Abdominal fat -- or visceral fat -- increases your risk for both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Aside from health problems, it can be embarrassing, making it difficult to fit into the clothes your heart desires. Abdominal fat can have several causes, many of which pertain to women. The first is heredity. You, as a woman, have a number of genes determining how many fat cells you have and where these cells are located on your body. The second is hormones -- after menopause, a woman's abdominal fat can increase. You can decrease this fat, although it takes effort and diligence on your part to do so.
Step 1
Make changes to your diet. Eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein, rather than white bread, pasta, rice and soda. Portion size is equally as important -- half of your plate should contain green vegetables such as broccoli, spinach or green beans, while lean protein such as poultry or fish should make up one-quarter of the plate. Use the remaining quarter for a starch such as potatoes. Harvard Health Publications warns not to cut too many calories; this places your body in starvation mode, forcing it to retain abdominal fat.
Step 2
Start exercising 30 to 60 minutes per day of moderate to intense physical activity to help control weight. Walking or jogging 20 miles per week can help you lose visceral fat.
Step 3
Add strength training to your exercise regimen. Using weights when exercising can reduce your proportion of body fat by almost 4 percent when performing one hour of strength training twice a week, according to Harvard Health Publications. Ask your doctor to devise a strength training program for you, or join your local gym and ask for the assistance of a personal trainer.
Step 4
Take prescription medication. In 1997, the FDA approved sibutramine, a weight-loss drug whose greatest effect is on visceral fat. Speak to your doctor and ask if you are a candidate for this medication.
Step 5
Consider abdominoplasty -- better known as a tummy tuck -- if you have excess abdominal skin and/or abdominal fat. It removes excess skin and fat, and in some cases can re-establish weak or separated abdominal muscles, explains the Cleveland Clinic. A form of plastic surgery, you should consider this only when diet and exercise fail to achieve the results you desire.
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