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Quickest Way to Lose Belly Fat for Women

As the years pass, perhaps due to heredity, aging or hormonal changes, many women notice an increase in belly fat. Wake Forest University recently conducted a study that showed how diet alone is not as effective as exercise when it comes to quickly losing belly fat. The study mentioned that women who combined a healthy diet and exercise program lost abdominal fat while women who used dieting alone, did not.

  1. Before You Start

    • Properly measure your stomach or waist first. Don't hold your tummy in and measure around your midsection at navel level, using a cloth tape measure. Using other types of tape measures won't give accurate measurements. Belly fat shrinks first, over other areas of your body, and that's good news to most women. Consult your health care provider, as always, before starting any kind of exercise program.

    What About Food

    • There are no magic foods that cause you to lose abdominal fat. If you eat the right amount of calories to result in weight loss, you will lose weight in all areas of your body, including the fat showing at your belly. A healthy diet abundant in whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables, low-fat dairy, lean meat, poultry and fish that adheres to proper portion sizes will boost your metabolism and thus burn more fat. Reduced or avoided refined carbohydrates to better control insulin and glucose levels that are responsible for storing extra fat in the abdominal area. The key is to combine a healthy diet, incorporate resistance and cardiovascular exercise, and you'll tone your muscles as well as lose belly fat safely, quickly and permanently.

    Belly Fat Exercises

    • Sit-ups are not the best exercise for firming up your midsection. Rather, focus on the deeper and lower muscles in your abdomen. Pelvic tilts and lifts are great for this. These type of exercises also help your lower back and other parts of your body. For the pelvic tilt, lay on your back on the floor with your knees bent and pointing toward the ceiling. Flatten your back, tighten your abdominal muscles and thrust your pelvis up a bit. Hold this position for about 10 seconds. Repeat five times. Slowly work up to 20 repetitions.

      For pelvic lifts, lay on your back and bring your bent knees up toward your chest. Relax your arms by your sides. Tense your lower abdomen and then lift your butt off the floor and aim your knees toward the ceiling. Hold for 10 seconds and then repeat. Slowly build up to 20 reps.

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