Genetics are largely responsible for the areas of the body in which fat is likely to accumulate, but you do have control over diet and exercise. Weight gain around the middle is common as people age. Many diets claim you can lose belly fat quickly by eating certain foods, but in fact, the truth is that weight loss is the direct result of eating less calories than you burn.
Step 1
Exercise for at least 30 minutes, five days a week. Aerobic exercise such as jogging, walking, or biking helps you lose fat all over your body, which is the only way to lose belly fat. You don't have to do strenuous classes at the gym or become a runner to reap the benefits of aerobic exercise -- walking around the neighborhood counts as cardio too.
Step 2
Drink plenty of water. In a 2008 study conducted by the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise at Virginia Tech, the research concluded that middle-aged adults who drank approximately 17 oz. of water before every meal on a reduced-calorie diet lost more weight over a 12-week period than those who followed the same diet without the water.
Step 3
Add weight training to your exercise routine. Muscle burns more calories than fat, even at rest. Building abdominal muscles helps the belly look toned after losing the fat that covered it. You don't have to lift weights to strength train. Exercises that utilize body resistance, such as crunches and push-ups, also work.
Step 4
Eat five to six mini meals a day, combining complex carbohydrates and protein at every meal. Eating throughout the day helps fill you up and stokes metabolism. Examples of healthy mini meals include a slice of whole wheat bread with unsweetened nut butter, cottage cheese with fruit or a bowl of oatmeal with a scoop of protein powder.
Step 5
Cut sugar out of your diet. According to The American Council on Exercise Fitness, refined carbohydrates are absorbed rapidly and cause the pancreas to produce a large surge of insulin. Plus, sugar contains many empty calories. Look out for high fructose corn syrup on food labels, as it too is a high calorie, refined sugar.
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