How to Get Rid of Fat on the Upper Tummy

No matter how many crunches or sit-ups you do, you won't get rid of upper tummy fat unless you eat right and exercise regularly. Getting rid of stomach fat will reduce your risk of stroke, diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.

Instructions

• 1

  Watch what you eat and how much you eat. Activate your metabolism by eating a small meal every three hours. Avoid refined sugar and processed and fried foods. Eat lean protein such as fish and turkey, slow digesting carbohydrates including whole wheat pasta and brown rice and unsaturated fats such as raw nuts and avocados.

• 2

  Drink at least eight glasses of water and three to five cups of green tea per day. Water promotes digestive health, flushes your system and transport nutrients to body parts. Green tea speeds up your metabolism and helps you burn up to 70 extra calories per day, according to Colon Health.

• 3

  Start a cardiovascular exercise routine to increase your metabolism and reduce fat from the body -- including the stomach. Increase your heart rate by running, biking, walking, working out on an elliptical machine or on the stair-climber. Exercise three days a week for up to 45 minutes per day. How many calories you burn will depend on your body weight and the intensity of your training. A woman who weighs 130 lbs., for example, can run 45 minutes and burn from 374 calories at moderate intensity to 772 calories at high intensity.

• 4

  Add weightlifting to your exercise regimen to tone and tighten muscles and to accelerate your metabolism even when you are resting. Target all body parts and divide them over three days of the week. Allow one day of rest in between workouts so the muscles can recharge.

• 5

  Do stomach exercises that target the upper abdominals such as crunches and sit-ups. These stomach exercises don't burn fat, but will help sculpt the muscles so that once the tummy fat has reduced, your stomach will appear tight and toned.

• 6

  Get sufficient sleep at night because that's when your body restores and replenishes itself so that you have energy for your next workout. According to the "Redbook" magazine website, lack of sleep will result in your body's inability to successfully function, including insufficient calorie burn.

• 7

  Avoid letting stress get to you. Cortisol is released when your stress levels increase. This stress hormone is associated to fat around the waist. Stay calm by breathing deeply and practicing meditation.