Best Way to Lose Belly Fat

What’s the best way to get rid of belly fat?

So many of us struggle with belly fat these days, particularly those of us who are women over 40.

In this video I’ll help you understand the SCIENCE of how this happens in the first place. Once you understand WHY we develop belly fat, I’ll give you a solution that will make perfect sense. And, I’ll give you my 5 Best tips… because let’s face it, when most people are struggling with their weight, it’s that stubborn belly fat that bothers them the most.

So if you don’t already know me, I’m Dr. Angela Zechmann, I’m a medical doctor and I’ve been helping people lose weight for 13 years now, both in my clinic and online. (Be sure to like this video and subscribe so you can be notified when I post more great videos.)

Today I’m going to explain the science of belly fat, and what you can do to lose lose it. And at the end I’ll give you a resource so you can get started right away, so stick around.

So first of all what causes belly fat?

Most people think it’s just because they eat too much and they don’t exercise enough. So they go on a low calorie diet and they start doing a whole lot of cardio and sit ups.

This helps … a little… but they’re starving and they just can’t keep it up for very long, and they end up giving up in complete frustration after a few weeks. Think about all those times you started in January determined to lose weight and ended up giving up by February because you weren’t seeing results. UGH, that’s no way to live!

Why doesn’t this approach work?

Well, it’s because there’s a fundamental flaw at work. We don’t gain belly fat because we eat too much and we don’t exercise enough. There’s more to it than that, and if you don’t understand what’s actually going on then it’s super hard to be successful at this.

What is this fundamental flaw? It’s neglecting the effects of INSULIN.

Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas. When your blood sugar goes up, your pancreas secretes insulin. Insulin brings your blood sugar back down. BUT, insulin also makes fat. Belly fat. That fat that you’re trying to get rid of, right? AND it blocks the brain from knowing that you’re full. So it makes you hungrier.

I remember going on diets when I was younger and eating those red vine licorice sticks for a low calorie low fat snack. Any idea how much sugar is in licorice sticks? Well the first ingredient is corn syrup, and 3 sticks has 25 grams of carbs, 12 of which is sugar. That’s the equivalent of 5 teaspoons of sugar! That’s a lot of insulin my body had to produce to process that sugar. And guess what? That makes belly fat.

So if you want to lose belly fat, you want to lower your insulin levels. Here are my 5 best tips for lowering insulin levels quickly so you can burn belly fat.

Tip #1: Stop soda and energy drinks

If you drink sugary sodas or energy drinks, you’ll want to stop. It’s incredible how dangerous these drinks are and how much weight gain and frankly, diabetes, these seemingly innocent little cans will cause. I regularly see patients drop 10-15 pounds of fat in a MONTH just by quitting this addictive habit, and you can too!

Tip #2: Beware the flavored latte

That chai tea latte – or whatever flavor you go for every morning – can pack 45-55 grams of sugar! And don’t be misled into thinking that a lower calorie “skinny” version is better… it has the same amount of sugar, just less fat, and that’s why the calories will be lower. It still requires the same amount of insulin and that will really increase belly fat.

Tip #3: Watch for added sugar

Check all food labels for added sugar. You’ll be surprised to find out how much sugar is in common foods like yogurts, spaghetti sauce, ketchup, salad dressings, cereals… all kinds of foods that you’d never think of as having sugar in them, actually DO! And, it will cause a spike in blood sugar and insulin. Check the nutrition information on fast foods too. You will be surprised at how much sugar is actually in the “healthier” choices too.

Tip #4: Be careful with carbs

Processed white carbs like pretzels, bagels, chips, bread, and pasta are all going to spike your blood sugar and spike insulin levels. So will rice. If you want to burn belly fat, you’ll want to avoid these foods and stick with whole food carbs, like sweet potatoes or beans. You will have to produce some insulin to metabolize these carbs, but if you just eat small amounts – like maybe a third or a half cup at at time, you can get the nourishing benefits without spiking your insulin levels.

Tip #5: Avoid fruit juices

Fruit has sugar in it. It also has fiber. But when you juice the fruit, you concentrate the sugar and remove the fiber. So fruit juice will really spike your insulin and make belly fat. Those 'healthy' fruit smoothies can have a much as 90 grams of sugar in them! So be careful! I eat fruit, but I mostly stick with berries, because they’re high in antioxidants and fiber and they don’t spike my blood sugar.

Tip #6: Take care with alcohol

Here’s a bonus tip. If you want to lose belly fat, be careful with alcohol. Each molecule of alcohol gets turned into fat. So many people will be eating perfectly, but they’ll be drinking 2 or 3 glasses of wine every night and wonder why they’re not losing weight. Well that’s why… the alcohol in the wine is replacing the fat that they’re losing.

One woman in my clinic stopped drinking just 1 glass of wine every night – that was the only change she made – and she lost 8 pounds of fat in 8 weeks. I see the effects of alcohol all the time. So if you’ve been struggling to lose stubborn belly fat, consider ditching the drinking habit.

Tip #7: Learn to manage stress well

When we’re stressed, we’re in that fight-flight response. Our cortisol levels go up, signaling our livers to make blood sugar, which then drives our insulin levels up. So that means if you want to lose belly fat and keep it off, it’s important to learn how to manage stress. One of the best ways to do this is through regular exercise. It’s helps you stay calm and focused.

Tip #8: Sleep

You need at least 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night, and most people need 7 1/2 - 8 hours. So sleep. Sleep will help keep your stress response low and your insulin levels lower. This is one of the ninja skills for weight loss.

OK, so those are my 8 tips to burn belly fat fast. It all has to do with lowering insulin, which is what causes belly fat in the first place. You’re going to want to ditch sodas and coffee drinks, check food labels and fast food nutrition info for added sugar, avoid fruit juices, be careful with carbs like potatoes, rice and beans, drink alcohol sparingly, manage stress well and get 7 ½-8 hours of sleep every night.

Now here’s a bonus tip. Getting off these foods that spike insulin is not easy. That’s because sugar is a drug that’s 8 times more powerful than cocaine… so if you want to get off these foods, you have to go through a drug withdrawal. It’s not easy, but I’ve got you covered.

I put a link to three helpful resources in the comments. The first is a freebie called “3 Steps to Break Your Sugar Addiction.” The second is a "5 Day Sugar Detox Menu". And the 3rd is a video called “How to Kick Sugar.” Watch that video next and you’ll be well on your way to getting rid of belly fat for GOOD!!

If you’ve enjoyed this video, be sure to like it and share it with your friends… leave me a comment and let me know what your biggest challenge is. And don’t forget to hit that subscribe button. Have fun getting healthy, and I’ll see you in the next video.

To your health,

Dr Angela

Three Steps to Break Your Sugar Addiction

5 Day Sugar Detox Menu

How to Kick Sugar