How to Lose Belly Fat & Enjoy a Slimmer Waistline

If you want to know how to lose belly fat, you’re not alone. Belly fat is not only unsightly, but it’s also become one of the top medical concerns. Doctors warn us that excess belly fat is hazardous to our health, and according to WebMD, “extra weight around the midsection is associated with inflammation and a higher risk of health problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and more.”

Whether your reason for losing belly fat is for your health, your looks, or both, it’s important to learn the top tips that can help you reach your goal. In this article we’ve reviewed the latest diet and fitness news, and condensed our findings to give you these 7 tips for losing stomach fat.

7 Tips to Help You Lose Stomach or Abdominal Fat:

1. Eat your fruits and veggies! – Be sure to eat 5+ servings per day, as fruits and veggies provide the best nutrition for the least calories. While losing belly fat you may want to limit bananas and avocados, in favor of citrus fruits, such as grapefruits and fresh pineapple. Great vegetable choices include leafy greens, broccoli, cucumbers, and tomatoes.
2. Eat enough of the right fats – Focus most of your fats on the olive oils, nuts, and seeds, with limited coconut oil or butter. Small servings of dark chocolate can be a good fat when eaten in moderation. Absolutely stay away from fats that are hydrogenated, and contain trans fats, as these mess with your metabolism and can harm your body and your weight loss efforts!
3. Go easy on the dairy – There’s been a good deal of controversy about how good dairy is for us, but updated unbiased recommendations are available. The consensus is that it’s best to limit dairy – especially whole milk and hard cheeses. Dairy is easy to replace with soy, rice, almond, or hemp milk and other products like nut or soy cheese. Better dairy includes soft cheeses like goat, feta, cottage, and mozzarella, as well as plain yogurt. If you must drink milk, drink 1% or skim.
4. Eat low glycemic grains such as whole grains – The fiber will help keep your insulin from spiking and storing grains as fat on your belly, while also keeping you from feeling hungry longer. Whole wheat isn’t necessarily better than white flour, so go for Ezekiel or sprouted, high protein breads and pastas whenever you can.
5. Drink enough water – All the fat you’re losing must be flushed out of the body in order to register on the scale. Drink at least the recommended eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day.
6. Eat smaller meals 4-6 times a day and focus on unprocessed foods – Fitness models and experts have been using this trick for years, because eating less food more often helps you keep the metabolism and insulin levels steady. Focus 80% of your diet on unprocessed foods for an extra boost to your weight loss results.
7. Exercise! – Experts agree that 30-60 minutes of exercise, 3-5 times per week is important when it comes to losing belly fat. Additionally, exercise helps you tone up and keep you motivated while you lose the weight. Recent fitness industry findings show that high intensity cardio routines that incorporate weight lifting, is the best way to get into shape and lose weight quickly. High intensity cross training routines are also efficient and can be done in 30 minutes or less, three times a week. Combine this routine with  2-4 vigorous, 40 minute weekly walks and you’ll definitely see your clothes fitting you better – which is likely one of your main weight loss goals!

These top 7 tips give you a great foundation on how to lose belly or stomach fat. If you follow these tips you could lose fat without following an organized diet plan.  However if you’re like many people, following a diet plan can help to keep you motivated and accountable and tends to give you faster results than going it on your own. Please read our diet reviews for more info on weight loss programs we recommend.