How to Lose 11 Lb. of Belly Fat

Belly fat can be reduced as part of a healthy, calorie-controlled diet and exercise program. While exercises specifically geared toward the abdominal area do not typically cut belly fat, it is one of the first types of fat to disappear when you undertake a combination of strength training and high-intensity cardiovascular workouts. Since excess belly fat has been linked to heart disease, metabolic syndrome and diabetes, it is important to maintain a svelte waistline -- less than 35 inches for women and less than 40 inches for men.

Instructions

• 1

  Eat a calorie-controlled diet. By limiting your daily caloric intake to between 1,050 and 1,200 calories, you can lose 1 to 2 lb. of fat a week. There is also some evidence that eating a diet of 1,600 calories a day that includes monounsaturated, rather than saturated or polyunsaturated, fats may help to reduce belly fat. Since the abdomen is one of the first areas to be affected by fat loss, it should be possible to lose 11 lb. of belly fat within 11 weeks or less.

• 2

  Include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, dairy, legumes, lean proteins like chicken and fish, eggs and nuts in your diet. Reduce your intake of sugar, sodium and starchy foods. A reduction of sodium and starch can jump-start the weight loss process by decreasing fluid retention.

• 3

  Exercise for an hour a day, combining strength training -- weight-bearing exercises -- with high-intensity cardiovascular workouts like interval training and aerobics, or moderate-intensity workouts like brisk walking. While exercises that target the abdomen, such as crunches and ab machines, can build abdominal muscles, they cannot eliminate belly fat. Therefore, you should concentrate on overall body exercise that causes you to break and maintain a sweat over a 60-minute period.

• 4

  Replace refined grains, like white bread, with whole grains, which have been shown to increase fat loss, raise fiber levels, and reduce inflammation associated with heart disease. Whole grains include brown and wild rice, bulgur, whole-grain corn, whole oats, whole rye, whole wheat, whole-grain barley, buckwheat, triticale, millet, quinoa, sorghum and popcorn. Beware of products that contain "grain" in the title or description, but do not list one of these items at the top of the ingredients label. Products like "seven-grain" and "whole wheat" bread are most likely not made from whole grains.

• 5

  Indulge in moderate amounts of nuts, olives and avocados. These foods are rich in monounsaturated fats, which have been shown, in some instances, to promote fat loss and combat heart disease. When cooking, use monounsaturated oils like olive or canola, rather than butter or vegetable oil. Make sure to moderate your consumption of these foods, however. Nuts and avocados are particularly high in fat, and can easily be overindulged.