One day you look down at your once-flat stomach and there it is – the dreaded stomach pooch. It can strike at any time, but it most often strikes after the age of 40 or so (adding insult to the injury of aging!). Even worse, you may find that any efforts you make to get rid of your pooch do no good at all. There must be some way to reduce the pooch, right?
Watch what you eat and drink
This one isn’t much fun, but you had to know it would be on the list as a way to get rid of some belly fat.
- Eat lots of fruits and veggies
- Eat less for fewer calories a day (but don’t skip meals or try a crash diet, which can end up having negative effects on your health and weight)
- Try a low-carb diet
- Add some protein to help you feel more full faster
- Drink less alcohol and sugary drinks
Exercise the right way
You may think that doing hundreds of crunches a day would help. But if you’re not seeing results from this, it’s because it is hard to target just one part of the body, and you would do better to work on removing fat overall. Try moderate or vigorous aerobic activity for 30-40 minutes a day to lose fat, and try strength training exercises that will strengthen all of your muscles, including your abdominal muscles.
Exercising with a friend can help to keep you motivated and can make it more fun. It can also help to keep track of your progress in a journal or notebook, including your measurements and weight, so that you can see how far you’ve come.
And the rest
Other things to help keep your weight in check include reducing stress (stress can increase hormones that encourage the body to store fat) and making sure you get enough sleep, which is important for overall health and energy.
