Whether you just want to look good for that 30 seconds after you take off your clothes and before you fall into bed, or you want to outdo the bros at the beach, having a spare tire hanging around your waist isn’t going to help. Belly fat isn’t particularly healthy either, and if you’ve got too much visceral fat – the stuff that’s close to your organs, not your shirt – you could be setting yourself up for serious health problems.
From Michelin Man-sized fat rolls, to a little bit of flab around your mid-section, there are some real ways to get rid of unsightly stomach fat. The problem is there’s a ton of misinformation out there, especially when it comes to how guys can shed their spare tire in time for beach season, basketball camp, a night at the bar, bro time, prom or whatever.
Forget the garbage you’ve read and start over fresh. You can bust your belly fat, but listening to your buddies is probably not the way to do it. Use this guide learn more about what you should do and should not do to make yourself look like Zac Efron, or if you’re more realistic about it, but still pretty damn committed, an out-of-shape Daniel Craig.
Do Eat More Often
A lot of the crap you read on the internet tells you to eat three almonds 292 times per day, and that protein is good for you, if you eat it in portions that can only be doled out if you have a pair of tweezers handy.
When you’re trying to bust belly fat, eating more is a good thing, but you need to do it the right way. Instead of eating 1,000 calories at lunch and another thousand at dinner – something a lot of guys do – you need to break it down into portions your body is better able to deal with and utilize.
Aim for a balanced 350 calories for breakfast, like two eggs and a piece of toast with your coffee. 150 calories of something healthy, like those almonds everybody is trying to shove down your throat, makes an excellent pre-lunch snack.
For lunch, aim for another 350 to 500, followed by a light snack that keeps you from getting hungry later in the day. Something like those baby cheese wheels, more of those lovely almonds, or a banana is ideal.
When dinner comes around, feel free to eat that full 500 to 700 calories that your body needs. For many guys, being able to have a slice of pizza at night – because they’ve eaten well all day – is essential for sticking with any sort of “diet” plan.
Don’t Live on Protein Bars
Guys looking to get in shape, even the ones who eat like shit most of the time seem to go bananas over metrics; that’s obviously why a lot of dudes buy 100 protein bars and try to live off of them for a week when they’re trying to slim down or tone up.
It’s great that you can measure how much protein and how many calories are in food in bar form, but the fact is that they’re not designed to be meal replacements on a long-term basis. Keep them around for when you don’t have time for lunch or you need something to get you through your workout.
Otherwise, eat some real damn food. Sure, it’s harder to learn about what you’re eating and actually buy that food scale you’ve had in your Amazon cart for 18 months, but the end result is a whole lot better.
