How do I lose belly fat?

Are you one of the thousands of people that need to lose weight? Do you ever wonder how to lose belly fat? You are not alone. With some hard work and dedication anyone can have a smaller and tighter midsection and flat stomach. But don’t give up because the weight does not disappear immediately, remember it didn’t appear immediately.

So how can I lose my belly fat?

The number one way to begin losing weight is to change your eating habits. If you must eat fried foods, fatty foods, fast foods, junk foods and foods high in calories, which I recommend you avoid – but if you can’t, make sure you use proper portion control and only eat the exact portions stated on the packaging. It’s always best to trade bad foods with fruits, vegetables, whole wheat products and whole grain products, but that isn’t always practical and enjoys these foods and some people can’t eat them at all. By using proper portion control and eating smaller more frequent meals instead of 3 large meals a day, you can speed up your metabolism to help you burn fat faster. Then by eating slowly you can trick your brain into telling you that your stomach is full before you over eat. This is a very helpful step in controlling your portion sizes. After you have figured out how to change the way you eat, exercising is the next step. You do not have to go to the gym to be able to workout effectively. Crunches are a excellent way to build stomach muscles. Also make sure you are doing exercises that will build lean muscle and burn calories. The more calories you burn the more weight you will lose. Here are a few at home Stomach Workouts you can try:

• Basic Crunches – lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor, hands behind your head for a little support. Using your stomach muscles lift your shoulders a few inches off the floor, hold for a few seconds and slowly lower your shoulders back to the floor. (2 – 3 sets of 10 – 15 crunches)
• Exercise Ball Crunches – sit on the ball, lay back until your body is parallel to the floor and your back is resting on the ball. Place your hands behind your head for support, slowly lift your shoulders and rotate your left shoulder towards your right hip, return to start and switch sides. (2 – 3 sets of 20 crunches)
• Leg Lifts – Lie on the floor, legs straight out, hands at your sides. Lift your legs straight up (do not bend your knees) until they’re at a ninety degree angle (or as far as you can go). Lower your legs and repeat without letting your legs touch the floor. (2 – 3 sets of 10 – 15 lifts)
• Stomach Tightening Exercise – sit at your desk/chair with your stomach tightened in, 1 minute at a time, rest, and another minute (during a meeting, watching TV or do it all the way through commercials)
• Cardio – including running, jogging, cycling, swimming, step aerobics and power walking. (30 – 60 minutes 3-4 times a week)

Just remember it is going to take hard work to get the body you want and deserve. With a little motivation and personal dedication anybody can do it. Just believe in yourself.

Stay Strong… ~NiCoLe~

Please take a moment and click here to leave feedback about this article or ask me your fat burning / diet / exercise related question. I will gladly email you back an answer and maybe even post the question for others to see!