How Do I Lose Tummy Fat?

Tummy fat is a common target area for weight loss for both men and women. People do hundreds of crunches and countless other abdominal muscle exercises to achieve six-pack abs. But what people don't realize is that everyone has a layer of fat in the abs region. It takes a combination of diet, exercise and abdominal exercise to burn that excess tummy fat to show off the abs. Tummy weight loss is no different than body weight loss, i.e. you can't target simply your stomach.

Step 1

Follow a regular exercise plan. In order to burn enough calories for weight loss, you should commit to cardio training and strength training three to five days a week for at least 30 minutes. Engage in activities like jogging, swimming, biking and weight training. Exercises like these not only burn calories, but they work your core, which will help trim down belly fat.

Step 2

Do ab exercises. While abdominal exercises won't burn the fat off of your tummy, they will strengthen and tone your muscles.

Step 3

Follow a healthy, balanced diet. In addition to regular exercise, the only way to burn off tummy fat is to eat healthily. This means avoiding fried foods, saturated fat and simple carbohydrates like white pasta and sugar. Consume whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean protein, unsaturated fats found in olive oil and avocados and low- or fat-free dairy.

Step 4

Calm your mind and body. Cortisol is a hormone that is released during stress and stores fat in the abdominal area. In order to lose tummy fat, it's important to reduce stress. Popular stress-reducing activities include reading, walking, meditation, yoga and aromatherapy.