Losing belly fat and getting sexy six-pack abs isn't as easy as doing 100 crunches a day. You can do hundreds of crunches and abdominal exercises, but if you have a stubborn layer of fat overtop of your muscles, you'll never see the results of your hard work. To get sexy six-pack abs, you have to be willing to change your lifestyle to incorporate healthy eating and regular exercise. It's important to get rid of belly fat, because it's worse for your health than fat in other places such as your hips, and it increases risk for heart disease and diabetes.
Step 1
Cut 100 calories from your daily diet. According to "Fitness" magazine, you can lose your belly fat and 12 lb. a year by reducing your daily caloric intake by 100 calories. Trade your morning latte with half and half for a latte with skim milk, pass up your usual handful of candy in the afternoon or use vinaigrette dressing instead of ranch on your salad. You can definitely find 100 calories to cut from your diet and stick with it.
Step 2
Add foods that help reduce belly fat and overall fat to your diet. Have grapefruit along with your cereal for breakfast, add walnuts to your oatmeal or yogurt, trade the white bread on your sandwich for whole-wheat. According to "Shape" magazine, you should stop eating foods that tend to increase belly size, such as canned soups that are high in sodium, which can cause water retention, and sugar substitutes that can cause your stomach to swell.
Step 3
Get a handle on your stress level. Many people don't realize how much stress can play a role in how much they weigh and how much belly fat they have. According to "Shape," stress causes an increase in hormones that cause fat to be deposited in your stomach area when you eat.
Step 4
Write down 10 ways that you can combat stress such as reading a book, taking a 5-minute power walk or calling a friend. Make a copy of that list and place one at home and one at work. When you're starting to feel stressed, choose something from your list and implement it.
Step 5
Go to bed earlier. You need to get at least 8 hours of sleep each night. When you are tired, your body produces hormones that make you feel hungry and stops producing hormones that signal to your body that you're full after you eat. This leads you to eat more.
Step 6
Get your heart pumping with cardio exercise at least four times a week for 30 to 60 minutes. Find activities that you enjoy that elevate your heart rate such as running, swimming or taking an aerobics class.
Step 7
Add weightlifting to your workout routine two to three times a week for at least 30 minutes. You'll create lean muscle mass and continue to burn fat for hours after you lift weights. This will also help you get those six-pack abs.
Step 8
Do crunches and ab exercises that work your upper abs, lower abs and sides of your abs while you are losing that belly fat. For a great workout video that does just this, check out "Jillian Michaels: No More Trouble Zones."
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