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How to Lose Midsection Weight

May 27, 2011 | By Diane Lynn
How to Lose Midsection Weight
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Carrying weight around your midsection can be an indicator of your relative risk of "all-cause mortality" as evidenced by a 2009 review study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition by Jaap C. Seidell. He found agreement among several studies which indicated that women with a waist larger than 35 in. and men with a waist larger than 40 in. were more likely to be affected from all-cause mortality, or death. While its true that you cannot reduce the size of your stomach in isolation from the rest of your body, losing extra body weight and performing abdominal exercises can help.

Diet

Step 1

Monitor the number of calories you eat in order to lose extra body weight. If you are not being medically supervised, eat at least 1,600 calories a day if you are a man, and 1,200 if female, according to California State University. As you eat less calories than your body needs, you will lose weight and inches from your entire body, including your abdomen.

Step 2

Consume adequate amounts of calcium from dairy products to help control the size of your midsection, as evidenced by a 2006 study led by Brandi M. Brooks and published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. Brooks and colleagues found that the male participants with the highest dietary intake of calcium had the lowest amount of abdominal fat. Keep calorie count low by choosing fat-free yogurts, skim milk, fat-free or light sour cream and reduced fat hard cheeses.

Step 3

Take fish oil supplements and eat heart-healthy fish such as salmon or herring. Participants in a 2007 study led by Alison M. Hill and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition saw a decrease in overall body fat when they took a fish oil supplement and exercised aerobically. Check with your doctor for proper dosage.

Exercise

Step 1

Commit 30 minutes of time, three to five days a week, to performing aerobic exercise. Put on a well-fitting pair of exercise shoes and take a brisk walk if you are just beginning an aerobic exercise program. Swim laps for a total body workout, or take a high-intensity aerobic dance class. Burning calories through exercise will help you burn fat.

Step 2

Perform core and isometric exercises that tone and strengthen the internal muscles that support your midsection, back and neck. Sit in a chair to do the isometric sit-to-stand exercise. Stand up slowly, keeping your feet flat on the floor. Keep your abdominal muscles tight, and your neck and spine aligned. Quickly sit back down and immediately stand up slowly. Use a stability ball to do front and side planks.

Step 3

Target your oblique, transverse and rectus abdominal muscles by alternating the abdominal exercises recommended by the American Council on Exercise. Use a bench to perform an exercise similar to the "captain's chair" exercise by sitting on the edge of the bench. Place your hands on either side of your thighs and lift your seated body off the bench several inches. Hold, release and repeat 10 times. Do long arm crunches, traditional crunches and the ACE's top choice for the rectus muscles -- the bicycle maneuver. Lay on the floor facing the ceiling. Lift your upper body, legs and hips off the floor. Move your legs as though riding a bike while touching one knee to the opposite elbow.

Tips and Warnings

  • Meet with a personal trainer to learn proper form and technique for abdominal exercises. Do abdominal exercises most days of the week. Add free weight exercises to your regimen.
  • Consult your doctor before beginning an exercise program. Stop exercising if you experience pain, dizziness or shortness of breath.

Things You'll Need

  • Stability ball

References

Article reviewed by SarahP Last updated on: May 27, 2011

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