A spare tire hanging around the midsection spells bad news for your overall health and self-esteem. Having a large amount of belly fat increases your risk of type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, high triglycerides, sleep apnea and metabolic syndrome, according to MayoClinic.com. Reduce your disease risk and feel more confident by taking a holistic approach. This includes changes to your diet, abdominal exercises and fat-burning exercise.
Step 1
Reduce your intake by 500 to 1,000 calories to promote weight loss. Use an online resource like the Daily Plate for help with tracking. Monitor your intake for three days, add the totals together and divide by three to get your average.
Step 2
Choose your foods wisely. Stop eating deep-fried foods, refined grain products, candy, commercial baked goods and processed meats. Stick with foods that are high in nutrients like lean meats, fish, beans, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts and low-fat dairy products.
Step 3
Eliminate the liquid calories from your diet. Give up lemonade, soft drinks, slushies, dessert coffees, milk shakes, sweetened teas, beer and wine. Drink water as your main beverage to keep your calories under control and to hydrate your body. Have a glass of water with your meals to fill yourself up.
Step 4
Eat more frequently, but keep your portions small. Have a meal in the morning and continue to eat every two to three hours for the rest of the day. This will keep your hunger under control. Prepare each meal with a portion of protein and complex carbs to make them balanced. Oatmeal with low-fat milk, berries and pumpkin seeds is a balanced meal.
Step 5
Lift weights to build muscle. When you build muscle, you increase your resting metabolic rate, which causes a higher caloric expenditure while you are resting. Do exercises that target all of your major muscle groups like bench presses, upright rows, pull-ups, dips, biceps curls and lunges. Perform 10 to 12 reps, three or four sets and work out two or three days a week.
Step 6
Perform cardiovascular exercise to burn the fat in your stomach. To lose weight, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends 60 to 90 minutes of cardio. Do any form of cardio you enjoy, such as brisk walking, running, elliptical training, stair climbing, inline skating or swimming. Work out three or four days a week.
Step 7
Execute ab exercises to tone and tighten your midsection. Target your entire abdominal area with exercises like reverse crunches, hanging leg raises, Russian twists, bicycle kicks, toe touch crunches and sit-ups. Do 15 to 20 reps, three or four sets and work your abs after your weight-training sessions.
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