Belly flab is the fat that accumulates in the abdomen and comes from not getting enough exercise and taking in more calories than you use. Fat also gathers in your abdomen when you age and your metabolism slows. The best way to reduce belly fat is by consuming fewer calories and exercising most days of the week.
Step 1
Get walking. Do 1 to 2 miles per hour for 50 minutes three times a week or walk 3.5 to 4 miles per hour for 30 minutes three times a week. A 2006 study by researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina found that obese women with abdominal fat saw an 18 percent decrease in the size of abdominal fat cells after burning 400 calories a day through walking over the course of 20 weeks.
Step 2
Tone your abdominal muscles. You can't spot burn belly flab, but you can tone muscles and reduce abdominal fat. Do abdominal hollowing exercises by getting down on your hands and knees. Let your belly hang down toward the floor. Take a deep breath. When you release the air, draw your bellybutton inward and upward toward your spine. You should feel the resistance in your waist. Hold for 10 seconds and rest for 10 seconds. Do 10 repetitions a day. Once you've mastered the exercise, you can do it standing up.
Step 3
Do pelvic tilts. Lie on your back on the floor and bend your knees. While tightening your abs, flatten your back against the ground, lifting your pelvis up slightly. Hold for up to 10 seconds and repeat 10 to 20 times.
Step 4
Change your diet. Eliminate trans fats. Substitute saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats. Consume complex carbohydrates like fruits and vegetables instead of simple carbs like pasta, white rice and white bread.
Step 5
Eat the right calories for your gender and activity level. If you have a sedentary lifestyle, meaning that you get very little exercise, you should only be eating 1,600 to 2,000 calories a day if you're a healthy female and 2,000 to 2,400 calories a day if you're a healthy male. Moderately active females need 1,800 to 2,200 calories daily and males need 2,200 to 2,800 calories a day.
Tips and Warnings
- Ordinary sit-ups are not the most effective way to target belly flab.
- Abdominal fat can be dangerous. Too much belly flab increases your risk of developing heart disease, breast cancer, high blood pressure and diabetes.
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