How to Lose 10 Belly Pounds

If you want to lose weight, you must expend more calories than you intake. That means going for a 20-minute jog and then rewarding yourself with a Big Mac and soda completely defies logic. If you aim to lose 10 pounds around your middle, you will need to follow some simple, yet effective instructions. This does not include counting calories, which sabotages even the most determined of dieters. A rudimentary knowledge of nutrition makes that unnecessary. You will need to incorporate healthy food and exercise into your life.

Instructions

• 1

  Set yourself an attainable time frame in which to reach your goal. Unrealistic targets will only discourage you. Rapid weight loss does not guarantee long-term results. Aim for a slow, steady approach and focus on weight maintenance when you reach your goal.

• 2

  Chart your progress to note if you are falling behind or reaching your goal more quickly than expected.

• 3

  Plan your meals and fill the fridge at home/work with appetizing, healthy options such as carrots, celery, cucumber sticks and hummus. Monitor what goes into your body by preparing food yourself, since diet, ready-made meals often contain too much salt and sugar.

• 4

  Avoid eating too late in the evening or eating an abundance of carbohydrates at one sitting. Your plate should contain a variety of food groups and colors. More colors represent more absorbed nutrients. Always include green items.

• 5

  Recognize the difference between hunger and thirst. At the first pang of hunger, drink a tall glass of water. Sipping water and drinking tea throughout the day will prevent you from eating when you may not be hungry.

• 6

  Exercise regularly. This plays an important part in weight loss, especially if you target a particular area. A combination of cardiovascular or aerobic exercises--those that make you pant, such as running, dancing and swimming--and strength training complement each other. Vary the cardiovascular and strength training to avoid boredom.

• 7

  Follow the recommendations of the American College of Sports Medicine. Do 30 minutes of moderately intense cardiovascular exercises five days a week or vigorous intense cardio three days a week, for 20 minutes. The ACSM also recommends that you perform eight to 10 strength-training exercises, with eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise, twice a week.

• 8

  Include a variety of abdominal crunches in your strength training to tone the lower, middle and upper abs. Pull your belly in towards your navel throughout the exercises. For a more intense workout, place a circular weight on the upper abdominal muscles and hold the position for five seconds before lowering to the floor. This should produce a stinging or burning sensation, which is a sign of muscle fatigue, and will build muscle quickly.

• 9

  Avoid sugar in every form: honey, maple syrup, sweeteners, sugar substitutes, soda, juice, alcohol and candy. According to Kathleen Goodwin, RD, a registered dietitian, "cutting soda out of your diet completely can save the average person 360 calories or more each day." Natural sugars, found in fresh fruit and vegetables, break down easily, making it less likely that you will store them.