hour.

• Make Double Portions. Speeds up preparation. Prepare 12oz chicken and eat half at lunch and half at dinner.

• Eat The Same Every Day. Removing choice kills cravings and makes you see food for what it is: fuel for your body. Switch it up every 3 weeks.

• Eat at Fixed Times. Don’t wait until you’re hungry or feel like eating. Eat every 3 hours. Build consistency.

• Take Food with You. Take food to work, to school, to the movies, etc. This ensures you’re eating foods that will make you lose fat.

• Eat Before Going Out. Avoid ending up eating junk food because you’re hungry. Eat before you leave home and take food with you.

• Eat Junk Food 10% of The Time. You can eat 4 junk meals/week if you eat 6x/day. This actually helps fat loss. Eat out so you can’t overdo it.

• Track Progress for Motivation. Pictures, body fat, measurements and strength gains. Aim for 2-3% fat loss/month.

Example Fat Loss Diets.

         To lose fat: proteins, veggies, fruits and healthy fats with each meal. Carbs post workout only. Example fat loss diet:

• Breakfast: eggs with tomato & bell peppers, orange, green tea
• Snack: cottage cheese with apple
• Lunch: chicken, bok choy, tomato, chicory, olive oil
• Snack: mixed nuts
• Post workout: ground round, brown rice, mixed veggies, banana
• Dinner: chicken, spinach, baby carrots, pear
• Pre-bed snack: cottage cheese, berries, ground flax seeds, fish oil.

Don’t waste your time counting calories: you won’t get fat eating unprocessed foods. Just eat your stomach full and prepare your own food so you have total control over the ingredients. Aim for 2-3% fat loss per month.

Protein 101: How Much Do You Need & Best Sources of Protein

What do you need protein for? How much protein do you need? Are high protein intakes safe for your kidneys? What are the best sources of protein? This post will answer any question you might have about protein.

Why Do You Need Protein......? 

Proteins are building blocks. Muscle, skin, hair,They’re all made of protein. Benefits of reaching your daily protein needs:

• Build Muscle. Since you need protein to build muscle, eating enough protein will ensure your body has what it needs to build new one.

• Maintain Muscle. Getting your body the protein it needs will improve muscle recovery and prevent muscle breakdown from exercising.

• Fat Loss. Protein has the highest thermic effect: your body burns more calories digesting proteins than carbs or fat. Protein also satiates: you feel full longer after eating a protein-rich meal. Both help fat loss.

How Much Protein Do You Need....?

The United States RDA is 0.8g/kg or 0.4g/lbs. This is 80g protein per day if you weigh 200lbs. But this recommendation is based on studies done on average, sedentary people.

The minimum if you train hard is 1g protein per pound of body-weight per day. That’s 200g daily protein if you weigh 200lbs. You’ll reach this amount easily by eating a whole protein source with each meal.

Protein Myths. 

Here’s some urban legend on protein that you’ll hear in gyms and probably also from friends, colleagues & crabs.

• Protein Is Bad for Your Kidneys. There’s no data suggesting that high protein intakes cause the onset of kidney dysfunctions in healthy adults. There aren’t even correlational studies. Try to find them.

• Protein Causes Weight Gain. Increasing your protein intake or drinking why shakes won’t make you gain weight unless you increase your daily calorie intake. Read how to gain weight for skinny guys

• You Can Digest Max 30g Protein/Meal. Your body can digest & absorb pretty much anything you give it. Read the post how much protein can you absorb per meal

Best Sources of Protein.

 Vary your protein sources so you get the full range of amino acids. Here are some of the best & most popular sources of protein which also have been a staple of my diet for years.

• Red Meat. Steaks & ground round. Top round, sirloin.
• Poultry. Chicken breast, ground turkey, whole chicken.
• Fish. Canned tuna, mackerel, salmon.
• Dairy. Milk, cottage cheese, plain low fat yogurt, quark cheese, whey.
• Eggs. Whole eggs, scrambled eggs. Don’t worry about cholesterol.
• Nuts. Walnuts, almonds, cashew, pistachio

Read also cheap sources of protein & Protein sources for vegetarians & vegan.

