Having excess weight in the belly can be depressing as well as dangerous. This fat has a tendency to build up around the organs and increase the risk for such conditions as type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Being that you cannot spot reduce, the best way to reduce this midsection fat is by promoting weight loss throughout your entire body. This involves better eating choices and a regular dose of exercise.
Step 1
Cut calories to produce weight loss. As a general rule of thumb, cutting your daily intake by 500 to 1,000 calories will cause about 1 to 2 pounds of weight loss a week. Determine your starting intake by tracking your calories for five days, adding the numbers up and dividing by five.
Step 2
Eat healthily and more frequently. Base your diet around nutrient-dense foods like lean meats, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, beans and low-fat dairy products. Build small, balanced meals from these foods and eat them every 2 to 3 hours throughout the day. This will keep your appetite under control and give your metabolism a lift.
Step 3
Drink water throughout the day. Replace all the liquid-calorie beverages you currently consume with water. This will spare you calories and hydrate your body. Consume a glass of water right before each meal to further stave off your hunger.
Step 4
Move your body repetitively with cardiovascular exercise. Cardio is pivotal for belly fat loss. Choose a type that you enjoy like running, biking, swimming, elliptical training, stair climbing, rowing or kickboxing. Perform interval workouts to get the best fat-burning effect. Start with a light warm-up, then follow a 1-to-2 ratio of high to low intensity throughout the rest of your session. For example, run fast for 20 seconds, jog lightly for 40, and continue to alternate back and forth. Aim for 30 minutes of interval training, finish with a light cool-down and work out three days a week on nonconsecutive days.
Step 5
Increase your muscle mass with a stability ball. Adding muscle will contribute to a higher resting metabolic rate. Doing exercises on a stability ball will build your muscles and force you to contract your abs to remain stable -- this gives you an ab workout by default. Perform exercises that target all of your major muscle groups like push-ups, seated lateral raises, back extensions, lying triceps extensions, seated biceps curls and wall squats. Aim for 10 to 12 reps, do three or four sets and work out on three noncardio days a week. Take short rest breaks in between your sets to keep your heart rate elevated and to promote a higher caloric expenditure.
Step 6
Execute a series of ab-tightening exercises. Perform exercises from multiple angles and with multiple movement patterns to recruit as much muscle as possible. This will insure that you achieve full development. Do exercises like hanging leg raises, decline reverse crunches, side plank raises and tabletop crunches. Aim for 15 to 20 reps, do three or four sets and work your abs three or four days a week.
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