Stomach fat, or belly fat, is a general term used to describe fat that accumulates in your midsection, or abdomen. The presence of substantial amounts of this fat raises your risk for a number of serious ailments. Fortunately, you can typically decrease your belly fat levels by controlling your calorie intake and getting regular exercise.
Stomach Fat Basics
Fat's effects on your health vary significantly with its location, according to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Health System. In most of your body --- including your arms, thighs and hips --- fat accumulates just below the surface of your skin. This type of fat is called subcutaneous fat. While you have subcutaneous fat in your abdomen, you also have another type of fat --- visceral fat --- that lies at a deeper level and surrounds your abdominal organs. The presence of large amounts of visceral fat can substantially raise your risks for the development of conditions such as diabetes, strokes and heart attacks.
Dietary Changes
Despite its location deep in your abdomen, visceral fat is relatively easy to lose if you eat properly and exercise, MayoClinic.com reports. Steps that will help you eat a healthier diet include reducing your intake of simple carbohydrates such as refined pasta and white bread, reducing your intake of foods that contain harmful saturated fats, increasing your intake of foods that contain healthier polyunsaturated fats and increasing your intake of complex carbohydrates such as vegetables and fruit. You will also need to control the serving sizes of the foods you eat and the overall calories you eat each day.
Aerobic Exercise
Daily participation in moderate-intensity aerobic activity is key to reducing your levels of belly fat, MayoClinic.com notes. Common activities in this category include brisk walking and bicycling on level ground. To gain any benefit from these exercises, you will need to work out for at least two and a half hours each week. Typically, you'll start losing visceral fat quite early in your exercise program. What's more, in most cases a 10 to 15 percent reduction in your overall body weight can lead to as much as a 30 percent reduction in your visceral fat levels, according to the UAB Health System.
Strength Training
Strength training exercises such as weightlifting or resistance band training can also help you lose belly fat, the UAB Health System reports. These achieve their weight-loss effects by increasing your muscle mass, which in turn increases your body's ability to burn calories. Typically, you'll need to engage in strength training activities two or three times a week to gain any weight-loss benefits. If you combine regular strength training with aerobic exercises, you can significantly increase your ability to lose belly fat when compared to performing exercises from just one of these categories.
Considerations
Consult your doctor before beginning a new exercise program or making large changes to your diet. If you are male, having a waist size of 40 inches or more can greatly increase your belly fat-related health risks, UAB Health System notes. Women with waist sizes of 35 inches or more also have elevated risks.
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