Carrying extra weight on your body increases your risk for multiple conditions, such as heart disease, cancer, sleep apnea and osteoarthritis. Most of the concern stems from the abdominal fat that forms around your organs. If you have an inner tube belly, you're susceptible to developing this type of fat. Reduce your risk of disease and melt away your inner tube by making better lifestyle choices.
Step 1
Avoid processed meats, refined carbs, deep-fried foods and sweets to promote weight loss. Follow a diet high in such nutrient-dense foods as chicken breasts, fish, venison, beans, whole grains, greens, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products.
Step 2
Eat more often instead of skipping meals. This will keep your belly feeling satisfied and give your metabolism a lift. Don't go more than three hours without eating. Combine protein and high-fiber complex carbs with every meal. A whole grain bagel with peanut butter spread across the top is a meal example.
Step 3
Choose your beverages wisely. Restrict your intake of soda, sweetened tea, fruit punch, lemonade, slushies, dessert coffees and alcohol. Such beverages are high in calories and can cause your inner tube belly to grow bigger. Drink water to spare yourself calories and flush toxins out of your body. The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies recommends women get about 2.7 liters of water a day, while men should drink about 3.7 liters. Have a full glass of water with your meals to help fill your belly.
Step 4
Pick a type of cardiovascular exercise you enjoy and do it four or five days a week. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, you might need 60- to 90-minute sessions of cardio to lose weight. Break up your sessions into smaller bouts throughout the day if you don't have time to exercise all at once. Fast-paced waling, kickboxing, jumping rope, running, stair climbing and rowing are effective forms of cardio.
Step 5
Spend two or three days a week weight training. Target all your major muscles with such exercises as push-ups, shoulder presses, back extensions, dips, curls and step-ups. Building more muscle increases your resting metabolism. Perform three to four sets of 12 to 15 reps for each exercise.
Step 6
Perform abdominal exercises to tighten your muscles while you lose weight. Hanging leg raises, reverse crunches, twist crunches, cable chops and lying crunches are examples. Aim for three or four sets of 15 to 20 reps for each exercise. Work your abs after you do your weight training exercises.
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