How to Get Rid of Your Belly When You're Thirty

As well as being unsightly, excess belly fat is a health risk; one that's linked to heart disease, cancer and diabetes. When you're in your 20s, your body is often forgiving of bad eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle, and it isn't a pressing issue. All too often, when you enter your 30s, keeping the belly fat at bay becomes more of an uphill struggle.

Instructions

• 1

  Cut caloric intake. Unless you do this, you'll not lose the belly fat. Fortunately, this doesn't mean starving yourself; it means eating fewer fatty foods. If you're eating meat, choose leaner cuts and in smaller portions. To compensate, add more side dishes of vegetables to avoid feeling hungry.

• 2

  Eat large salads before your main course, but don't sabotage them with high-fat dressings of the Caesar and ranch variety. A simple olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing is an equally delicious yet more healthful alternative, that won't add unnecessary fat grams to the salad.

• 3

  Get off the couch. Cutting your caloric intake will only take you so far. Embark on an exercise regimen and you'll soon be burning off the calories and the excess fat. It doesn't have to be anything dramatic, but it should be done on a regular basis and it should give you an aerobic workout. Brisk walking for 35 to 40 minutes, five times a week will work wonders for your heart, boost your feelings of well-being and melt away the fat. Don't be too concerned with trying to spot-burn fat in your target area of the belly, since where fat is specifically stored in your body is beyond your control. The key is to simply lower the overall level of fat stored, and it will gradually disappear from all problem areas, including the belly.

• 4

  Add whole grains to your diet. Avoid refined grains and bread made from bleached flour that can cause havoc with your body's insulin response. A diet rich in whole grains will help your body burn off fat more efficiently. Soluble fiber, such as oats, also helps regulate insulin levels, so a bowl of oatmeal topped with fruit is a great way to get your day off to a flying start.

• 5

  Eliminate unnecessary trans fats from your diet. These are the hydrogenated oils of the kind commonly found in cookies, crackers and many of the margarine spreads on the market.Trans fats will quickly make themselves known around your waistline, so avoid them whenever possible.