The only way to trim your waist is to reduce your body fat percentage. Exercises that target the midsection --- or any other area of the body, for that matter --- can't burn away those inches alone. Your body loses weight where it wants to, regardless of exercise and diet. Your best bet is to abide by standard weight-loss techniques.
Step 1
Reduce the size of your portions. Eating less at every meal helps to cut calories from your diet, yet still allows you to eat the foods you enjoy. To lose a pound of fat, you must generate a deficit of 3,500 calories. Smaller portion can help you reach this number and thereby trim your waistline.
Step 2
Add healthier foods into your diet, suggests Michael Jensen, an endocrinology specialist writing for MayoClinic.com. Instead of focusing so much on what you can't eat, add more fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and even lean meats to your diet. These foods tend to be low in calories, especially in comparison to how much of them you can eat. Like cutting portions, this can help you reach a deficit in calories and reduce belly fat.
Step 3
Watch your fluid intake. While it's important to remain hydrated, be cognizant of the calories in some of the more popular beverages, such as soda, juice, energy drinks, sports drinks, specialty coffees and beer. These options can increase your caloric intake by at least 100 calories a container.
Step 4
Look for ways to increase your level of physical activity. Regular physical activity increases the number of calories you're burning at that time, which can help you reach the caloric deficit needed to lose weight and trim your waistline.
Step 5
Get some strength training into your workout routine. Lifting weights not only improves your strength and endurance, but it also can boost your metabolism by adding lean muscle to your body frame. Muscle burns far more calories than fat, so you can expect to increase the rate of calories burned as you build more and more muscle, helping to trim your midsection.
Step 6
Work your core at each workout. Although you can't target that fat around your midsection, you can strengthen and tone your abdominals and obliques. As you reduce your body fat percentage, crunches, torso twists and pelvic tilts can all help give you a flatter tummy.
Tips and Warnings
- While you work your abs and obliques, don't forget about your lower back. Strength training is all about balance. You want a strong lumbar region to complement the strength you're creating in your stomach area.
References
- MedlinePlus: Tips for Losing Weight
- MayoClinic.com; Weight Loss: Better to Cut Calories or Exercise More?; Donald Hensrud; June 2009
- MayoClinic.com; Belly Fat in Men: Why Weight Loss Matters; Michael Jensen; February 2011
- MayoClinic.com; Belly Fat in Women: Taking --- And Keeping --- It Off; April 2011
- American Council on Exercise; Why Is the Concept of Spot Reduction Considered a Myth?; Cedric Bryant; January-February 2004
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