14 Ways to Reduce Belly Fat and It’s Not All Exercise

Enjoying the comfort of your couch a little too much? Doesn’t matter what level you’re at, cardio is the easiest and best way to burn that belly fat. You can walk, run, or jog that fat away. There’s not much danger of you hurting yourself, it’s low impact which is good for your bones, and best of all, it pushes up your metabolism and heart rate.

Get some quality shoes and start off slow. Some people in Japan practice “slow-jogging”, and even that burns a bunch of calories. Apart from losing weight, you’re getting fresh air, seeing more of the world, and getting a mental break, you deserve one! Don’t we all?

Cardio at home can take a lot of the stress out of finding nice places to run or ride a bike. Jumping rope is great for getting your heart pumping, and your blood flowing, and it’s fun, just stay away from that bookcase full of nicknacks.

Don’t have a rope? Use a power cord instead, it’s just as good. Just make sure it’s unplugged first. Just a few minutes a day can do wonders for your body, plus it’s a good time, so it doesn’t really feel like a workout.

Crunches are one of the top exercises for fat-burning, and for good reason. As much as they make your belly ache, they burn fat like my dad overcooking a steak. Mmmm.

Like with all these exercises, starting off slow is going to give you the most benefits. It’s not how many you do, you gotta do them right. Keep your abs tight and your chin down. Go slowly and try to breathe normally!

Want to lose weight and work out almost every muscle in your body? Burpees may be the answer for you. I know what you’re thinking, burpees sound like a punishment! Burpees aren’t everyone’s idea of fun, but they’re still one of the most effective ways to lose weight. Best of all, you don’t need any equipment!

Step 1: get in “plank position”.
Step 2: jump your feet into a low squat.
Step 3: jump as high as you can and land in a squat. That’s all there is to it.

Burpees were invented as a high-intensity, full-body exercise, that can burn a lot of calories and up to 50% more fat than many other exercises. Try to do 30 seconds of Burpees and 30 seconds rest. After a few weeks, your new chiseled body will thank you. (Thank you!)

Weight training can burn fat fast, by speeding up your metabolism. Cardio burns fat pretty fast too, but when you’re using weights, you actually burn fat for longer, even hours after you stop training for the day. Not all of us have weights sitting around at home, so get creative!

A wash basket full of clothes, your dog, a Tupperware full of frozen spaghetti sauce... If it’s got weight, you can lift it. Just remember to start off with something light, and slowly move to lifting heavier and heavier objects. The ideal workout should combine cardio and weights. That way you burn fat and build muscle.

Yoga’s become one of the most popular ways to exercise and get some much-needed stress relief. It’s not really famous for weight loss, but it does burn a lot of calories...and it has many other health benefits. A regular guy can burn about 150 calories doing yoga for just 30 minutes.

Yoga also helps you with mindfulness, flexibility, balance, controlling your food intake, and more importantly, stress. The best thing about yoga is that you can do it in the comfort of your own home, any time you want! Just make sure you have a towel handy; yoga isn’t as easy as you might think!

Did I already mention chocolate for weight loss? No, no I didn’t. But you’re not dreaming, it’s real! Dark Chocolate is high in calories, so you only need a nibble...but who’s complaining! And who’s going to stop at a nibble? Hmm.

The mono-unsaturated fatty acids in dark chocolate are healthy fats that the body uses to burn calories! These tasty chocolate fats also help control your cravings for sugar and other foods that aren’t good for you. Eating a little piece before a meal can slow down digestion, making you feel fuller for longer!

Eating a bunch of fat isn’t something you’d think would help you lose weight. But there is such a thing as good fat. There’re all sorts of tasty fats out there, waiting to be eaten. Foods like eggs, nuts, and avocados can help reduce your belly fat the healthy way.

A drizzle of olive oil never hurt anyone. Fatty fish, like salmon and tuna, are full of Omega-3 fatty acids, which don’t just target belly fat, they target all fat! Healthy fats are high in calories, so don’t go too crazy. Just keep a healthy balanced diet.

There’s no easier way to lose that belly fat than by getting a good night’s rest! You really do lose fat while you sleep. It’s when your body repairs muscles, cleans out toxins and converts fat into energy for the next day.

When you don’t get good sleep every night, your body reacts by releasing a stress hormone, Cortisol. This keeps your body in fight or flight mode, not healing and fat burning mode. Lack of shut-eye can make you eat more food, since your body’s worried it might need to save some for later.

You’re getting sleepy, very sleepy...and when I click my fingers you will pass me that last donut. If you’re looking to try a different way to change your diet and exercise, hypnosis might be the unconventional way to go. It’s not always easy to break old habits and some people need help to change their behaviors.

Overeating, not wanting to work out, bad sleep habits... These can be changed with hypnosis. There’s definitely no harm in trying it, especially if you’re having a really hard time changing your ways. The only catch to hypnosis? If you’re stubborn, it might not work for you.

The closest we’ve ever gotten to a magic potion for weight loss has to be tea! Green Tea is full of antioxidants, ideal for weight loss. Plus you get good and hydrated. The taste of green tea isn’t for everyone, so spice it up with some other fat-burning ingredients.

Cinnamon and ginger boost our stomach’s metabolism, burning those fat cells right off your belly. A slice of lemon or a little honey can help too. If green tea doesn’t work for you, Matcha-tea has an even higher number of antioxidants in it. But be careful, a lot of companies add sugar to Matcha, make sure you read that label.

We all intermittent fast, and we aren’t even aware of it. When we’re sleeping! Fasting has been around for centuries, and it’s become quite popular recently. Intermittent fasting is all about changing your eating patterns. Fasting for short periods gives your body time to digest everything you already ate. And it gives your organs time to clean themselves.

You’re not counting calories anymore, you’re counting time! It’s simple, just don’t eat dinner too late, and don’t eat breakfast too early. Then you’ve got a good 10-hour window for your body to fast that belly fat away. Just remember, with intermittent fasting, you still eat a normal amount of food, that’s really important!

Foods that are high in fiber fill you up more. Things like broccoli, beans, and nuts stop you from reaching for more food when you eat. Fiber helps you clean out your digestive system and helps you absorb more nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Pizza and burgers are full of refined carbs and sugar.

Sure, they make you full for a bit, but then you’re hungry again! Not all pizzas and burgers are the same though. Italian pizza has a crazy thin crust, and not as much cheese as New York or Chicago style...

It can be tough to eat vegetables and fruit when you’re feeling grumpy and in the mood for some seriously crunchy snacks, but your body will thank you later. Try nibbling on some almonds, cut up cucumber or carrots instead!

This last one’s not talked about that much, but reducing stress in your life can be great for your waistline. Taking small steps to be more happy, more outgoing, and less frustrated can make a big difference. Even just smiling more... Here, try it. You look marvelous!