Many women have the same complaint about their bodies; they have excess belly fat that they can't seem to get rid, no matter how many crunches they do. The belly is, unfortunately, one of the first places that fat is stored on a woman's body, and it one of the hardest places to lose it from. Getting rid of belly fat on a woman will take a team effort of diet, various types of exercise and even hormone therapy to lose the fat. If you're dedicated to losing the belly fat, you will see success if you work hard.
Step 1
Exercise daily. While some exercise programs recommend 30 minutes of exercise every other day, if you're serious about losing belly fat, integrate daily cardiovascular activity into your life. A study published in a 2006 "International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism" found that those who incorporated six days of cardiovascular activity lost twice as much belly fat as those who alternated cardio and strength training for four to five days a week. Those that did more cardiovascular workouts lost the most fat when consistently training six times a week. Try jogging, swimming or biking for a good cardiovascular workout to help you lose belly fat.
Step 2
Target your abdominal muscles with strength training three times per week. The Mayo Clinic recommends exercises that require a drawing-in of the belly button while doing them for the most benefit. While cardiovascular activity is a woman's first line of defense when it comes to getting rid of belly fat, toning the abdominal muscles will help burn off some of the excess fat that is stored there.
Step 3
Eat the right foods for losing belly fat. A woman's body stores fat in the belly, and the only way to lose is to burn off the fat that is stored there. You can do this by consuming fewer calories than you burn so your body turns to the reserves in your belly. Try a low-calorie, high-protein diet. Protein will help to stay full, while the low calorie diet forces your body to use up reserves in your belly. Don't starve yourself; that could make your body store more fat. Instead, eat about 1,200 calories per day in five or six small meals to keep your metabolism stoked.
Step 4
Talk to your doctor about possible hormone therapy. Both Science Daily and the Mayo Clinic stress that hormone therapy may be necessary for women to lose belly fat, especially after menopause. Science Daily points out that after menopause, hormones, like estrogen, are stored in the belly to make up for the loss after menopause. Replacing those hormones can cause your belly to release its unnecessary stores of estrogen. Coupled with exercise, hormone therapy can help women lose the extra belly fat.
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