How will you feel when you find yourself about to go for a beach party with your friends but you discover that you can’t wear a bikini because of the fat on your belly? Discouraged right? Well, don’t be because there are ways that you can lose belly fat for women. Belly fat occur in women as a result of pregnancy/ childbirth, drinking too much alcohol and eating junk/ unhealthy food or menopause. If this belly fat is ignored, it can pose risks for cardiovascular diseases, some kinds of cancer or diabetes. Nonetheless, this article is here to give tips on how to lose belly fat in women. Body fat is highly dependent on how well you balance the amount of calories consume and the amount of calories you burn. Aging also really adds to belly fat in women. This because muscle mass decreases relative to age and fat has a higher proportion of our body weight. So decreasing muscle mass also reduces the use of calories by the body. Also belly fat in women especially women that have attained menopause is a result of decreasing level of estrogen in the body. Estrogen is responsible for the distribution of body fat hence lack of it propels most of the body fat to the abdomen area. There are two types of belly fat- Subcutaneous fat which is the fat just below the skin. This fat does not cause any major health risk only has an effect on the physical look. The other type is the visceral fat which lies within the abdomen and is surrounded by internal organs. Visceral fat poses more health concerns because visceral fat in excess amount secretes hormones that can increases blood pressure, adversely affect good and bad cholesterol levels and affect the body’s ability to use insulin. This phenomenon is also known as insulin resistance. This negative factors can enormously contribute to various health risks like stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, cardiovascular diseases, colo-rectal cancer etc. There are two main methods to lose belly fat for women- Healthy diets and exercise. Healthy diets to help lose belly fat for women Get rid of junk food: This is very important because as the saying goes ‘you are what you eat’. Junk foods contains high levels of sugar and saturated fats gotten from the refined carbs and sugars which it consists of. This high blood sugar level results in reduced burning of fat resulting in increase in appetite. To avoid temptation, get rid of all the junk foods in your house eg sweets, chips, cookies, snacks etc. It has been discovered that addiction to junk foods and sugary drinks is the highest cause of belly fat. Eat only good carbohydrates: There are two kinds of carbohydrates- good carbs are found in fresh fruits and vegetables. Also carbs located in oats, brown rice, sweet potato are also beneficial and they are known as slow release carbs. Bad carbs are found in refined flours and the foods that they are used to make like pasta, cakes, doughnuts, white bread etc. These foods leads to bloating, poor digestion and can result in accumulation of fat. It is suggested that wholemeal bread or wheat bread should be eaten instead of white bread. Consumption of too much carbohydrate can inhibit the insulin level which can disturb body metabolism. Insulin is a kind of hormone that is used in breaking down sugars. Also when there is too much body sugars and insufficient insulin to digest them, the remaining sugars is changed to fat. Research has also shown that a high protein and fat diet is the best way to lose belly fat for women. If carbs are not sufficient in the body to produce energy, the body then turns to fat and burns it to produce energy thus helping the body to lose belly fat for women. Say goodbye to late night snacks: It is also encouraged that you stop eating late night snacks or eating dinner when it is already very late. This is because more often than not, after eating so late, you go straight to sleep. Since no energy is going to be expended, the surplus sugar levels in the blood stream will be transformed to belly fat. If you need to snack, you can snack on low fatty/ sugary foods like fruits. Reduce Intake Of Alcohols: Research has proven that excess intake of alcohol is one of the major causes of belly fat even if you are slim. This is because alcohol does not have any nutrient at all only empty calories. As a result, all the calories taken in end up been stored as belly fat. This is not saying you should not drink alcohol however, let it be consumed in small to medium quantities and it should not be consumed everyday. A glass of red wine is preferable because it can help lower heart-related diseases. Exercise: Exercise is highly recommended because it helps burn off fats. You can achieve this by joining a fitness class or hiring a fitness instructor. You need to be very steady and serious because exercise takes a while before you will begin to see the outcome. It is advisable to combine various types of exercise instead of just one type. Exercises that helps lose belly fat for women includes sit-ups, press-ups, aerobic exercises etc.