Losing fat around the waist is not only good for your appearance, but can also improve your health. Extra fat around the middle is known as visceral fat. Visceral fat lies deep within the abdominal cavity and increases your risk of diabetes, heart disease, gallbladder disorders and certain types of cancer. The best way of losing waist fat is to take in fewer calories and exercise more. Speak to your doctor about monitoring your progress.
Foods
The best way to trim the waist is to reduce calories from your diet. A reduction of 500 to 1,000 calories daily should result in a weight loss of approximately 1 to 2 lbs. each week. Choose nutrient-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables, for the majority of your meals. Lean proteins, whole grains and low-fat dairy are permitted in moderation. Fight belly fat by avoiding foods high in saturated fat and choosing complex carbohydrates over simple carbohydrates. Instead of saturated fat, eat foods high in unsaturated fats, such as olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds. Simple carbohydrates to avoid include pastas, rice and white bread. Complex carbohydrate foods include fruit, vegetables, whole-grain bread, brown rice and whole-wheat pasta.
Stress Reduction
Keep stress at bay to trim the waist. Stress causes more fat to gather around the middle. If you are feeling stressed, you should take time to relax by participating in activities such as yoga, deep breathing and meditation. If you are getting less than seven hours of sleep each night, you are more likely to gain weight around the middle.
Workouts
Using weights as part of your workout regimen can help trim fat around the middle. Spend at least three days each week exercising with the use of weights. Use hand weights to perform bicep curls, arm presses and tricep pull-downs. Resistance exercise machines, such as ab benches, leg presses and hamstring curlers, work the core and lower body muscles. Cardio workouts, such as running, swimming, hiking and cycling, should be done as well three times a week for 30 minutes or more.
Ab Exercises
Perform abdominal exercises to trim the waist by building muscle and giving the area a more toned appearance. Deep breathing on all fours is recommended by MayoClinic.com to target the deeper abdominal muscles. Inhale, and as you exhale, contract the abs to push the bellybutton towards the spine. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat the move 10 times. Crunches are another type of ab exercise and can be used to trim the abs and obliques. To start, lie flat on a floor mat with your knees bent and your hands behind your head. Contract your abs as you lift your shoulders off the mat. Release and return to the starting position. Aim for two to three sets of 10 to 12 reps.
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