Diet pills can be effective at making the belly area look slimmer, but they rarely result in lasting weight loss, and many carry serious health risks. A far more reliable and healthier method of reducing belly fat is through regular exercise and a healthy diet. For the best results, combine targeted core exercise with regular moderate to intense aerobic activity and a low-calorie eating plan that features fresh, whole foods.
Step 1
Participate in aerobic exercise at least several times per week. According to the Mayo Clinic, daily exercise is the best way to lose belly fat, and the belly area may actually be the first part of the body to start slimming down after starting a new exercise routine. Moderate activities such as brisk walking, swimming and dancing are all good starts. Vigorous activities are harder, but will naturally burn more calories and likely shrink the stomach area faster. Try jogging, Tae Kwon Do, or organized sports such as soccer and tennis.
Step 2
Practice core exercises that will tone the belly area, making it look slimmer and tighter. CNN and the Mayo Clinic recommend moves such as the plank, the quadruped, the abdominal bridge and crunches because they work out multiple muscle groups. Stabilizing exercises and some strength training movements that use resistance bands and fitness balls also build core muscles and can help burn belly fat.
Step 3
Increase the amount of physical activity you do every day. The American College of Sports Medicine suggests that healthy adults get a minimum of 150 minutes of exercise weekly, but weight loss requires more time in almost all cases. Strive to exercise for at least 45 minutes on most days of the week. Supplement with taking walks, riding a bike, taking the stairs instead of elevators or escalators, playing actively with kids and pets and regularly walking around your home.
Step 4
Eat a healthy diet that focuses on fresh, whole foods. The most nutritious foods tend to be the lowest in calories, and they can reduce the body's cravings for processed food as well as high-fat and high-sugar items. Follow recommendations from the United States Department of Agriculture's food pyramid, which divides healthy foods into five main groups: lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, low-fat and nonfat dairy products and grains, and primarily whole grains.
Step 5
Establish health goals that are inspiring and have visible signs of progress. Before beginning a fitness plan, calculate your BMI, or body mass index, and take your waist measurement by wrapping a tape measure around your waist at the belly-button level. Record both numbers, and keep them handy. Stick to your fitness and eating plan diligently, and take the measurements again after each subsequent month. The Mayo Clinic notes that women with waist measurements of 35 or fewer inches and men with measurements of 40 or fewer inches have lower risks of chronic disease including stroke, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and heart disease.
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