If you're starting to carry around a little more flab in your stomach, you're also carrying an increased risk of high triglycerides and coronary artery disease, according to a July 2010 article published by "The Vancouver Sun." The best way to stop this belly fat is by being more selective with your food choices and becoming more active. Stopping belly fat takes mental and physical discipline.
Step 1
Stop eating so much food. If you eat more than your body needs for proper functioning, it will store the extra calories as fat and your belly will keep growing. Chew your food slowly and stop the minute you feel satisfied.
Step 2
Replace the high-fat, high-sodium and high-sugar foods in your diet with healthier options. Stop eating sugary cereals, glazed doughnuts, potato chips, white bread and bagels, canned soups, frozen dinners and chili dogs with cheese. Opt for foods that are natural and unprocessed, such as greens, fresh fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, low-fat dairy, whole grains and lean meats.
Step 3
Eat three meals and thee snacks a day to keep your appetite under control and further prevent overeating. Create balanced meals and snacks that include a portion of protein and complex carbs. Sliced turkey breast on a whole wheat bun with lettuce, tomato and light mayonnaise is a meal example. A cup of yogurt with berries and sunflower seeds mixed in is a snack example.
Step 4
Cut back on beer, wine and any other beverages that contain calories. Soda, lemonade, fruit punch, dessert coffees and sweetened teas all fall into this category. Drink water as your main beverage; drink it with your meals to give yourself a false full feeling.
Step 5
Walk briskly five days a week or perform another form of cardio that you enjoy. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, you need 60 to 90 minutes of cardio for weight loss and 30 minutes of cardio to gain health benefits. Start with the minimum requirement and increase it if your belly doesn't stop growing.
Step 6
Add weight training to your routine. Build a pound of muscle and you'll burn as many as 1,050 extra calories a week, according to the University of Michigan Health System. Do exercises that target all your major muscle groups, such as bench presses, shoulder presses, back extensions, dips, curls and leg extensions. Perform three or four sets of 10 to 12 reps two or three days a week.
Step 7
Perform abdominal toning exercises to keep your midsection tight. Leg lifts, knee pull-ins, side bends, plank lifts and bicycle maneuvers are examples. Perform three or four sets of 12 to 15 reps twice a week.
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