How to Lose Belly Fat

 Eat breakfast. It might seem counterproductive to eat if you're trying to lose weight, but studies show that eating breakfast within an hour of waking up keeps your insulin levels steadier and your LDL cholesterol levels lower.^[1]Building a healthy breakfast:

Choose a protein: eggs, beans, peanut butter, nuts, lean meat

Choose a fiber: oats, fresh fruit, leafy green vegetables

Minimize refined sugar: Avoid sugary cereal, pancakes, pastries, instant oatmeal

Tip: Oats and other low-GI carbs maintain healthy blood sugar levels, making it easier to lose weight Decompress. Research indicates that the secretion of cortisol (a hormone your body produces during times of stress) is correlated with an increase in belly fat.^[2] Some strategies for combating everyday stress:

• Most adults need at least 
  7 hours of sleep
   every night.^[3]
• Set aside time to relax. Even if it's only 15 minutes on your lunch break, find time to simply close your eyes, breathe deeply, and forget your worries.
• Keep anything that stresses you away from where you sleep as much as is practically possible. 
  Keep your workspace and bedroom separate.
   Resolve to leave your worries behind as soon as you step into your bedroom. Aim to take 10,000 steps a day. In one study where men reduced their daily steps from about 10,000 to less than 1,500 (without changing their diet), their visceral (belly) fat increased by 7% after just 2 weeks.^[4]
  • Get a pedometer and try to increase the number of daily steps you take.
  • Take stairs instead of elevators; walk instead of driving.
  • Stand up and walk for 30 steps every 30 minutes. If you have a sedentary job, consider getting a treadmill desk.
  • Switch out refined grains for whole grains. In a scientific study, people who ate all whole grains (in addition to five servings of fruits and vegetables, three servings of low-fat dairy, and two servings of lean meat, fish, or poultry) lost more belly fat than another group that ate the same diet, but with all refined grains.^[5]
    • Grains melt fat. A diet rich in whole grains changes the glucose and insulin response in your body to hasten the melting of fat, and visceral fat, that deep layer of fat, is easier for your body to burn than the subcutaneous fat under your skin (the fat that can be seen and grabbed).
    • Avoid white grains. For instance, eat brown wheat bread instead of over-processed white bread, and favor wild brown rice over white rice.
    • Drink plenty of water. Studies suggest that consistently drinking water throughout the day can lead to a more active metabolism, regardless of dieting.^[6] Drinking more water also helps your body flush out waste/toxins and improves your overall health.
      • Aim to drink an 8-oz. glass of water 8 times per day, or 64 ounces total.
      • Carry a water bottle so that you can drink whenever you feel thirsty.
      • Know how to tell when you're sufficiently hydrated. You'll know you're drinking enough water when your urine runs almost clear. If it's still yellow, drink up.
      • Significantly reduce alcohol, sugary drinks (like Coke, 7-Up, Pepsi and all the diet drinks), and carbonated beverages. ^[7]