Example Diet.

 Here’s an example diet that will provide you with 200g protein. Again: eat a whole protein source with each meal and you’ll reach your daily protein requirement easily. This diet fits the 8 nutrition rules.

• Breakfast. 3 whole eggs, veggies, orange, green tea.
• Snack. 100g Plain fat free yogurt, 1 scoop whey, apple.
• Lunch. 1 Can of tuna, roman lettuce, olive oil.
• Snack. 100g Mixed nuts, peer.
• Post Workout Shake. 1 Scoop whey, 300ml milk, oats, banana.
• Dinner. 150g Chicken breast, spinach, baby carrots.
• Pre bed. 200g Cottage cheese, berries, flax seeds, fish oil.

Protein is acidic. Eat plenty of veggies, ideally with each meal, to combat acidity. This prevents muscle & bone loss. The most alkaline food is spinach.

How to Get Your Daily Protein When You’re Vegetarian or Vegan

To maintain and build muscle you should eat at least 1g of protein per pound of body-weight per day. That’s 200g daily protein if you weigh 200lbs. The easiest way to get this is to eat a whole source of protein with each meal.

The Protein 101 post has an example diet that gets you that amount. However it’s aimed at omnivores. Since some of you don’t eat animal products, here’s how to get your daily protein if you’re a vegetarian or vegan.

What Do Vegetarians & Vegans Eat....?

Mostly vegetables, legumes & fruits. They never eat meat, poultry or fish but might eat eggs & dairy depending on the type of vegetarianism.

• Lacto-ovo Vegetarians. Eat eggs & dairy, but no animal flesh.
• Lacto Vegetarians. Eat dairy, but no eggs and no animal flesh.
• Ovo Vegetarians. Eat eggs, but no dairy and no animal flesh.
• Vegans. Eat no eggs, no dairy, no animal flesh and no honey.

The Cons of Vegetarianism & Veganism.

 Some think these diets are healthier because they’re high in fruits and veggies. While most people should definitely eat more of these, vegetarianism & veganism have drawbacks too.

• Lower Test Levels. Saturated fat and cholesterol increase testosterone levels which benefits muscle mass, strength, energy levels, libido, body fat, … These are mainly found in animal products.

• Health Issues. Soy is high in phytoestrogens, a female hormone. Eating soy in small quantities like they do in Asia is OK. But excess intakes can cause infertility, cancer, heart diseases.

• Fat Gains. If your daily caloric need is on the higher end, things get hard unless you eat lots of carbs. But this usually causes fat gains.

• Allergies. Consuming huge amounts of dairy, eggs & soy to get your protein can cause lactose intolerance, digestive problems, acne, …

Protein Sources for Vegetarians & Vegans.

 If you’re lacto, ovo or lacto-ovo vegetarian, go heavy on eggs, milk, whey and cottage cheese. Other protein sources to meet your daily intake:

• Beans. Black, garbanzo, hummus, kidney, fava, winged, mungo, lima, …
• Legumes. Lentils, peas, peanuts, peanut butter, …
• Nuts. Walnuts, almonds, pistachio, cashew, …
• Seeds. Sesame, pumpkin, hemp, flax, …
• Milk. Soy milk, almond milk, …
• Soy. Soy beans, tofu, deli-style soy meats, soy cheese, …
• Whole Grains. Brown rice, quinoa, granola, oats, breads, …
• Veggies. Broccoli, asparagus, spinach, kale, collard greens, …
• Protein Powder. Soy protein, hemp protein, rice protein, …

Example Vegetarian Diet.

 Here’s an example diet that fits within the 8 nutrition rules. Works to keep your body fat within healthy ranges.

• Breakfast. Whole eggs, spinach, orange.
• Snack. Mixed nuts, apple.
• Lunch. Tofu, legumes.
• Snack. Smoothie: whey, broccoli, berries.
• Post Workout. 1 liter milk, banana.
• Dinner. Soy burger, mixed beans.
• Pre bed. Cottage cheese, berries, ground flax seeds.