Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Eating Well
• Method 2 of 3: Exercise
• Method 3 of 3: Lifestyle Changes
• Tips

It's okay to have some belly fat, but it is advisable to lose it if you want to look slimmer. Although it is impossible to get rid of all belly fat in just two weeks, some of it can be quickly removed not only from the belly, but throughout the body. To do this, over the next two weeks, it is enough to eat right (reduce the number of calories), increase the level of physical activity and make some lifestyle changes. At the end of the two weeks, continue to strive to lose even more belly fat over a longer period of time!

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Eating Well

1. 1 Eat more colorful vegetables. Vegetables are relatively low in calories and rich in vitamins, antioxidants and dietary fiber, making them healthy and can help satisfy hunger. Eat 2-3 cups of vegetables daily to reduce your calorie intake for the next two weeks. The nutritional value of one cup of various raw and cooked vegetables can be found at https://www.choosemyplate.gov/vegetables (in English). Try to eat a variety of vegetables every day!
   • Start your meal with vegetables and herbs, and then move on to more high-calorie meals that include proteins and carbohydrates.
2. 2 Eat more lean protein at every meal to build muscle faster. Protein helps build muscle, and as a result, you will burn more calories throughout the day, even at rest! Make sure that lean protein foods account for 15-20% of your daily calorie intake (increase this amount if you are physically active most of the days of the week).
   • Eat egg whites, fish, chicken, and lean red meat.
   • Healthy plant-based protein sources for muscles include foods such as tofu, tempeh, seitan, beans, peas, and lentils.
3. 3 Get enough calcium and vitamin D. Calcium and vitamin D are found in dairy products, which can help you lose weight faster in a shorter time. Women under 50 and men under 70 need 1000 milligrams of calcium and 600 IU (international units) of vitamin D daily. Women over 50 and men over 70 need 1200 milligrams of calcium and 800 IU of vitamin D every day.
   • Protein-rich Greek yogurt, cow's or nut milk, and low-fat cheeses can help satisfy hunger and help reduce levels of calcitriol, a hormone that promotes body fat storage.
   • Choose unsweetened or lightly sweetened yogurt over sweeter (flavored) varieties. If plain yogurt doesn't taste good to you, add some fresh blueberries or raspberries to it.
   • Fresh mozzarella, feta, goat cheese, cottage cheese are also well suited.
   • Calcium and vitamin D are found not only in dairy products, but also in green vegetables (collard, kale and field cabbage, soybeans), orange juice, yeast dough buns, soy milk and cereals.
4. 4 Replace processed grains with whole grains that are rich in dietary fiber . Processed cereal foods (such as white bread, white flour pasta, and white rice) are less nutritious than whole foods. Whole grain foods are better at satisfying hunger and lowering the risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Plus, they're high in fiber, which can help reduce bloating.
   • Not only whole wheat breads, but also quinoa, wild rice, lentils, beans, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, oatmeal, apples, bananas, flax seeds, and chia seeds are also high in healthy fiber.
   • Aim to consume 25 grams of fiber daily if you are a woman and 38 grams if you are a man.
   • While eating up to 300 grams of carbs per day (for a 2,000 calorie per day diet) is considered normal, reduce this amount to about 50–150 or 200 grams over the next 2 weeks to help you lose weight faster.
