How to Get Rid of Your Beer Belly

Are you starting to loosen your belt? Do you notice your shirts seemingly getting tighter? You may be suffering the consequences of all those extra after-work pints. It’s hard to deflate a prominent paunch, but it’s not the end of the world. Learn how to get rid of your beer belly with this guide.

What Is a Beer Belly?

First of all, that big bulge on your tummy? It’s not just from all the alcohol you are consuming. The term “beer belly” is a misnomer. Beer is incredibly calorie-dense, and all weight gain comes from having an excess in calories. Beer has sugar which consists of empty or bankrupt calories.

But while beer and other alcoholic beverages contain a significant number of calories, a burgeoning stomach is caused by surplus calories that develop into fat around the midsection – regardless of source. That surplus can be from overindulgence in junk food or a love for sugar. 

According to Harvard Health, excess weight is when you take in more calories than you burn. Why fat cells settle in the tummy is still a cause for debate, but research papers agree that the culprit is a combination of unhealthy eating habits, a lack of exercise, and poor sleep. Genetics may also play a role – men are more prone to beer bellies than women.

Other terms for beer belly include spare tire, pot belly, and gutbucket. Technically, the condition is called abdominal obesity or abdominal visceral fat and makes you more susceptible to other health risks, including:

• Erectile dysfunction

• Stroke

• Diabetes

• High blood pressure

• Heart disease

Over 50% of men die of heart disease and it’s because of visceral fat, which is the worst kind of fat.The good news is that when you lose weight, the body burns visceral fat first. 

The University of the West of England’s Centre for Appearance Research revealed that beer belly is one of the biggest body issues that plague men. Four out of five respondents also stated that they would trade a year of their life to be in the shape they want. 

You don’t have to strike that bargain. You can still get rid of that frustrating beer belly. You just need to commit yourself to being fit and healthy. Be aware that it may take time. 

Is your beer belly permanent? 

You can bulk up areas of your body by targeting specific muscle groups, but the same logic does not apply to fat. There’s no such thing as spot fat reduction. “There’s no diet or exercise that can help you lose your belly. Your body will decide which area will lose the fat,” explains Moran.

Weight loss happens all over. Adopt healthy eating habits and a sustainable fitness programme to shed those extra pounds and eventually, you’ll burn off your gut. 

What exercises will get rid of your beer belly? 

You don’t need a complicated workout plan to zap off your love handles. Stick to basics that have been proven to work. Use a combination of cardio activities to burn calories and muscle-building maneuvers to firm up your core. 

Walking 

Aerobic exercise is the most effective technique to burn fat. More than that, this form of physical activity improves your respiratory and circulatory systems, thereby bettering your overall health.

If you’re not particularly physically fit – which is probably why you have a beer belly in the first place – start with casual strolls. Make sure you are walking correctly too. There’s a proper form to it! Walk around the block for 30 minutes after every meal. After you get your stride, progress to a brisker pace. 

A Harvard Health paper states that doing cardio for 25 minutes a day, three to four days a week is an appropriate amount of time for exercise. However, if you’re working on losing fat, you might want to increase the frequency, as well as the intensity of your workouts.

Swimming

Another terrific cardio exercise you can do is swimming. Swimming is a full-body workout that burns loads of calories yet is low impact, which means it’s kinder to your joints. Being in water also helps alleviate muscle, bone, and joint pain. Try to alternate your other workouts with swimming to give your body a rest while still torching fat. 

Cycling

Like swimming, cycling reduces pressure on the joints while still incinerating fat. Check out high-intensity interval programmes to help you burn even more fat.  

Make sure you are fit enough or don’t have underlying health conditions when you cycle or do intense cardio. 

Remember that diet and exercise go hand in hand when it comes to any fitness goal. Here are some small alterations you can make to improve your eating habits.

• Drink lots of water. Think one to two litres.

• Remove sugar and other refined carbs – yes, stop noshing!

• Double up on the greens. Make sure greens take up most of your plate.

• Eat slowly. It makes you feel fuller for longer.

• Add some healthy proteins.

Can you lose your beer belly in 10 days? 

The short answer is: it depends. If you have a moderate paunch that’s not hampered by visceral fat, you can probably flatten it in a few days. However, any sudden weight loss is neither healthy nor sustainable. Spending half the day at the gym and crash dieting could get rid of your beer belly quickly, but you can’t do that forever. You’re going to have to eat sweets or unhealthy snacks at some point and your muscles won’t be able to keep up with your strenuous workout plan. 

Moreover, this shorthand approach doesn’t give your mind enough time to commit to a proper, long-term fitness plan. You’ll bounce back to your poor habits nearly as fast as your weight loss. You need to learn how to keep weight off after you have lost it.

There’s no exact timeline to lose your spare tire. After all, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. A weight-loss strategy depends on variables, such as your metabolism, lifestyle, and commitment level. 

At BodySlims, we offer a 10-week weight loss programme that doesn’t just tell you to do some sit-ups. We motivate you to keep moving, from giving motivational talks and seminars about understanding your physique to entry into an encouraging support group. The programme also comes with meal recommendations and recipes. It’s not just a fitness plan for now – the results are for life.

Sign up and become one of our success stories now!