The Safe Way To Lose Belly Fat

The size of your belly indicates your potential for developing health problems associated with being overweight or obese. If you carry a lot of fat in your belly, you are at a higher risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes, says the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. While supplement manufacturers and diet companies promise quick fixes to address your belly fat, diet and lifestyle strategies are the safest and most effective ways to shrink your stomach.

Step 1

Follow a reduced calorie diet. Eat fewer calories than you burn in a day to encourage weight loss. Spot reducing is not possible, but losing overall body fat and weight will help you to trim your stomach down.

Step 2

Amp up your physical activity levels. Increase the duration and intensity of exercise to exceed recommendations made by the American College of Sports Medicine, as detailed in the Journal of Applied Physiology from 2007. Researchers from Duke University found that participants who exercised the equivalent of jogging 20 miles per week--for example, four miles at a 6 mph hour pace, five days a week--lost belly fat, while those following recommendations of just 30-minutes of moderate intensity exercise only prevented the accumulation of additional fat.

Step 3

Include specific foods in your meals. Emphasize lean proteins and fresh produce. Try to include five servings of low-fat dairy--such as cottage cheese and skim milk--as researchers found this amount helps encourage significant belly fat loss in an October 2009 study. Monounsaturated fats--such as olive oil, avocados and flax seeds--when used in place of saturated fats, also help to diminish waist size, reports a study in the British Journal of Nutrition from 2003. Select whole grains over refined flours to further support your low-calorie diet and exercise efforts. A 2008 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that dieters who ate whole grains instead of white experienced a decrease in mid-section fat.

Step 4

Avoid saturated and trans fats, which add excess calories and contribute to belly fat. Cut out fatty and processed meats, such as ribs, brisket, sausage and hot dogs. Peel the skin off poultry. Switch to low-fat dairy. Use nut butter instead of dairy butter or margarine. Skip the drive-through and read packaging labels to avoid man-made trans fats.

Step 5

Reduce stress. Lighten up your work load, take up yoga or meditation and learn to delegate. A study in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine from 2000 found that stress-induced elevations in the hormone cortisol correlates to a high levels of belly fat.