What Can I Do To Lose Abdominal Weight?

Few people are fond of their love handles. Unfortunately, there's no way to get rid of them, or fat deposits in any other part of your body, except for engaging in a general weight-loss campaign. Crunches, sit-ups and other exercises that target the abdominal region will not necessarily burn the fat there. The good news is that when you engage in healthy eating and exercise habits, you are almost certain to reduce the amount fat in your body, including abdominal fat, fairly quickly.

Exercise Regularly

Weight loss occurs when you burn more calories than you consume. A regular exercise program helps ensure that your body is burning calories steadily and efficiently. Engaging in 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise several times per week can help burn belly fat. Good fat-burning aerobic exercises include walking, swimming, biking, hiking, jogging and running. If you enjoy sports, try joining or forming a local basketball, football or soccer team to shed pounds. Dance lovers should look for a community dance program. From ballet to hip-hop, dancing is well-known to be a good fat-burner.

Perform Strength Training

Strength or weight training is an important component of any weight-loss program. This form of exercise helps burn fat indirectly by increasing your resting metabolism. In other words, when you engage in strength training, your body continues to burn calories well after you've finished your workout. Do strength-training exercises such as lifting weights, pushups, pull-ups and leg squats. You can also use resistance tubing and gym weight machines to good effect.

Eat Healthy Foods

Liz Vaccariello and Cynthia Sass, authors of the book "The Flat Belly Diet," maintain that eating small portions of monounsaturated fat with every meal can help reduce abdominal fat. This fat is found in olive oil, olives, dark chocolate, nuts and seeds.

As reported in the November 2010 issue of "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," persons who eat three servings of whole grains daily and who refrain from eating refined grains are also less likely to have less belly fat than those who include refined grains in their diet. Whole-grains include brown rice, quinoa, whole-grain bread, barley and pasta.

Eat More Often

It may seem counterintuitive, but eating more frequently can help you to lose weight. Instead of eating three large meals a day, try eating five or six small meals. Eating more often can increase your metabolism and lessen hunger pains that may drive you to snack on unhealthy foods. Just make sure you're eating nutritious foods, including plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.