Fat reduction in a woman's stomach area requires you to have an overall caloric deficit, since you cannot spot reduce one segment of your body. The number of calories you expend daily must exceed the number of calories you consume. You need a combination of exercise and proper nutrition to lose fat permanently and slim down not only your stomach, but also your entire physique.
Strength Training
Strength training includes any type of exercise that increases muscle mass and muscular strength. You can use a variety of tools, such as dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, exercise bands, pull-up bars, stability balls and your own body weight. Strength training increases muscle mass, which increases your caloric expenditure throughout the day. One pound of muscle burns 6.5 calories per hour versus 1.2 calories per hour from fat, according to exercise physiologist William McArdle.
Choose strength exercises that work on multiple body parts rather than just one body part. This helps you burn more calories during exercise and alleviates boredom that many people experience when exercising. For example, do a squat and shoulder press by holding a dumbbell in each hand over your shoulders. Squat as low as you can and stand back up, pressing the weights over your head. You also are training your abdominal muscles to stabilize your body as you move.
Interval Training
Robert dos Remedios, author of "Cardio Strength Training," recommends interval training to burn the highest amount of calories and build muscles in less time. Interval training is a series of exercises performed at high intensity for a short period. After one set, take a short break, then do a different exercise set. This elicits excess post-oxygen consumption, where your body burns more calories after exercise for several hours than before exercise because of extra oxygen intake. Interval training burns more total calories throughout the day than regular aerobic training, such as jogging or cycling. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you can burn about 180 to 200 more calories per hour after exercise than low-intensity aerobics. The number of calories you burn depends on your gender, age, fitness level and body composition.
Lower Caloric Intake
Exercise alone is not enough to get a flatter stomach. To lose one pound of fat a week, you must have a daily 500-calorie deficit. If you need 2,000 calories a day to maintain your weight, reduce your food intake by 250 calories a day and increase your energy expenditure by 250 calories from physical activity. Substitute junk food with low-calorie snacks such as yogurt, fruit or raw vegetables. Increase your dietary fiber intake to curb appetite so that you do not overeat. Rather than eating two to three large meals a day, eat five to six small meals.
References
- "Cardio Strength Training"; Robert dos Remedios; 2009
- "Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition, and Human Performance"; William McArdle; 2003
- "Ultimate Sports Nutrition"; Ellen Coleman; 2004
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