Whether you call it a spare tire, love handles or just an old-fashioned pot belly, belly fat is unattractive and dangerous to your health. People who are shaped like apples carry their weight in their midsections and have a greater risk of heart disease, diabetes, some cancers and dementia. Pear-shaped people who carry their weight in their hips, buttocks and thighs are not as much at risk. Although there are exercises to target belly fat, they basically just strengthen and tone stomach muscles without burning away any fat. Diet, paired with exercise, affects belly fat the most.
Diet
Step 1
Eat plenty of protein. According to Leslie Bonci, a dietitian and director of Sports Medicine Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, you should eat 60 to 70 grams of protein a day for healthy muscles and bones. Eggs, skinless poultry, lean meat and fish are good sources, but avoid fatty luncheon meats and high-fat cheeses.
Step 2
Avoid stress as much as possible. Chronic stress increases your body's secretion of the hormone cortisol, which can in turn cause you to crave high-sugar, high-fat foods. Stress can cause weight gain, which is bad enough, but cortisol stimulates fat production deep in the abdomen, which increases your belly size.
Step 3
Get adequate fiber, in the form of whole grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes. Fiber helps your gut stay healthy and fills you up so you are less hungry.
Step 4
Add healthy monounsaturated and omega-3 fatty acids to your diet, while cutting down on saturated and trans fats. Healthy fats are important for heart and bone health and contain antioxidants important for cancer prevention. Good sources of healthy fats include olive oil, nut butters, tuna, salmon, avocados and peanuts.
Exercise
Step 1
Combine weight training and aerobic exercise to burn more belly fat. Research published in the "International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism" followed two exercise and diet programs. One group followed a traditional food pyramid and called for cardiovascular exercise four to six days per week for 30 to 60 minutes. The second group ate more protein and fewer carbohydrates and fats. They alternated resistance and cardiovascular interval training six days per week. The second group lost more fat and gained more muscle than the first, shedding 26 percent of their abdominal fat, as opposed to 13.5 percent in the first group.
Step 2
Tone your abdominal muscles with the following "bicycle crunch" exercise. Lying flat on the floor, press your lower back all the way down, hands behind your head. Let your thighs rest at a 45-degree angle to your pelvis. Move your legs as if you are pedaling a bicycle. Touch your right elbow to your left knee, then left elbow to right knee as you simulate "pedaling". Do for a few minutes while breathing evenly.
Step 3
Continue toning stomach muscles with the "vertical crunch" exercise. Lie on your back and stretch your legs upward. Bend your knees slightly. While contracting your abdominal muscles, raise your shoulder blades off the floor. Keep your chin pointed upward and don't pull on your neck. Keep your legs stationary while raising your upper body in the direction of your knees. Lower your upper body back to the floor and at starting position. Do between 12 and 16 times.
Step 4
Take up a stress-reduction exercise such as yoga, or learn how to meditate. The more you counter the stress response, the more relaxed you will be and the less cortisol you will produce. Less cortisol will cause fewer fat and sugar cravings and less fat to be stored in the abdominal area.
Tips and Warnings
- Measure your waist near your belly button before embarking on a belly-reduction program. Keep track by measuring periodically to chart your progress.
- Guard against becoming discouraged. It takes time and effort to lose belly fat.
Things You'll Need
- Exercise equipment
- Exercise shoes and clothing
- Healthy food
- Tape measure
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