Strategies to Banish Belly Fat

Strategies to Banish Belly Fat
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When the summer months approach, belly fat becomes an even more unwelcome guest. Not only is belly fat damaging to your self-esteem, but it can have serious health implications as well. As indicated by MayoClinic.com, belly fat can increase your risk of heart disease and diabetes. Regain control of your health and appearance by getting rid of your belly fat today.

Find Your Caloric Requirement

Before beginning a fat-loss plan, you must figure out how many calories you currently eat. For at least a week before you make any changes, keep a detailed log of everything you eat. Figure out your average daily caloric intake using a calorie counter. If you have not lost or gained weight during this period, then this number represents your current maintenance calorie requirement.

Caloric Reduction

In order to lose body fat, you must eat fewer calories than you burn. Think of calories as your body's fuel and fat cells as a fuel tank. When you consume more calories than you need for energy, your body stores the rest for later use. To prevent slowing down your metabolism, make a conservative reduction in your daily caloric intake. A reduction of just 500 calories below maintenance should be enough to lose about a pound each week.

Stay Active

Daily cardiovascular activity will boost your metabolism and burn more belly fat than dieting alone. Even just 30 minutes of daily walking can assist you in managing your weight, according to the American Council on Exercise. It's important to pick an activity you enjoy so that you can stay consistent. Any activity that keeps your heart rate up for a prolonged period of time, such as swimming, cycling or hiking, is appropriate.

Lift Weights

Weight training is an important tool for losing belly fat because lifting weights builds muscle. Muscle, an active tissue, needs calories to maintain itself. The more muscle you gain, the faster your metabolism becomes, making it easier burn belly fat. If you are new to weight training, you can learn more at the American Council on Exercise.

References

Article reviewed by Lauren Fritsky Last updated on: Jun 3, 2010

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