How To Lose Excess Belly Fat

It is that time of the year when the fog of the holiday season clears, leaving us face to face with its aftermath. We've indulged in rich cakes, turkey and dressing, succulent hams, holiday cookies and more than a few glasses of wine. As we return to our jobs, we can't seem to wonder why our pants fit so snugly. Nonetheless, we scan the Internet and review weight loss programs that promise to show us how to lose excess belly fat. After the 5th diet failure (and many late nights of chocolate chip cookies, potato chips and crying), many of us have found it impossible to lose our belly pooch. Why are most weight loss diets so ineffective, and how did we gain so much weight over the holidays? After all, a few holiday treats here and there can't possibly lead to weight gain, right?

WRONG! Most of the food eaten over the holiday season are loaded with simple carbohydrates (sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup, processed sugar). Even diet foods and non-sweet food items such as gravy and lunch meats contain hidden sugar. Over indulging in simple carbohydrates will quickly lead to excess belly fat and weight gain. It elevates insulin levels, increases hunger, and leads to fat storage.

Many people seeking to lose weight include weight loss meal replacements into their regimen. Programs that use these bars and shakes claim to show you how to lose excess belly fat. Yes, they allow you to eat fewer calories and lose a small amount of weight. But they always leave you craving sweets and junk food. These meal replacement bars/shakes are often times loaded with sugar. They advertise that they are low fat, or high protein, but have to add large amounts of sugar just to allow the product not to taste like a piece of wood! A sudden surge of sugar can quickly cause an elevation in insulin levels. Insulin, a hormone, is responsible for regulating fat storage and allows us to convert glucose (sugar) into energy. When we overeat or eat large amounts of sugar, and don't use all of the energy from the meal, our body stores this energy as fat.

Sugary foods also increase your appetite. After we eat a large meal, especially sugar-laden ones, we feel a "burst of energy". This energy burst is often short-lived, causing us to soon feel lethargic, tired and listless. What do we do now? Well, we reach for the next sugary snack of course, because we want to experience that "burst of energy." And this cycle repeats itself over, and over, and over again. Instead of reaching for sugary snacks and diet products packed with sugar, try to eat whole foods; including fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, and small portions of healthy fats. Eating combinations of these foods allow our insulin levels to stabilize, and keeps it this way. It also allows us to keep our energy levels high at all times. Example snack ideas include almonds, whole-wheat or rye bread with peanut butter, peaches and cottage cheese, and bite size apples. Weight loss programs that limit sugar to healthy levels and include all of the food groups in a reduced calorie diet will show you how to lose excess belly fat!
By D.Arrington