Having too much belly fat affects your health. A wide waist puts men and women at risk for developing such chronic diseases as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers. You cannot crunch the fat away--spot reduction is impossible, according to MayoClinic.com. Belly fat is responsive to traditional weight loss efforts consisting of a healthy, portion-controlled diet and exercise. Keep your expectations realistic--belly fat reduction requires weeks or months of focus.
Participate in Exercise
Belly fat often is the first body fat you burn when you begin an exercise program. Cardiovascular exercise that exceeds the recommendations put forth by the American College of Sports Medicine or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention effectively reduces belly fat, according to a 2005 study published by the "Journal of Applied Physiology."
Build your stamina until you can perform the equivalent of jogging 20 miles a week--the amount the Duke University researchers found helped reduce belly fat in participants after eight months. Abiding by ACSM or CDC guidelines can help you maintain your weight. However, not exercising will result in a continued increase in your tummy size.
Eat the Right Foods
A reduced-calorie diet will help you lose fat. Including certain foods as part of your diet may accelerate your results. For example, five daily servings of low-fat dairy products is more effective than three daily servings in reducing body fat, according to a 2009 study by Australia's Curtin University School of Public Health. Add cheese, yogurt and skim milk to your daily meal plans.
Replace white flour foods with whole grains. Dieters who ate more whole grains not only lost weight like their refined grain dieting counterparts, they also experienced a greater reduction in waist size in 12 weeks, according to a 2008 study conducted by Heather I. Katcher et al. and published by the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."
Switching to certain cooking oils also may help you lose loose belly fat. "Lipids" published a 2009 study by M.L. Assunção et al. that concluded women who consumed 30 ml of coconut oil daily reduced abdominal obesity after 12 weeks.
Moderate Alcohol Intake
Keep alcohol consumption to one drink a day if you're a woman, or two a day if you're a man. Alcohol--especially when mixed into cocktails--contains calories that offer no nutritional value. Such drinks also may lower your inhibitions, making it difficult to stick to your weight loss plan.
Drinking alcohol often leads to overall weight gain, much of which may settle at the belly. In addition, a 2009 study published by the "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found a link between drinking beer and waist circumference increases, especially in men. German researchers found men who drank 1,000 ml of beer a day, about 33 oz., were at a 17 percent higher risk of gaining belly fat than light drinkers. Women's waist sizes were less affected by beer consumption, but those who chose not to drink at all had lower incidences of abdominal weight gain than drinkers.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Belly Fat in Women: How to Keep It Off
- PubMed.gov: "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition": Beer Consumption and the 'Beer Belly': Scientific Basis or Common Belief?
- PubMed.gov: "Journal of Applied Physiology": Inactivity, Exercise and Visceral Fat
- PubMed.gov: "Lipids": Effects of Dietary Coconut Oil on the Biochemical and Anthropometric Profiles of Women Presenting Abdominal Obesity
- "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition": The Effects of a Whole Grain-Enriched Hypocaloric Diet on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Men and Women with Metabolic Syndrome
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