Fat in the midsection is called visceral fat, and it has a tendency to pack around the organs. When men accumulate this fat, they are prone to such complications as high triglycerides, sleep apnea, Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. If you fall into this category, ignore the hype that states you can lose belly fat by doing dozens of crunches a day. Ab exercises are part of the game plan, but you must focus most of your attention on weight loss as a whole.
Step 1
Reduce your calories to make your body burn stored fat for energy. Cut back by 500 to 1,000 calories and you will lose about 1 to 2 pounds a week. Find your starting intake by monitoring your calories for one full day, then make your reduction.
Step 2
Increase your meal frequency. This will keep your appetite satisfied and energy levels high. Construct your meals out of nutrient-packed foods and eat every two to three hours. The key is to eat just enough food to satisfy your hunger. A bowl of fruit salad with low-fat cottage cheese on top is a meal, for example. Eat your first meal as soon as you wake up to "break your nighttime fast."
Step 3
Choose water as your main beverage. Give up the slushies, soda pop, dessert coffees, beer and mixed drinks to spare yourself empty calories. Drink water through the course of the day and have it with your meals to fill up your stomach. Add cucumber or lemon slices to spice up the flavor.
Step 4
Move your legs repetitively to lose weight in your midsection. Cardiovascular exercise burns fat in your midsection and throughout the rest of your body. Choose a type of exercise that you like, such as running, biking, elliptical training, stair climbing, jumping rope or swimming.
Perform interval workouts to boost your fat burning. Start with a light warm-up for five minutes, then alternate back and forth from high intensity to low intensity. Make your low-intensity bouts twice as long as your high-intensity bouts. Aim for 30 minutes of training, and work out three days a week on alternating days.
Step 5
Spend time doing weight training to build muscle. Muscle is metabolically active tissue that will cause you to burn more calories around the clock and lose your midsection girth quicker. Fit exercises into your program that work more than one muscle at a time to gain the most muscle mass. Bench presses, shoulder presses, back rows, pullups, deadlifts and squats are examples. As an added benefit, these exercises cause you to forcefully contract your abs to produce force. Aim for 10 to 12 reps, do four or five sets, and work out three days a week on noncardio days.
Step 6
Perform a series of ab exercises to tighten your midsection while you lose weight. Target your entire midsection with exercises like hanging leg raises, reverse decline crunches, Russian twists, side bends and stability ball situps. Aim for 15 to 20 reps, do three or four sets, and work out three days a week after your cardio sessions.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Belly Fat in Men: Why Weight Loss Matters; Michael Jensen, M.D.; February 2011
- Weight-Control Information Network: Weight Loss and Nutrition Myths
- "The New York Times"; A Healthy Mix of Rest and Motion; Peter Jaret; May 2007
- University of Michigan Health System: Beginning Strength Training
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