The Best Ways to Flatten a Women's Stomach Area

Belly fat or weight that accumulates in the stomach area can be very difficult to lose. A sensible approach to weight loss with a good diet and exercise will take the pounds off. There is no magic formula for losing weight in a specific area, but you can lose weight and tone the muscles of the stomach with a little extra work.

Diet

• Diet and exercise are the only sure way to lose weight and flatten the stomach area. Losing weight is a matter of using more calories in a day than you take in with food. Look for areas in your diet where you can make some cuts to the calories that you consume. Keep a food diary for a couple of weeks, and write down everything that you eat even if it is as small as a piece of hard candy. Don't forget to include beverages in your food diary. Those yummy loaded coffees that seem so harmless may add up to serious calories if you have one or two in a day.
  Once you have a good handle on the areas that you can cut, you should develop a good healthy meal plan. Substitute lean proteins for red meat as often as you can in your menu. Red meat contains more saturated fat than skinless poultry and fish.
  Include plenty of fiber and complex carbohydrates from whole grains and vegetables. Avoid sugar and processed food as much as possible.
  Monitor your calories and eliminate about 500 calories from the amount you were consuming before you started your weight loss diet. Losing pounds on a diet will eventually remove the fat from the stomach area and lead to a flatter look. Women do tend to gain more weight in the stomach area as they move closer to menopause. While it may be more difficult to lose weight during this time, it is still possible by monitoring your caloric intake and burning more calories every day.

Exercise

• Increase the number of calories that you burn by including a regular exercise program in your weight-loss efforts. Aim for 30 to 40 minutes of aerobic activity five days per week. This burns calories and fat including the fat that is hanging around your stomach. Walking is a good way to get started on a new exercise program if it has been a while since you worked out. Start with a few minutes at a time, and work up to thirty minutes in one long walk.

Stomach Toning

• Stomach-toning exercises such as crunches and sit-ups do not get rid of belly fat. These exercises simply tone the stomach muscles and improve their appearance. As your diet and aerobic exercise begin to eliminate the fat around your stomach, use crunches and abdominal exercises to improve the strength and appearance of your abs.
  Getting a flat stomach may be difficult after a certain age for a woman, but it is not impossible. With hard work and dedication, the extra weight in the belly will melt away.