5. 5 Replace saturated fats with monounsaturated fats that contain omega-3 acids. Beneficial omega-3 fatty acids help regulate how your body burns and stores fat, and are found in foods such as avocados, olive oil, flax seeds, chia seeds, nuts, and nut oil. In addition, healthy fats are good for satisfying hunger, energizing and helping to reduce the likelihood of overeating.
   • A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids helps to reduce the amount of harmful visceral fat that surrounds internal organs and reduce the risk of developing diabetes.
   • Fat contains quite a few calories, so watch your portion sizes! Try to limit your olive and nut oil intake to 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) for the next two weeks, which is 2-3 servings per day.
   • The daily recommended amount of omega-3 fatty acids is 1.6 grams for men and 1.1 grams for women.
   • Remember to balance omega-3s with omega-6s! The latter are found in sunflower, corn, soybean and saffron oil, sunflower seeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds.
6. 6 Snack on whole grain foods, lean protein foods, and sources of healthy fats. Light snacks are essential to maintain stable blood sugar levels and speed up your metabolism. At the same time, how often and with what exactly you snack plays an important role! Choose unprocessed foods like fruits, nuts, and whole grains instead of sugary bars. Snack only when you are hungry (preferably two meals a day between meals) and limit yourself to 100–150 calories to help you lose weight quickly.
   • Always keep healthy foods in your bag, drawer, or car in case you feel hungry in the middle of the morning or after lunch.
   • Typically, protein and chocolate bars are high in added sugar, unhealthy fats, and processed ingredients. Please read the packaging carefully for the ingredients and suitable serving sizes. If the ingredients list says “High Fructose Corn Syrup” and / or “Fractionated Palm Oil”, don't go for that bar!
   • For example, a protein smoothie made from yogurt and oatmeal or apple slices with 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) of coconut, sunflower, or almond oil will help satisfy hunger for a long time and provide the body with healthy proteins, fats and dietary fiber.
7. 7 Avoid sugary drinks and desserts. Sugary sodas, juices, and other sweets contain extra calories and sugars, so they contribute to belly fat. To lose weight quickly within two weeks, drink plain water and limit your desserts. If you do decide to indulge yourself, control your portion sizes!
   • For sweets, feast on naturally-sugar-rich strawberries or dark chocolate (both of which contain antioxidants). Better yet, combine them and make chocolate covered strawberries!
8. 8 Buy your groceries correctly. Most supermarkets have fresh produce around the perimeter of the store, while unhealthy processed convenience foods are usually found in the middle aisles. Shop around the edges of the room and try to decorate your cart with vegetables and fruits of a wide variety of colors.
   • For the next two weeks, buy only whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and lean protein foods.
9. 9 Eat smaller meals with each meal. The right serving size is critical to losing weight (and fat). Whether you are cooking at home or eating in a restaurant (especially those with large portions), keep an eye on how much food you actually eat.
   • If you're eating at a restaurant, share a meal with a friend or bring your own dishes to take half of your meal with you and avoid the temptation to overeat.
   • Estimate serving sizes with the palm of your hand:
     • cooked vegetables, dry cereals, chopped or whole fruits: 1 fist = 1 cup (240 milliliters)
     • cheese: 1 index finger = 45 grams;
     • Vermicelli, rice, oatmeal: 1 palm = 0.5 cups (120 milliliters)
     • Protein: 1 palm = 85 grams
     • fat: 1 thumb = 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters).

