How To Lose Five Pounds Of Lower Belly Fat

When you eat more calories than your body burns you will gain fat. It does not matter if the calories you consume are in the form of fats, proteins or carbohydrates, it is all converted into fat and stored into the adipose tissue. When you lower your daily calorie intake your body will transform the fat stored in your adipose tissue into energy. The only way you can burn fat stored into your body is by eating fewer calories than your energy demand is.

Step 1

Measure your belly circumference with a tape measure. Take the measure from the level of your belly button. This way you will always be measuring it from the same spot. Also measure your weight with a scale. Write these down on your exercise diary on day one.

Step 2

Evaluate your daily calorie need. Begin by measuring your basal metabolic rate or BMR. Your BMR depends on your weight, height, age and sex. You can calculate your BMR with an online calculator or with the following formula: 66.5 + (13.75 x your weight in kilograms) + (5.003 x your height in centimeters) - (6.775 x your age) for men or 655.1 + (9.563 x kg weight) + (1.850 x cm height) - (4.676 x age) for women. Multiply your BMR with your activity factor to get your daily energy need. Use factor 1.2 for low or no activity, 1.55 for moderate activity, and 1.9 for high activity. To lose 5 lbs. of your weight, deduct at least 100 to 200 calories from your daily calorie need and use this as your daily calorie limit. Keep track of your daily calorie intake and write it down in your exercise diary.

Step 3

Create an exercise routine that will help you burn fat. You cannot target your exercise to burn your belly fat exclusively. Instead you need to pick exercise routines that work your whole body. Do two to three aerobic and two to three weight training exercise sessions each week. Great aerobic exercises are hiking, moderate pace walking, jogging, running or snowshoeing one hour or longer at a time. Split your weight training program to chest-shoulders-back and legs-biceps-triceps and do two to three exercises for each muscle group with moderate weights and 12 to 15 repetitions. Write every exercise on your diary.

Step 4

Exercise your abdominal muscles every day. Do one hundred crunches twice a day. Although, you cannot exclusively burn belly fat by doing abdominal exercises, you are able to build your abdominal muscles. This will not only improve your posture but it will also help give you better shape. Once you lose your belly fat your abdominal muscles will become more visible under the skin

Step 5

Evaluate your progress after two weeks by measuring your waist circumference and weight again. Write these down on day 14. Remember that muscle tissue weighs more than adipose tissue so increasing muscle mass might increase your weight even though you have decreased your fat storage. Measuring your waist circumference will give a better idea of your progress.

Tips and Warnings

Losing weight takes lots of motivation and patience. Do not get discouraged if you want to relax one day or eat more calories than your limit allows you to. Continue your routine the next day and do not give up. Eat lots of vegetables and lean white meat but do not cut off all your indulgences. Allow yourself one treat every day but keep it under 200 calories. Leave it until the evening as a reward. To convert your weight in pounds to kilograms divide your weight by 2.2. For example 110lbs./2.2 is 50 kg. To convert your height in inches to centimeters multiply your height by 2.54. For example 65 inches x 2.54 is 165 cm.
Before engaging into any type of fitness program, consult your physician. Do not try weight lifting moves you are not familiar with.