I’m a GP – here’s 5 ways to blast belly fat and it has nothing to do with dieting
A DOCTOR has given her tips to bust belly fat ahead of the summer - and one of them might surprise you
Dr Sara Kayat says you should steer clear of any fad diets, which can cause more harm than good.
Although they may give rapid results, they are unhealthy in the long term, Dr Sara suggests.
The resident doctor on ITV’s This Morning said: “There’s lots of celebrities out there endorsing them but they don’t work.
“You end up yo-yo-ing, it can affect your metabolism, it can affect the way your body stores fat.”
Dr Sara told that restricting your food intake may mean “you actually eat more”.
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Eating minimal food works to burn fat until you crack and binge on everything you’ve missed - cakes, biscuits and pizza.
This can happen during the “diet”, and afterwards, when most dieters pile all the weight they have lost back on.
Dr Sara revealed her four other top tips for losing fat the healthy way:
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Eat mindfully
Chew, chew, chew, swallow.
It’s the basics of eating that Dr Sara urged people to return to.
She said: “Learn to eat properly again.
“Have a table, a plate, learn to chew, learn to appreciate the tastes on your plate rather than shovelling it in on your way to work or at your desk, or in front of the TV.”
All of these habits are part of mindful eating, when you focus on the food you are eating without any distractions.
Chewing thoroughly, eating without watching the TV, and focusing on how the food is making you feel, can help with satisfaction after a meal, avoiding overeating afterward.
This in turn helps “with maintaining healthy body weight”, Dr Sara says, with one study showing those who avoided TV at dinner lost weight six times faster.
At the crux of mindful eating is “honouring hunger cues” - that is, eating when you are hungry, and holding back when you are not.
Many people lose touch of their hunger cues when dieting, instead following a rule-book of timings and types of food to eat.
Dieting also leads to binge eating - when someone consumes a large amount of food in a short time frame - which mindless eating can help prevent.
Snacking
There’s no right or wrong when it comes to snacking and weight loss.
Dr Sara said: “For some people, grazing works, for others they need that structure in their day otherwise they end up grazing too much.”
If you do prefer to break up the day with a bite to eat, make sure you pick the right foods.
This may actually aid your weight loss, by preventing overeating at meal times.
Dr Sara said: “If you’re feeling hungry and your option is to gorge on other foods or have a small snack, then have a snack and make sure it’s a good one for you.
“An ideal snack is something like nuts.
“They’re really high in healthy fats, high in fibre and protein - everything to help stabilise blood sugars so you don’t get these massive cravings.
“And to help you feel fuller for longer.”
Avoid sugar and carbs which will spike blood sugar levels and rapidly make you hungry again.
Limit alcohol
The truth hurts - alcohol is the worst enemy when it comes to weight and belly fat.
Consider at least cutting back if you would like to get a flat belly.
Dr Sara said: “There are so many really good low-alcohol and no-alcohol drinks out there now, we have the option to swap.
“A lot of people just miss that taste, and we have that option now, so it’s a really viable option for people.”
Fill up on the right foods
You don't have to be starving hungry when trying to lose fat.
"Eat more of the right foods" is a mantra of Dr Sara.
This means foods that are lower in calories, but high in nutrients - mostly plant-based, she said.
Fruits and vegetables would fall into this category, alongside lean cuts of meat.
Prepare each meal to have plenty of fruit or veg, a portion of protein, some carbohydrates and healthy fats.
Alongside a healthy diet, Dr Sara recommended exercise.
“You really need to slowly build it up, it will be easier to fall off that exercise wagon otherwise," she said.
“Try and find the joy in it.”
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For anyone who wants to exercise without paying for a gym membership, Dr Sara recommended to “fit in exercise in your usual routine”.
Walk instead of taking a bus, do some gardening or cycle to work to even slightly increase activity levels.
