A few short weeks does not afford significant time to flatten your belly. However, during this time you can establish healthy habits that promote weight loss and improved abdominal tone. According to MayoClinic.com, a healthy rate of weight loss is 2 pounds per week, so you could lose 16 pounds and change your body's ratio of fat to lean tissue in as little as two months. If you need to lose belly fat for medical reasons or to prepare for surgery, consult your doctor about a safe but more rapid diet and fitness plan to jump-start weight loss.
Step 1
Drink a small glass of unsweetened grapefruit juice for breakfast. Nutrition expert Dr. Mehmet Oz identifies grapefruit as a fat-burning food. The combination of fiber, high-water content and vitamin C fills you up and activates amino acids that accelerate digestion and flush fat from your system.
Step 2
Consume foods high in dietary fiber and vitamins, but low in calories, trans fat, saturated fat and sugar. Skip junk food, processed food, fried foods and snack food and center your meals on fresh produce, legumes and whole grains. You will feel full on less food, experience increased energy and improve digestion so you have less stomach bloating.
Step 3
Limit your portion sizes. Eating single servings of fresh foods can reduce 500 calories from your daily intake, resulting in your losing 1 pound of body fat per week.
Step 4
Exercise vigorously for an hour daily. Burn another pound of body fat per week — in addition to what you're losing through calorie restriction — by doing intense aerobic workouts such as jogging, high-impact dance, climbing a stair treadmill, swimming laps, skipping rope, climbing hills or playing competitive sports. You do not target only belly fat with exercise, but you can reduce your overall body fat.
Step 5
Lift weights, do power yoga, use resistance bands or do full-body calisthenics such as pushups, squat jumps and jumping jacks. Adding muscle density accelerates your basal metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories even when you're not working out.
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