Top 5 Belly Fat Busting Habits
By Nicole Martin
September 12, 2017
Here’s the hidden key to a lot of why people are overweight, sick, and miserable… and what to do about it!
[You can watch the video on busting belly fat right here!]
Want to bust that belly fat? Here are the top five habits for getting rid of that weight around your middle—and keeping it off!
1. Start Eating Better.
You’ll notice that I didn’t say “eat better.” The nature of the fad diet is to make a huge change all at once.
Instead, start slowly and work steadily to continue to crowd out the bad foods by increasing the good. I’ve mentioned in the past that if you want to lose weight and live a happier, healthier, and lighter life, you should eat whatever you want, as long as half your plate is filled with vegetables. Do that for awhile, and then slowly remove the bad stuff.
The key is not to just lose weight. The key is to be the type of person who, because of your good habits, won’t need to go on a “diet” because their Diet is consistently life-affirming.
2. Get Rid of Sugar, Pop, and Processed Food.
Yeah, I know. I just told you not to make any crazy dietary changes right away, but reducing sugar and processed foods should be on the shortlist for elimination as quickly as possible,
And pop? Quit drinking that stuff, like, yesterday.
Not only does it either contain a ton of sugar (regular pop), or straight up carcinogens (diet pop), but the carbonization in it is problematic as well. The carbonization creates an acidic environment in your body, and it causes all sort of issues, including osteoporosis.
3. Dial Down Your Taste Buds
We live in an amazingly intense world these days. Everything seems to be designed to be a sensory blast. From what you read on the internet, to what’s on the news at night, down to going shopping for saltine crackers… Everything is INTENSE.
So, one way to get your dietary and lifestyle habits back in line, it’s necessary to take a step back and realize just how much of everything around you is marketed right at you.
This gets to mindfulness. Eat a Dorito. No, actually, don’t eat a Dorito.
Imagine eating a Dorito.
Now, think about the flavor. Despite the fact that you’ve eaten thousands (or millions) of Doritos in your life already, really focus in on what they taste like. Now, ask yourself: “Does a triangular chip really NEED to taste that intense? What is the purpose of that amount of FLAVOR.”
Why does the Dorito taste like a Dorito? Because it has been scientifically ENGINEERED to sell more of itself.
So, begin to be mindful of what you’re eating. And also, pay attention to how what you eat makes you feel.
4. Dig Deep
This might sound a little crazy, especially coming from a nutritionist, but what you eat might not be nearly as important as why you are eating it.
Stay with me here.
If you are sick and overweight, you could go on a vegan diet for a year. Yes, you’ll probably feel better, and lose some weight, but I would guess those results are going to be short-lived.
Why?
Because the fact that you’re sick and obese in the first place has its root somewhere else than simply within the confines of your diet. There’s often a reason why people eat terrible food. Most of the time, in my experience working with overweight people for years now, the dietary habits and subsequent obesity are just symptoms of a deeper emotional pain. Often, the source of this pain isn’t recognized. Instead, it’s a sore that festers, and the only way to quell the pain is to eat. Because that urge to eat isn’t driven by the simple need to sustain life, we grab what’s close. And what’s close is often loaded with all manners of garbage.
In our program here, we spend a lot of time on emotional support. Why? Because that’s often the hidden key to a lot of why people are overweight, sick, and miserable.
5. Keep a Gratitude Journal
I always get pushback on this idea. Or, at least I do until someone tries it and realizes how effective building a habit of thankfulness really is.
You can read about what a gratitude journal is (and how to start one) here.
But the short of it is this: Every day, before you even get out of bed in the morning, grab a pen and pad of paper and write down three things for which you are grateful.
Do it tomorrow. Then the next day. And then keep doing it into the future until it becomes a habit and it’s the first thing you do in the morning without even thinking about it.
Why does this work when it comes to keeping off the belly fat?
Because it gets your mind right. It forces your brain to focus on the positive things in your life. It limits your ability to sink into despair and take it all out on two pints of Ben & Jerry’s and a sleeve of Doublestuff Oreos. It grounds you in the miracle that your life really is… Especially as a human living in the 21st century. Yes, the world isn’t perfect. But you also aren’t living at a point in history where, say, the Black Death is a real thing you have to worry about if you need to go to the store today. The Spanish Inquisition isn’t targeting your neighborhood. Fortifying your family and property against Mongol hoards is not a thing you need to think about whenever you go to Home Depot for extra duct tape.
You live in an amazing world. And I’m not getting judgey about this idea. I forget it too, sometimes. We all do. Which is why the gratitude journal is such an amazing tool.
It keeps your eyes focused up and out, on the world, on the people around you, and all the beauty your life contains.
HOW IT ALL FITS TOGETHER
Health is as much a mental exercise as it is a physical one. You can be as fit as humanly possible without being truly healthy. If your spirit is down, if all you can see is the negative side, you’re not healthy.
It all fits together. And when one of those pieces is missing, the whole thing can come shattering down around you.
So, I hope you will take these five steps to heart and begin to take back your diet, your health, and your life. Again, you only have one. And no matter how bad things seem, you can be happy. Just focus on forming little tiny habits, day by day, and you’ll be amazed at the transformation that will happen!
Watch and listen more below!
