Working women, homemakers, mothers, and teens have a common problem tummy
fat.Getting a flat belly and curves at the right places is hard work. Sure, a balanced
diet and a good exercise routine can get you defined abs. But with your busy
schedule, it is tough to hit the gym for exercising. No worries! We know how you can
shed belly fat if exercising is not your thing. Check out these 16 simple pointers on
how to reduce tummy without exercising. Scroll down!
How To Lose Belly Fat Without Exercise?
Given here some effortless ways to reduce your tummy:
1. Cut Out The Sugar
Every time you drink a packaged fruit juice, you take in more calories than if just eat the fruit. Though the packaged juices are claimed to be of real fruit juices, they contain high amounts of sugar, flavor, and color. Try to avoid them.
Almost all of us have a sweet tooth, and we can’t give up on eating cakes and pastries either! You can eat cakes that contain less sugar or artificial sugar, dark chocolate, and less sweetened sweets.
2. Increase Vitamin C Intake
Vitamin C helps keep oxidative stress and many health problems at bay (1). Fruits like orange, lemon, lime, bell pepper, broccoli, kale, grapefruit, and kiwi are good sources of vitamin C and minerals like calcium, potassium, magnesium, and zinc. Vitamin C helps in digestion and maintaining blood pressure. It is a good idea to eat at least one fruit that has a lot of vitamin C every day.
3. Hydrate Yourself
Drinking water, at least eight big glasses a day, not only hydrates you and removes those unwanted toxins, but also helps you shed some pounds, especially in the midsection of the body (2). Drinking a good quantity of fluids also helps to keep premenstrual bloating in check. Drink water before your meal. Don’t drink water right after lunch or dinner. Wait for 10-15 mins and then drink water.
It is a good idea to avoid alcohol as well if you are aiming for a flat belly. Alcohol messes up your system and causes dehydration (3). The more water you drink, the more water and waste products your body will flush out. This will help your body get rid of harmful toxins and lose more weight over time.
4. Eat More Protein
Eating high-quality protein helps reduce abdominal fat as proteins aid metabolism and reduce cravings or hunger pangs (4). Include baked fish, chicken stew, soya chunks, lentils, sprouts, and mushrooms in your diet.
It is advisable to include vegetables as too much protein intake may lead to gout.
5. Avoid Starchy Foods
White bread, polished rice, pasta, noodle, corn, corn flour, potato, etc. are all high in starch content. Starch is broken down into sugar in our body, and when there is excessive sugar accumulation, it gets stored in the body as fat (5). To get a flat tummy, avoid starchy foods. Switch to healthier alternatives such as brown bread and brown rice.
6. Cleanse Your System
Bloating and constipation need to be addressed. Drinking detox and cleansing juices and going to the bathroom are needed to get rid of toxins. Your body needs to follow a routine to use the bathroom every day. It is very easy to give in to a rush and avoid doing the big job. Over time, the brain will begin to ignore and avoid the body’s signals. With time, you will begin to feel constipated, and, therefore, bloated (6).
You can set a morning routine by drinking a big glass of warm water as soon as you wake up. You will notice a build-up of pressure down there almost instantly. You may also try intermittent fasting or the 8-hour diet, a non-restrictive diet plan that works best for weight loss.
7. Eat Healthy Carbohydrates
You do not have to avoid eating carbohydrates completely. Carbohydrates provide energy and have loads of vitamins and minerals that are good for your body. Choose the source of carbohydrate intelligently. Brown rice, couscous, cereal fiber, bulgur wheat, and dark bread can help in losing belly fat. These whole grains are filled with fiber that makes you feel full and, as a result, you tend to eat less (7).
8. Load Up On Probiotics
Probiotics are amazing. They support your digestive system and make sure the food is broken down well, thus keeping gastrointestinal problems at bay (8).
The best way to include probiotics or the good bacteria in your diet is to consume yogurt and buttermilk. Of course, you can even take supplements. But it is always good to stay natural.
