Buttons don't meet over the area the way they once did. You are having more trouble zipping your jeans and, even when they are fastened, you are not impressed with the view of them in your mirror. Even if you are only a little overweight, chances are your belly area is the source of your biggest complaint. You want to whittle your waist and flatten out your stomach so your clothing will fit better and you will be more self-assured and confident in your appearance. Luckily, you can reduce your stomach gut with specific exercise and nutrition strategies.
Step 1
Measure your stomach and write down the result in inches. Weigh yourself to determine how many pounds you want to lose. These measurements are helpful in monitoring your progress as you work to lose your gut.
Step 2
Reduce the amount of high fat and convenience foods you consume. This strategy is helpful in losing extra weight in a healthy way. Unfortunately, Military.com Fitness Center reminds dieters that you cannot target weight loss for a particular area of your body. You can, however, drop pounds overall, which will benefit the belly area. Consult with your physician before you begin a weight loss program.
Step 3
Perform aerobic exercises to help reduce the fat on your body. Aerobics work by increasing your heart rate and respiration, which requires the burning of calories. Some effective forms of aerobics are swimming, walking, running, dance and bicycling.
Step 4
Strengthen and tone your abdominal muscles with crunches and other exercises that isolate this area. Lie on your back on a mat with your knees bent and your feet resting on the mat. Lift your upper body off the mat. Focus on tightening your abs as you perform this type of crunch. Other activities to perform are bicycling with your legs and feet. Lie on your back while holding your knees and legs up. Shift your legs far to the right and then far to the left as your upper body remains still. Do this lower body work every other day to achieve quick results.
Step 5
Drink lots of water and add fiber to your diet to help reduce your gut. Water will help flush out foods that are bound with the fiber for easy and quick digestion. Your body's system works more efficiently when you drink at least 8 oz. of fluid eight times a day and eat 25 to 35 grams of fiber daily. According to Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, fiber makes you feel full faster so that you do not overeat. High fiber foods include fish, lean meat, eggs, berries and yogurt.
Tips and Warnings
- Practice holding your stomach in while you go about your daily life in order to tighten muscles in that area and reduce the protruding of your belly. Wear strategic clothing that masks a large tummy. For instance, choose dresses rather than separates, which tend to draw the eye toward the stomach area. Also, choose clothing that fits rather than being too tight. For example, if your jeans fit your hips but not your stomach, you are likely to have a "muffin top" spilling over.
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