How to Get Rid of Middle Fat

Excess belly fat is extremely common among both men and women, especially after age 40. It is also detrimental to your health; experts say that if your waistline in larger than 35 inches (for women) or 40 inches (for men), you are at an increased risk for heart disease, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. It's not easy, but you can greatly improve your overall health by losing that gut.

Instructions

• 1

  Stop doing crunches. The first mistake many make in their attempt to flatten their stomachs is to focus their energies on hundreds of crunches a day. Yes, you will strengthen your core (which is important), but you will not burn fat. Crunches and other abdominal workouts are muscle-strengthening exercises; they do not burn excess fat. In fact, the end result may be a bigger gut, as the muscles underneath the fat grow and push the flab out further.

• 2

  Focus on cardio. This is the only form of exercise to help you slim your tummy. Start slow, with a brisk 20-minute walk or jog every morning. As your endurance increases, build to a jogging or running routine that keeps your heart rate elevated for at least 25 to 30 minutes every one to two days. This can be a difficult lifestyle change, but when you start to lose weight, you'll most likely see the results in your tummy first.

• 3

  Change your diet. No, you don't have to starve yourself or do a stint with the latest fad diet to lose tummy fat. It is important, however, to use common sense in your diet choices. It's called a beer belly for a reason: food (and drink) high in carbohydrates, sugars, and saturated fat expand your gut. Limit these choices and incorporate foods with whole grain and fiber, which reduce fat deposits, into your diet. Also, replace foods heavy in saturated fat with those containing monounsaturated fatty acids, such as avocados, nuts, olives, soybeans and olive oil--these are natural plant-based fats and provide your body with the fat it needs without making extra deposits in your belly.