Curves can give women a lift of confidence and an all-around good feeling. The problem is when you have excess belly fat to battle. Belly fat not only causes frustration, but also raises the risk for chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and breast cancer. Flattening your belly while simultaneously keeping your curves takes both mental and physical discipline. Your diet needs to be retooled, and you need to move your body more often.
Step 1
Reduce your daily caloric intake moderately to lose weight. A 250-calorie daily reduction, for example, is sufficient to promote weight loss, but not so drastic that it will sacrifice your curves. Determine your average starting intake by tracking your calories for five days, adding the totals together and dividing by five.
Step 2
Base your diet on healthy foods and fit in snacks between your meals. Eat fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, legumes and whole grains, which are all packed with nutrients. Consuming healthful snacks between your meals will keep your appetite under control and metabolism lifted. Low-fat cottage cheese with fresh pineapple chunks is a healthy snack option.
Step 3
Watch your intake of liquid calories. Milk shakes, fruit punch, dessert coffees, sweetened tea and soda all contain a lot of calories. Forgo these beverages in favor of water to spare yourself empty calories. Not only does water contain no calories, but it also hydrates the body.
Step 4
Perform sprint training to reduce fat in your midsection. Sprinting burns calories efficiently and boosts metabolism. Additionally, it causes you to forcefully contract your abs and work the muscles in your body with maximal emphasis. Start with a light five-minute jog to warm up, then run as fast as you can for 15 seconds. Rest for 30 seconds. Repeat these intervals for 20 minutes. Finish with a light five-minute cooldown jog and work out on three nonconsecutive days a week.
Step 5
Execute a weight-training workout targeted at the muscles that make up your curves. These include the chest, shoulders, butt and hips. Perform exercises such as bench presses, shoulder presses, squats and lunges. Aim for 10 to 12 reps, do four or five sets and work out three days a week on noncardio days. Make sure to use the heaviest weights you can handle to maximize your muscle gains.
Step 6
Exercise your abdomen to tone and tighten your muscles. Target the entire abdominal area with exercises such as reverse decline crunches, Russian twists, abdominal pull-ins and tabletop crunches. Aim for 15 to 20 reps, do three or four sets and work your abs three or four days a week.
Step 7
Use proper form with your exercises for the best results. Move through a full range of motion, never rely on momentum and always keep your body in good alignment. For bench presses, lie face-up on a flat bench and hold dumbbells an inch apart above your chest with your arms fully extended. Turn your palms so they face your knees and lower the weights to your sides by bending your elbows. Stop when you feel a good stretch in your chest, push the weights back up and repeat.
Tips and Warnings
- You can also add moderate-intensity cardio to your workout regimen to lose belly fat and keep your curves. Walk, jog or bike several days a week to reap cardiovascular benefits.
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