How to Beat Your Chubby Belly

Everyone has that one friend. You know, the one that doesn’t exercise and eats everything on the plate (and maybe some of what’s on your plate) and still manages to keep a slim body and an awesomely flat tummy. And then there’s you: spending every single day at the gym trying to lose your chubby belly. Or maybe you don’t have time for gym and just try to squeeze in a few minutes of running time every morning? No?

Whether you slave at the gym, try every crash diet known to man or are just a product of not-so-stellar genes, beating stubborn belly fat can be a pain.

A chubby belly is that one thing that stands between you and your swimsuit. And it’s very distressing and stressing, both. Unfortunately, stress can actually make your chubby belly worse, too. Because you see, stress makes your body generate more cortisol. And you know what happens when cortisol levels spike? It breaks down lean muscle and it has the uncanny ability to converge around your middle and give you a flabby and chubby midsection.

It’s not just stress that increases cortisol, either. Crash diets do, too. That means no matter how much calories you take away from the diet, there’s a very good chance that your belly fat will stay the same.

So what can you do?

Beat Belly Fat with Exercise

If you’re thinking you can’t do another sit up to save your life, then you should be glad. You can beat your chubby belly without doing sit ups. Experts actually agree: it won’t help you get a toned abdomen anyway. It even puts your lower back at risk of injury. There are more effective routines, and we shall mention some of them. These will target not just the abs, but also obliques, quads, butt and legs.

1. Lunge Twist

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, elbows at 90 degrees by the hips.
2. Lunge forward with the right leg rotating the torso and arms to the right.
3. Rotate back to center and return to start.
4. Do 16 reps, alternating sides.

If you’re not a gym novice, then you could try the following exercise that has a bit more tension.

2. Lunge Reach

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, arms by your sides.
2. Lunge forward with your left leg. Both knees should bend at a 90 degree angle with arms reaching towards the floor.
3. Push off the left leg ad return to standing position. Lift arms overhead.
4. Switch and repeat.

3. Jump Lunge

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, arms extended above the head.
2. Lunge forward with your left leg. Both knees should bend at 90 degrees.
3. Jump straight up, switch legs midair, land with the right leg out front.
4. Repeat, alternating sides.

When it comes to beating belly fat and exercise, remember, slow and steady won’t win you the race. Instead, go for an intense cardio workout for half an hour 5 days a week. This will really burn the fat off.

Not a fan of exercise? Don’t worry. There are a few more ways.

Drink Wine

You read that right. A little alcohol won’t really give you a beer belly because they’re full of empty calories. According to some studies, women who drank a glass or two of wine daily gained less weight than their counterparts.

Don’t think about over-imbibing though. Drinking wine alone won’t make you lose weight at all. Other factors will play a part, too.

Sleep it Off

Here’s another benefit to getting your beauty sleep. Those who sleep just 5-6 hours every night gained an average of 4.5 pounds more than those who got 7-8 hours of rest. They’re also less likely to develop obesity. Why?

Sleep stimulates specific hormones, gherlin and leptin, and simulates a feeling of satiety. In short, you feel full and won’t be over-eating.

A chubby belly isn’t very attractive. And it can be hard to get rid of. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. With some discipline and hard work, you can definitely beat your chubby belly away!