Losing fat in your belly takes dedication to eating a diet low in saturated fats and calories, doing daily cardiovascular exercise and strengthening your core, the American Council on Exercise explains. The only way to trim fat from your belly is to lose overall fat by burning more calories than you take in daily. Eating fewer calories by choosing healthier foods and doing 30 minutes of fat-burning cardiovascular exercise daily will help you achieve your six-pack abs. To create definition to see the six pack, chose exercises that emphasis your upper abdominals and obliques, the muscles that form your waistline. Consult your doctor before beginning any new diet or exercise regimen.
Diet
Step 1
Eat five to six small meals a day to increase metabolism, recommends Tosca Reno, author of "The Eat-Clean Diet." Choose nutrient-dense foods that are lower in calories, and keep your meals around 300 to 400 calories each, depending on your personal caloric needs for weight loss. Space your meals out every two to three hours, eating one to two hours before you work out and 30 minutes to on hour after you work out.
Step 2
Choose lean proteins, such as fish, turkey, chicken and 99-percent fat-free beef. Women should aim for 46 grams of protein daily, men 56 grams, the Centers for Disease Control advise. Balance your protein in meals throughout the day and always include protein in your post-workout meal to help repair and replenish muscles.
Step 3
Eat complex carbohydrates to increase your energy levels, and avoid refined, processed and sugar foods. Choose complex carbohydrates such as brown and wild rice, steel-cut oatmeal, whole-grain pastas and breads and cereals and fresh fruits and vegetables. Eat your carbs early in the day and one to two hours before your workout.
Step 4
Add a monounsaturated fatty acid to every meal. Monounsaturated fatty acids such as flaxseed oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, olives, nuts, avocados, seeds and dark chocolate should be eaten in a small quantity with every meal to help reduce and prevent belly fat, according to research published in the "Journal of Diabetes Care."
Step 5
Drink nine cups (2.2 liters) of water daily if you are a women and 13 cups (3 liters) if you are a man to stay properly hydrated, the Mayo Clinic recommends. Carry a water bottle with you to ensure proper hydration and prevent water retention, which can cause belly bloating.
Exercise
Step 1
Walk, run or jog daily for a minimum of 30 minutes daily for fat-burning, cardiovascular benefits. Begin your run with a five-minute warm-up at a moderate pace. Once warm, increase your pace to intermediate intensity; you should be able to talk but not comfortably. Keep this pace up for 20 minutes, then end your session with a five minute cool-down.
Step 2
Lift weights for your entire body, not just your stomach. Focus on a weightlifting or body-sculpting plan that engages your legs, glutes, stomach, back, shoulders and arms.
Step 3
Engage your core with exercises that target your upper abdominals and obliques, such as V-sit crunches, medicine-ball twists, oblique crunches and regular crunches. Work your abs to failure by doing as many repetitions and sets as you can.
References
- American Council on Exercise: So, You Want to Spot Reduce? Here's How
- "The Eat-Clean Diet"; Tosca Reno; 2009
- Centers for Disease Control: Protein
- "Journal of Diabetes Care"; Monounsaturated Fat--Rich Diet Prevents Central Body Fat Distribution; Juan A. Paniagua González et al; Mar. 2007
- Mayo Clinic: Water, How Much Should You Drink Everyday?
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