Having a fat belly and smoking cigarettes have one major thing in common: They are both hazardous to your health. The dangers of belly fat go deeper than just causing you mental anguish. Abdominal fat can lead to cancer, heart disease, high cholesterol and diabetes. To burn this fat and lower your disease risk, you need to change your diet and exercise more.
Dietary Overhaul
What you choose to eat through the day is considered to be your diet. Eating a lot of fast food, deep-fried food, cakes, cookies, candy bars and frozen dinners can spell trouble when it comes to belly fat. To lose excess weight in your belly, and throughout the rest of your body, eat nothing but high-nutrient foods, such as fruit, vegetables, lean meats, fish, beans, whole grains and low-fat dairy.
Breakfast Consumption
As soon as you awake in the morning, eat something, perhaps a bowl of whole grain cereal with low-fat milk or a mixture of chopped fruit and nuts in a cup of yogurt. People trying to lose fat often sacrifice their first meal of the day to reduce their caloric intake. According to Medical News Today, people who missed breakfast were likely to be fatter, possibly because they are more likely to eat unhealthy snacks mid-morning to boost their energy level.
Liquid Calorie Reduction
Consuming soft drinks, slushies, sweet teas, lattes, dessert coffees and alcoholic beverages can prevent you from losing belly fat. Trade those beverages for calorie-free water. Aim for 10 cups of water a day and drink it with your meals.
Eating More Meals
Eating small, balanced meals every two to three hours can keep your metabolism high, your energy level stable and your belly satisfied. When making your meals, combine complex carbs and quality protein--for example, a baked chicken breast on a salad with a whole wheat roll on the side.
Muscle Building
By building muscle, you can increase your metabolism and burn many calories while at rest. Perform exercises that involve as much muscle as possible like bench presses, shoulder presses, back rows, triceps extensions, biceps curls and squats. In your workouts, perform 10 to 12 reps, three or four sets, two or three times a week.
Cardio Exercises
Cardiovascular exercises improve your aerobic capacity while burning sufficient calories. This caloric expenditure will lead to weight loss throughout your entire body, including your belly. Any form of cardio that is done at a moderate to high intensity will work--for example, power walking, jogging, jumping rope, kick boxing, biking and versa climbing. Aim for 45 to 60 minutes and work out four or five days a week.
Abdominal Exercises
Abdominal exercises will not contribute much to fat loss, but they can help tone and tighten your belly as fat is being burned. Two or three times a week you should perform exercises that target your lower abs, upper abs and obliques which are found on your sides. Examples are leg lifts, reverse crunches, side crunches, bicycle kicks and traditional crunches. Aim for 15 to 20 reps and do three or four sets of each exercise.
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