To reduce belly fat, the American Academy of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends doing cardiovascular exercise for 30 minutes daily. From a dietary standpoint, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends getting no more than 10 percent of your total daily calories from saturated fat.
By keeping saturated fat consumption low, you reduce risk for heart disease, obesity--and adding to your belly fat. Additionally, getting a daily cardiovascular workout and eating several small meals throughout the day will increase your metabolism.
Step 1
Evaluate your diet honestly. Ditch any foods that fall into the category of empty calories: donuts, French fries, sugary sodas, candy, or highly salty, fatty foods.
Swap them out for healthy versions. Bake banana bread or muffins instead of reaching for donuts. Cut and bake whole potatoes with the skins on for more fiber, and drizzle them with heart-healthy oil olive. Do the same with sweet potatoes for a betacarotene-rich snack.
Step 2
Drink herbal teas, diluted real juices and nibble on roasted or raw nuts instead of candy. Drink plenty of water between meals.
Step 3
Follow the dietary guidelines set out in My Food Pyramid designed by the U.S. Dept of Agriculture (USDA), which recommends eating a varied diet of whole vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, legumes, low- or non-fat dairy foods, non-saturated fats and supplementing with vitamins as needed.
The idea is to eat as much fresh produce, whole grains and lean proteins and heart-healthy oils as possible, while avoiding processed foods.
Step 4
Consume no more than 30 percent of total daily calories from fat. Of that amount, get no more than 10 percent from saturated fat. Saturated fats are fats that are solid at room temperature. Pork, poultry, beef and coconut fat are examples. Eating saturated fat increases your risk for developing high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.
Step 5
Replace saturated fats with non-saturated fats: olive, canola, flax seed, hemp seed and fish oils. For example, instead of butter, use olive oil on toast, pasta and pizza, and in cake and cookie recipes. Eat low- or non-fat dairy to spare yourself the saturated fat that essentially stops the heart muscle if eaten in excess.
Step 6
Eat four or five smaller meals to keep you blood sugar level and stoke your metabolism. Smaller, more frequent meals make it easier for your body to digest and prevents bingeing. For example, a smaller meal might be half a tunafish sandwich, a cup of vegetable soup and two ounces of unsalted almonds.
By eating in this way, you will lose weight and belly fat. It is easier for your body to digest 1600 to 2000 calories divided into four or five smaller meals than digesting two very large meals.
Step 7
Get at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise five times a week, as recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Or, do at least 20 minutes of cardio three times a week and add two sessions of resistance training. Cardio will keep your heart and lungs active and efficient, helping you burn calories. Lifting weights will give you the lean muscle tissue that has larger caloric needs, translating into more calories burned.
Things You'll Need
- Whole vegetables, fruits, whole grains
- Lean protein
- Legumes
- Low-fat or non-fat dairy foods
- Non-saturated fats: olive, canola, flax seed, hemp seed and fish oils
- Water
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