9. Go On Long, Lazy Walks
Here comes the best way to lose belly fat without exercise. A leisurely 30-minute walk is a good idea to enhance your metabolism and burn those extra inches off your waistline. You can take a stroll down the road or take your dog for a walk in the park. A leisurely walk is definitely not counted as exercise.
10. Get Your Posture Right
A good posture is the first step to getting a flat belly. Often, slumping and slouching accentuate your stomach, and over time, as you sit with a slouch continually, you will notice a little paunch. Standing up straight will immediately reduce a few pounds, making those abs look flatter almost in an instant.
To stand straight, imagine a rope pulling your upper body towards the ceiling, and you will already feel your shoulders rise. To improve your posture while sitting, make sure your feet touch the floor at all times. You can also place a pillow at the small of your back to make sure you sit straight on your chair.
11. Sleep Well And De-Stress
Worried about how to reduce belly fat without exercise? Don’t worry! When you are worried and worked up, your body produces stress hormones and steroids. These directly affect your digestive system and, in turn, lead to bloating and constipation. That is not all. A stressed body and mind also induce the production of cortisol that adds a fatty layer at the waistline as it attempts to protect the vital organs (9). Give yourself time. Make sure you unwind every day. Sleep at least seven hours every day. Listen to music and do things that relax you. And no, do not indulge in smoking. It may relax you, but it has its ways of adding pounds to your mid-section.
Make sure not to oversleep as oversleeping or no activity for long hours can also lead to a bulging tummy.
12. Have Three Servings Of Dairy Foods Every Day
Three servings of dairy products such as milk, yogurt, buttermilk, and cheese will boost your immunity, improve your digestion, make your bones stronger, and help you shed that extra fat. These foods will also make you feel full, signaling your brain that you do not need to eat anymore (10).
13. Eat Right
Eating right involves many things. First things first, you need to cut down on processed and instant foods completely. The preservatives and high content of salt in them can induce instant bloating (11).
Secondly, you must include fruits and vegetables that are rich in fiber and have high water content. The water will reduce the bloating, and the fiber will induce proper digestion that will, in turn, shed some pounds off that tummy.
Thirdly, eat small and frequent meals. Use smaller plates or bowls to make the small portion size look big.
Lastly, chewing food is also extremely essential to keeping that figure right. You must chew your food at least ten times before you swallow it. If you don’t chew it well, your body needs to work extra to break down that food in the stomach. This leads to gas, bloating, and indigestion.
14. Avoid Chewing Gum
Chewing gum causes swallowing puff-producing air. It causes bloating and makes it hard for you to put on those skinny jeans. To keep your breath fresh, suck on mint rather than chewing gum. You can prevent a growing belly if you steer clear of chewing gum.
15. Consume Negative-Calorie Foods
Negative-calorie foods are fruits and veggies that require more energy to metabolize them than the calories that these foods hold. They are high in water, vitamins, and minerals. Therefore, they are good for weight loss (12)
Negative-calorie foods such as watermelon, tomato, lettuce, broccoli, coffee, celery, grapefruit, yogurt, fish, chicken, turkey, chilies, chicken broth, apple, orange, arugula, cucumber, and asparagus are not only healthy but also tasty. Experiment with making awesome salads or cook amazing meals with these foods, and you will notice the difference.
16. Balance It Out With Supplements
B-complex and calcium are vital for your well-being. While most women are unaware of this fact, some do take these supplements. There is a rise in the estrogen levels after puberty. This helps in housing the good fat (or protective fat) in your hips and your tummy to prepare your body for pregnancy. When you reach menopause, the estrogen levels drop, and the protective fat settles around your belly area. Therefore, B-complex vitamins and calcium are not only vital for your well-being, but they also help in regulating the levels of estrogen in your body. These supplements flush out the excess estrogen and give you a slimmer waistline (13), (14), (15).
