How to Trim Flab and Lose Belly Fat

If you want to get rid of excess body fat, including belly fat, you will have to take on a whole-body approach where you reduce fat from all parts of your body. Reducing fat from just one problem area is not possible, unless you are willing to have liposuction. Instead of starving yourself to lose weight, you should eat healthy foods that will provide your body with the nutrients it needs to function at its best. Additionally, you should start an exercise regimen to speed up your weight loss.

Instructions

• 1

  Focus on what you eat. Avoid deprivation by replacing unhealthy, fattening foods with healthier alternatives. Eat whole, unprocessed carbohydrates such as whole wheat bread, vegetables, fruit and brown rice. Avoid simple carbs that hike up your blood sugars. Eat egg whites, tuna, turkey and legumes for protein and consume healthy fats such as olive oil and canola oil.

• 2

  Eat often, but make sure your portions are small. Consume half of your breakfast in the morning and consume the other half two to three hours later. Split up your lunch and dinner the same way so you end up eating six smaller meals over the day, which keeps your metabolism running and burning fat.

• 3

  Keep your resting metabolic rate from going down by lifting weights three days a week. Tone all body parts and maintain muscle tissue because muscle stimulates the conversion of food into energy even when you are at rest. Work out on non-consecutive days to allow your body time to recover and get stronger.

• 4

  Build up your cardiovascular exercise to 45 minutes per day, three days per week. Work out at a comfortable pace that raises your heart rate but doesn't leave you gasping for air. According to the Stronglifts website, you should work out at 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate so you burn fat, not muscle tissue.

• 5

  Work your abdominal muscles so that once the fat layer is gone from your belly, toned stomach muscles will show. Do exercises such as crunches, reverse crunches and side bends. Perform abdominal exercises on a stability ball for an added challenge. Work your abdominal muscles three days per week on non-consecutive days.

• 6

  Sip water all day long because it keeps you hydrated, removes toxins and helps the body metabolize fat.

• 7

  Learn how to manage stress. Take yoga classes or practice meditating to relax. The University of New Mexico website states that high stress levels stimulate cortisol production in the body. Cortisol is a stress hormone that is associated with gaining fat, especially around the waist.