Method 2 of 3: Exercise

1. 1 Engage in aerobic exercise for at least 30-40 minutes 5-6 days a week. Do regular jogging, jogging, or brisk walking every day for the next two weeks to burn calories and fat. Among other things, aerobic exercise releases endorphins, which can improve mood and confidence after exercise. Being in a good mood will help you successfully overcome the next two weeks, during which you will eat fewer calories and move more. It can be exhausting, but don't give up!
   • Be sure to consult with your doctor before starting to exercise.
   • If you are a beginner, start slowly and gradually until you can increase the duration of your workouts to 30-40 minutes. For example, start by jogging for 15 minutes and walking for the remaining 15 minutes. After the first week, jog for 30 minutes and gradually increase your speed and intensity.
2. 2 Pick an aerobic exercise you like so you can enjoy doing it. This will make your workouts much easier for the next two weeks. For example, as aerobic exercise, you can do 30 minutes (at least) of swimming, kickboxing, dancing, various team sports. Whichever you choose, keep your heart rate high and you sweat properly for at least 20-30 minutes.
   • Swimming is a great form of moderate exercise and is not harmful to your joints.
   • Take dance lessons with friends or family for extra fun!
3. 3 Add strength training 3 times a week to your workouts. Lifting weights helps build muscle mass, which can help you speed up your metabolism and burn more fat throughout the day. When combined, strength training and aerobic training are more effective and help you lose weight faster than just one type of exercise.
   • Don't count strength training in your daily minimum 30 minutes of aerobic exercise.
   • If you do not know how to do exercises with dumbbells correctly, work out on simulators.
   • If you plan on doing strength training every few days, keep in mind that muscle weighs more than fat. However, don't worry - these muscles will help you burn more fat over the next two weeks!
   • Start with simple and well-known exercises like biceps curls, push-ups, pull-ups, triceps extensions, side lifts, and chest press.
   • Do 3 sets of 8-10 reps. Choose a dumbbell weight so that you maintain a normal shape throughout the entire set, but you need rest between sets.
4. 4 Engage in high-intensity interval training (HIIT). HIIT increases your heart rate and prevents your muscles from getting used to stress. In addition, interval training burns more calories in a shorter period of time, as opposed to repetitive, low-intensity training. Do HIIT at least 3-4 times a week (you can also do HIIT for a short time every day in addition to your regular aerobic exercise).
   • For example, snatch for 30-60 seconds while jogging. Then jog at an average pace for 2–4 minutes to regain strength, and then do another snatch.
   • Even walking can be adapted to HIIT by changing the speed and walking on uneven terrain. Walking is a great alternative if you have problems with your knees or other joints. Try the following treadmill workout for 20 minutes:
     • 3 minutes warm-up at 5% incline;
     • 3 minutes of brisk walking with a 7% incline;
     • 2 minutes of brisk walking at 12% incline;
     • 2 minutes of moderate walking with a 7% incline;
     • 2 minutes of brisk walking at 12% incline;
     • 2 minutes of slow to moderate walking with a 15% incline;
     • 1 minute of moderate walking at 10% incline;
     • 2 minutes of brisk walking with a 12% incline;
     • 3 minutes of slow walking at 5% incline to cool down.
5. 5 Daily train your core musclesto increase strength, tone and balance. Core exercises will help build and strengthen your abdominal and lower back muscles. While there is no point training method, the more you engage your core muscles, the better you build them and burn more calories throughout the day.
   • Plus, with just a week of training, you can improve your posture and look slimmer!
   • Try popular yoga exercises like planks, hip pivots, and cobra pose to stretch and strengthen your core muscles.
6. 6 Increase your daily physical activity. Try to walk up the stairs and move more over the next two weeks. Walk for 10-20 minutes after meals to improve digestion, burn extra calories, and speed up your metabolism.
   • Get off the bus or metro a few stops before the desired station and walk to it.
   • If the shops you want are located near your home, walk to them.
   • If possible, walk or cycle to work.
   • Take the stairs instead of using the elevator or escalator.

