Belly fat is often the result of inactivity or eating a diet high in calories. When your body isn't able to use the calories you consume, the excess is stored as fat. It's possible to lose unwanted belly fat. However, you need to combine aerobic activity, strength training and healthy eating to accomplish your goals.
Strengthening Abdominals
Include at least two to three abdominal strengthening sessions weekly for belly fat loss. If you struggle with fat on the side of your abdominals, try the side crunch. Start out in a kneeling position and extend your left leg out to hip height. Put your right hand on the floor for balance. Place your other hand behind the head and crunch towards your extended leg. Complete six to eight repetitions on each side of the body.
Abdominal hollowing is another tummy toning movement. This exercise targets deep abdominal muscles. Get down on your exercise mat on all fours. Take a couple deep breathes and draw the abdominal muscles toward your belly button. Hold the contraction for about 10 counts and release. Repeat the movement up to 10 times during your workout session.
Aerobic Activity
If you want to lose belly fat, don't skip aerobic activity. You need 30 minutes of this type of activity, most days of the week. Aerobic activity allows your body to burn calories quicker, which causes stomach fat loss. If you haven't worked out recently, start out slow, with activities such as walking or low impact water aerobics. As you get stronger, select higher calorie burning activities, such as jogging or swimming laps.
Special Foods
Eat a low-calorie diet to promote belly fat loss, including whole grain carbohydrates, lean sources of protein, fruits and vegetables. Other foods that promote midsection weight loss are monounsaturated fats. This type of fat increases your basal metabolic rate, which promotes abdominal fat loss. Monounsaturated fat is found in most vegetable oils, avocados and nuts. Another food to eat is omega-3 fatty acids. This food also boosts your metabolism, according to "Fitness" magazine. Salmon and flaxseed are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
Portion Control
If you're struggling with losing belly fat, examine your portion control. Learning proper portion sizes will help you eat fewer calories and lose midsection weight. Reading labels and pre-measuring foods is a good start. Learning visual cues to estimate portion sizes is another helpful tool. For example, when eating a pasta dish, think about eating the size of a hockey puck. If you're eating a serving of fish, aim to consume the size of a deck of cards. A serving of fat is about the size of one die, according to MayoClinic.com.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Portion Control -- Downsize Portions for Better Weight Control; Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. et al.
- Weight-control Information Network: Statistics Related to Overweight and Obesity
- Fitness; Top 10 Abs Exercises; Lexi Walters
- CBS News; How To Buckle Down on Belly Fat; Matt Bean; May 2009
- MayoClinic.com: Belly Fat in Women
- Fitness: The 10 Best Foods for Flat Abs
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