Simple tips to shed belly fat in 2025

Is your New Year’s resolution like mine to

reduce belly fat

at least this year? A trimmed midsection is not only to make you look great, but it also helps you live long. A large waistline has higher risks of heart disease, diabetes, cholesterol, and other gastrointestinal issues as well.
It is not easy to reduce belly fat separately just with exercise as nearly 70% of it is reduced only through diet. It requires a combination of dietary changes,

physical activity

, and lifestyle adjustments. Though reducing your stomach fat might seem difficult when compared to other body parts, there are several things you can do:

Make a diet plan

A

diet plan

need not be something that will make you go hungry for hours before intake of a few calories, it can be a healthy eating plan that one can stick to. Make sure to benefit a lot from a

low-carb diet

as you need to count your calories in every bite you eat. It is important to prioritise a balanced diet – Make sure to increase the intake of fruits, vegetables, proteins, whole grains and practice mindful eating and avoid overeating.

Be physically active

Keep your body engaged in physical activities and make sure to exercise daily. It is important for your body to train in such a way that cardio helps in losing weight, HIIT helps reduce fat, and strength training can help your muscles to not become lean. Engage in exercises like brisk walking, jogging, cycling, and swimming, and make sure to burn your fat in an intense way by doing squats, lunges, push-ups, and pull-ups.

Reduce stress

Stress triggers the adrenal glands that produce cortisol – a stress hormone in the body that can make you gain belly fat. High cortisol levels increase appetite and drive fat storage. Chronic stress can contribute to bloating as well. To reduce belly fat, practice yoga and meditation. A proper 8-hour quality sleep also helps regulate hunger hormones and reduce fat storage.

Stay hydrated

Drinking plenty of water throughout the day is an important factor in reducing belly fat. Apart from boosting metabolism, water also reduces cravings and helps flush out toxins from the body. Water can curb your appetite and make your stomach feel full. Research also suggests that alcohol intake can dehydrate you and consumption of too much alcohol can even contribute to belly fat. Cutting back on alcohol will help you reduce your waist size.

Change in lifestyle

Apart from strict diet and exercise, a lifestyle change is also required to get the best results. Make sure to have healthy habits by reducing the intake of sugary foods and ultra-processed foods. A big no to packaged foods as they are heavy on trans fat and the added sodium makes it difficult for you to lose weight.