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The Fastest Ways to Lose Ab Fat

Reducing the fat in your belly provides numerous health benefits. The amount of fat you have around your abdomen can influence the levels of several key hormones, which can have a negative affect on your eating cycle, your insulin levels and your energy levels. Excess abdominal fat can also cause chronic, low-grade inflammation, which has been linked to heart disease. It puts you at risk for diabetes and some cancers, too.

  1. Better Sleep

    • One of the first steps to speed up the fat loss around your tummy is to make sure you're getting enough sleep. In a study that appeared in the March 2010 issue of "Sleep," researchers found that among African Americans and Hispanic Americans, there's a correlation between sleep duration and the accumulation of abdominal fat. People who sleep less than five hours a night or more than eight hours a night tended to gain weight, particularly around the belly. Something as simple as changing your sleep schedule so that you get six to seven hours a night can help speed weight loss, including abdominal fat loss.

    Fewer Calories

    • Overall weight loss is key to losing abdominal fat. One way to speed weight loss, including belly fat loss, is to cut down on how much you eat and to build your meals and snacks around lean proteins and high-fiber carbohydrates --- especially whole grains. A study published in the January 2008 issue of "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found that switching to whole grains and reducing your daily caloric intake by 500 calories will help speed abdominal fat loss.

    More Activity

    • Getting more active can also help trim fat around your waistline. Crunches will get your abdominal muscles into shape, but if there's a layer of fat over them, no one will ever see. Instead of making abdominal strengthening exercises your sole focus, work on being more active overall. Sixty to 90 minutes of activity a day is ideal for someone trying to lose weight and ab fat.

    More Water

    • Staying hydrated can also help you speed fat loss and lead to a slimmer waistline in less time. According to certified nutritionist Chris York, there are several weight-loss benefits to drinking water. First, people who drink more water --- especially those who sip water at meals --- tend to eat significantly less. Second, good hydration speeds up your metabolism, which means your body burns more calories even when you're just sitting around. Third, drinking a cold glass of water often satisfies snack cravings, which can save you from falling prey to high-calorie junk food.

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