Belly fat can take its toll on self-esteem. If that's not bad enough, it can also have a major impact on your overall health. Having a lot of belly fat increases your risk of metabolic syndrome, sleep apnea, type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart disease, according to the Mayo Clinic's website. The fastest way to lose your belly fat and reduce your disease risk is to make dietary adjustments and exercise.
Step 1
Track your calories for a full day to determine your current intake. Include food and liquid calories when you do this and use an online source like Calorie King if you need assistance. Deduct 1,000 calories from this number. For example, if you came up with 2,800 calories, your new intake will be 1,800 calories a day. This will lead to two pounds of weight loss a week, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Step 2
Increase the number of meals you eat per day but keep them small. Combine protein and complex carbs with each meal and choose healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, lean meats, fish, whole grains and beans. This will keep your hunger under control and metabolism elevated. A whole wheat wrap with sliced turkey breast, lettuce, tomato, sprouts and low-fat mayonnaise is a meal example. Eat every two to three hours throughout the day.
Step 3
Choose water as your only beverage to keep your calories down, flush out toxins and hydrate your body. Avoid all beverages that contain calories like sweetened teas, flavored lattes, lemonade, slushies, milk shakes and alcohol.
Step 4
Perform wind sprints to melt away the fat on your stomach. This will burn many calories and cause you to forcefully contract your abs. Start your workouts with a light five-minute jog to warm up, then sprint as fast as hard as you can for 15 seconds. Take a 30-second rest and run hard again for 15 seconds. Repeat this sequence for 20 minutes and finish with a light five-minute jog to cool down your body. Do sprints three days a week on nonconsecutive days.
Step 5
Spend three days a week doing muscle building exercises. When you build muscle, you increase your resting metabolism and burn more calories in times of inactivity. Do exercises that work more than one muscle at a time like chest presses, upright rows, lat pulldowns, dips, squats and deadlifts. Aim for 10 to 12 reps, do three or four sets and work out three days a week on non-cardio days.
Step 6
Target your abs with weight training exercises to flatten your midsection as you lose weight. Focus on your lower, upper and oblique areas with exercises like reverse crunches, leg lifts, Russian twists, bicycle crunches and sit-ups. Aim for 15 to 20 reps, do three or four sets and work out after your sprint training sessions.
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