Method 3 of 3: Lifestyle Changes

1. 1 Get enough sleep and deal with stress. Proper nutrition and exercise are essential, but remember that sleep patterns and stress levels also affect how your body uses and stores fat. Not getting enough sleep and high stress levels increase cortisol levels, which causes the body to store fat in the belly area. If you experience any stressful situations at work or at home in the next two weeks, do your best to manage the stress.
   • Try to practice mindfulness meditation for at least 10 minutes a day. Yoga can also help relieve stress. Plus, it will help tone your muscles and burn some extra calories!
   • Talk to your doctor if you suspect you have a sleep disorder (such as insomnia or sleep apnea) that affects sleep quality.
2. 2 Avoid body cleansers, liquids, and other unusual diets. Typically, cleansers are only effective for weight loss when combined with a healthy diet, while liquid diets do not provide all the nutrients it needs. Whatever the creators of this or that newfangled diet promise, remember that there are no miracles!
   • Extreme diets can actually do more harm than good, especially if you're not getting enough calories or cutting out an entire food group (which can lead to malnutrition).
3. 3 Don't starve. Not eating enough will cause your body to go into a fat-saving mode, so eat breakfast and eat healthy and fresh foods throughout the day. Eat at least 1200 calories (for women) or 1500 calories (for men) per day. Reducing your daily intake of 500 to 1000 calories is considered a healthy deficit. Two weeks is a relatively short period, so you can reduce your daily intake by 700-1000 calories.
   • Eliminate unnecessary calories from every meal. For example, season your sandwiches with mustard rather than mayonnaise, and don't stack them together. You can even replace the bread with lettuce or pita bread.
   • Cook rice with cauliflower as a main course, filling, or side dish.
   • Try replacing regular noodles with squash or pumpkin noodles to cut calories.
   • Use the calorie calculator to calculate how many calories you need to eat each day to lose weight.
4. 4 Don't get hung up on counting calories. Fewer calories will help you lose weight, but focus on quality over quantity. Also, keeping an eye on your calorie counts can interfere with your enjoyment of food and can lead to stress from exceeding your target. Remember calories, but don't get hung up on numbers - make sure your body gets enough nutrients for two weeks (and beyond!).
   • For example, 100 calories in an apple will work differently on your body than 100 calories in an apple pie. Apple contains natural sugar and high amounts of dietary fiber, while tart contains added sugar, saturated fat, and simple carbohydrates.
5. 5 Eat mindfully so you don't rush and eat less food. Don't rush or get distracted while eating, or the food will seem less enjoyable to you. Instead, try to eat more slowly and pay attention to the texture and taste of the food. Those who eat mindfully eat more slowly and are satiated with less food.
   • For the next two weeks, turn off your phone, TV, computer, radio, and anything else that distracts you while eating.
   • Put everything you need on the table before eating so you don't have to get up in the middle of a meal.
   • Chew your food thoroughly and focus on flavor and texture.
   • Think about how grateful you are for everything on your plate. For example, if you are eating roasted beets, you can briefly recall all the care and effort that went into growing, transporting and cooking them before they came to your table.
6. 6 Quit smokingto get rid of belly fat more easily. It may seem that smoking is helping to keep you from getting fat. However, smokers are more prone to belly fat. If you want to quickly get rid of belly fat, give up this bad habit!
   • To wean your body and mind off nicotine faster, use hard candy, chewing gum, or a patch.
   • Be aware of what makes you want to smoke, and have an action plan that will help you overcome the urge to smoke. For example, if you're used to smoking in your car, chew a toothpick to keep your mouth busy and / or sing along to a song on the radio to distract yourself.
7. 7 Don't expect uniform weight loss. Often, abdominal weight is lost most rapidly during the first two weeks, after which the process slows down if you continue to lose weight. If you are over 7 kilograms overweight, you will most likely see tangible results during the first 1-2 weeks, after which the process will slow down. This is completely normal, so don't give up!
   • Overcome a weight loss plateau by rethinking your habits (study your diet and exercise regimen carefully), cut back on calories, and continue to exercise vigorously. You may not have a plateau after 2 weeks, but if you continue to lose weight, you will most likely notice that the process will slow down after about 1 month.
8. 8 Don't get hung up on your current weight. While it's nice to see your weight decrease, the scale does not show the mass of fluids and different types of fat in your body. You shouldn't weigh yourself daily during these two weeks, as you may weigh more or less depending on what you ate and how much water is retained in your body. It is enough to weigh yourself every few days.
   • Fat stored in the thighs, buttocks and arms is considered healthier than the so-called "beer belly".
   • Measuring your waist with a tape measure is a good way to keep track of your belly fat. To do this, wrap the measuring tape around your belly at the level of your navel, not at the narrowest part. Do not suck in your stomach or pull the tape too tight.
   • If you are a woman, then a waist circumference of more than 89 centimeters is a sign that you need to lose weight. For men, the waist circumference should not exceed 100 centimeters.

Tips

• Check with your doctor before changing your diet or exercising if you have chronic diseases or joint problems. Your doctor may refer you to a physical therapist to help you avoid harmful exercise, or recommend seeing a dietitian.
• Remember to drink enough water. When you're dehydrated, your body tries to retain fluid, and as a result, you will look like you've gained weight.
• Try adding citrus fruits to your water bottle for an extra dose of vitamin C and antioxidants. Simply place thin slices of orange, kiwi, lemon or grapefruit in the water.