From a health standpoint, excess belly fat has little to offer the body, other than insulation when it is cold. By burning your belly fat, you will reduce your odds of contracting chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea or cancer. Use lifestyle changes to make this a reality.
Aerobic Training
Aerobic training is performed at a steady pace for an extended period of time. By doing this type of exercise, you will burn calories throughout your whole body and lose the fat in your stomach. The key thing is to do something you enjoy and will stick with. Running, fast-paced walking, jumping rope, Spinning®, elliptical training and kickboxing are all examples. To lose weight, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends 60 to 90 minutes of activity. Work out more than once a day to accumulate your exercise if you are pressed for time.
Decrease of Calories
Calorie restriction can help promote weight loss throughout your whole body and make it easier to melt your stomach fat. A good rule of thumb is to cut your intake by 500 to 1,000 calories a day. This will in turn promote a weight loss of about 1 to 2 pounds a week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Find your current intake by monitoring your calories for a full day. If you need help, resort to a free online calorie tracker.
Muscle Mass
Building muscle will do more than make your body look good in a swimsuit; it will also crank up your resting metabolic rate. This will cause you to constantly burn a high amount of calories and flatten your stomach quicker. Perform exercises that target all of your main muscle groups. To increase the effect on your abs, utilize a stability ball as much as possible. Push-ups, seated shoulder presses, back extensions, lying triceps extensions, seated biceps curls and wall squats are exercise examples.
Healthful Foods
Even though you are cutting your calories, you still want to take in healthful foods; especially ones high in fiber. By including more fiber with your meals, you will fill up faster and it will be easier to not eat as many calories. In addition to that, foods that are high in fiber tend to take longer to chew. This will also help prevent you from overeating. Add fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds into your diet to gain these benefits.
Grazing
Grazing involves eating small, balanced meals every two to three hours. This will not only boost your metabolism, but it will also keep your appetite stabilized. With each meal, include high-fiber complex carbs and a quality source of protein. In similar fashion to fiber, protein helps fill you up and keep your appetite under control. It is also a necessary macronutrient for building muscle, so it helps you two ways. Have your first meal upon waking. A cup of yogurt with chopped up melon mixed in is a meal example.
Abdominal Toning
You can do conventional exercises that target your upper abs, lower abs and obliques, or perform Pilates. In both cases, you will tone and tighten your belly as you burn fat. Pilates causes you to actively engage your abdominal muscles. Attend classes at your local gym or invest in a DVD for home use. Whether you do conventional exercises or Pilates, take short rest breaks in between each set. At the gym, see if they have a power Pilates class. The key is to get your heart rate elevated to promote a high caloric expenditure.
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