Pop culture's emphasis on rippling midsections may make you embarrassed by your belly fat. In addition to the psychological damage, stomach fat also is a cause for serious medical concern. Abdominal fat carries higher health risks than other types of body fat. It increases your risk for such conditions as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, according to MayoClinic.com. Take a sensible, step-by-step approach for the quickest way to lose your belly.
Step 1
Speed fat loss by eliminating refined sugars from your diet. Cut out all desserts, sugary drinks and pastries. Limit your consumption of starchy carbohydrates. Replace them with protein and vegetables. Limiting the amount of sugar and starches in your diet signals your body to begin burning belly fat at an accelerated rate during exercise.
Step 2
Quickly burn your belly off with interval training. Warm up on a stationary bike or elliptical machine for 10 minutes. Raise the resistance on the machine and pedal as hard as you can for 15 seconds. Lower the resistance back to your warm-up pace for 45 seconds. Immediately bring the resistance back up for another 15-second sprint. Perform five back-to-back intervals, ending with a 5-minute cool down. Interval training raises your metabolism and quickly strips off belly fat.
Step 3
Reduce abdominal bloating. Rapidly reduce the size of your belly by eliminating water retention and abdominal distension. Drink at least 2 liters of water and eat five servings of veggies every day. The water will act as a natural diuretic and flush out retained water, which often looks like fat. The fiber from the vegetables will eliminate intestinal bloating, which can make your belly stick out.
Step 4
Tone your abdominals with hanging leg lifts. Hang from a chin-up bar with your legs straight and your hands shoulder-width apart. Lift your knees to your chest and slowly lower them. Repeat for four sets of 10 repetitions.
Things You'll Need
- Chin-up bar
References
- MayoClinic.com: Belly Fat in Women: How to Keep It Off
- "ACE Personal Trainer Manual: The Ultimate Resource for Fitness Professionals, 3rd Edition"; Cedric X. Bryant and Daniel J. Green; 2003
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