The Best Way to Lose Stomach Weight

Getting rid of a protruding stomach can be quite a challenge for many of us, especially if you store fat in your abdominal area. Fat in the abdominal area, according to health.harvard.edu, is usually visceral and is associated with a health risk. Excess abdominal fat puts you at an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Alcohol

• Eliminate alcohol from your diet. According to mayoclinic.com, a "beer gut" is not caused only by beer, but also wine and other alcoholic drinks. Alcohol is high in empty calories (has no nutritional value) and will lead to weight gain. Drinking more than two drinks per day may add to excessive stomach weight.

Cardiovascular Exercise

• Increase exercises will help you to burn fat. You can determine your fat-burning level by subtracting your age from 220. When you work out, try to keep your heart rate at the top end of the resulting number to burn fat. Exercises that will burn fat include kickboxing, dancing, biking, stepping, running, jogging and sprinting. Work out 30 to 60 minutes at least three times per week at high intensity (at least 85 percent of maximum heart rate) to burn excess calories and belly fat.

Weight Training

• According to a study performed by the University of Pennsylvania, when participants performed weight training twice weekly they reduced their underlying visceral fat by almost 4 percent. Specific abdominal exercises such as sit-ups and crunches might increase underlying muscle tone, but to get rid of stomach weight, overall body strength training is more effective.

Drink Up

• Increase water consumption to suppress appetite and decrease fatty deposits. Because the kidneys do not function as well without water, the liver takes on the burden of metabolizing what the kidneys cannot. This inhibits the liver from metabolizing fats as efficiently. Be sure to drink at least 2 liters of water daily to help eliminate fat stores in the stomach area.

Healthy Eating

• Getting rid of stomach weight requires some dietary changes. The majority of your food intake should consist of raw fruits and vegetables. Choose only lean meat sources and whole grains as well. Eliminate saturated fats such as butter, fatty meats and whole dairy products. Read nutritional labels on processed foods to determine saturated fat content as well. To lose stomach weight fast, keep your fat intake below 5 percent of your overall calorie intake.

Calorie Intake

• Pay attention to calorie consumption. Moderately active men and women should take in 3,000 to 3,500 and 2,000 to 2,500 calories per day respectively to maintain weight levels. To lose a pound of fat you need to cut 3,500 calories (3,500 calories in one pound of fat). Keep track of your calorie intake for a week and then divide the total by seven to get your average daily intake. Reduce calorie intake by 500 per day to lose one pound of fat per week.