Belly fat is caused by excess weight. Belly fat can predispose you to conditions including heart disease, stroke, some types of cancer, diabetes, low levels of HDL cholesterol and sleep apnea. In general, for men, waist sizes over 40 inches are unhealthy, while in women, a waist larger than 35 inches is generally considered unhealthy. You can reduce your belly fat and, in turn, your risk for certain conditions by changing your lifestyle to include exercise and a healthy diet.
Step 1
Reduce your caloric intake. The basic element of weight loss is to create a caloric deficit by burning more calories than you take in. This is most often done with physical exercise. Cut out unnecessary snacks from your diet. If you absolutely feel the need to eat, replace unhealthy snacks with healthy snacks such as fruits and vegetables. A handful of carrots or an apple is much less detrimental than candy.
Step 2
Exercise moderately several times a week. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that the average healthy adult under 65 get 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five days a week. (See References 4) Running, jogging, stationary biking, rowing, playing sports and weight lifting are all examples of moderate exercise. One pound is equal to about 3,500 calories. Therefore, if you burned 500 more calories per day than you ate, you'd lose about 1 lb. per week.
Step 3
Do sets of abdominal exercises several times a week. No exercises will burn the exact area of fat you want gone, but they can help tone your stomach. Lie on your back with your knees bent. Flatten your back by tightening your abdominal muscles for five to 10 seconds. Do repetitions several times a week.
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