How do I Get a Slimmer Lower Stomach?

Developing a lean, flat stomach takes time and patience. The lower abs especially can be one of the most stubborn and exercise-resistant areas to slim down. In fact, this has proven to be one of the areas that most people become frustrated with and resort to liposuction. Rather than going to drastic measures like surgery to remedy the problem, all you need to do is make a lifestyle change. A commitment to proper dieting, aerobic exercise and weight training is all it takes to tame a flabby midsection.

Instructions

• 1

  Change your diet. Nutrition plays a key role in how you lose stomach fat. For best results, a lower calorie intake than normal is required. Start incorporating proteins and healthy fats into your diet. An abundant supply of protein will assist the body with repairing damage to muscle and maintaining lean mass. Certified fitness trainer Jeremy Likness encourages eliminating processed foods from your diet. Reactions to certain chemicals and preservatives in these foods can create bloating and deny the body healthy nutrients. He suggests focusing on whole, natural foods such as vegetables, proteins and fruits that are high in fiber. "This will automatically shift calories down because whole foods are nutrient dense...containing a high supply of nutrients with a lower amount of calories than processed foods."

• 2

  Exercise regularly. Focus on cardiovascular exercises such as running, biking or swimming to help you lose body fat. Simultaneously you can do resistance training to help build muscles that will help burn excess calories and boost your metabolism. A common misconception about weight training is that it's not as effective as cardiovascular exercise when it comes to shedding pounds. However, working out with weights will increase your lean body mass, which raises your metabolic rate. The higher your metabolism, the more fat you will burn.

• 3

  Don't let your workout plan stagnate. You should always be changing it up so you work different parts of your body. This keeps your muscles continually rebuilding themselves so that your metabolism will be burning high and melting away your body's fat reserves. Add more sets or decrease the time between sets. This will stimulate your muscles differently and keep you feeling the burn.

• 4

  Don't waste your time on sit-ups or crunches. These will increase stomach muscle, but they will not specifically help you get rid of lower belly fat. Contrary to popular belief, it's impossible to spot reduce fat from one specific area. Training the abdominals every day with hundreds of repetitions will certainly tighten and tone muscles, but it won't remove the fat obscuring them. Since you can't control where fat burns in the body, you must lower your entire body's total fat percentage in order to slim down your lower abdominal region. Cardiovascular exercise is the best way to achieve this.