How to Lose Stomach Fat

Every time we view a magazine or television personality with a flat stomach, we think about how much we want one just like it. Losing stomach fat can be a challenge, but it can be done if one is willing to put in the work.

Nutrition

If you want to lose stomach fat then you need to pay attention to proper nutrition. You can do as many exercises as you want, but if you are eating junk food all day long you will not lose a pound.

The first thing you should do is read the food pyramid and see how much food in each category your body needs per day. Once you learn that, you need to find out exactly what one serving of food is. For example, one serving of a banana is actually ½ of the banana. One serving of an apple is one small apple. In the meats category, 4 oz is considered one serving.

Plan a menu based on the foods in the food pyramid and their serving sizes. If you are unsure about a serving size, just look on the package of food. Let’s say you bought a box of low-fat crackers. You will look on the nutritional label of the cracker box which should tell you how many servings are in the box and how much makes up one serving. It could be 12 crackers. If it says 12 crackers equal one serving, then count out twelve crackers and only eat those 12.

Make sure that you also add a vitamin-mineral supplement to your diet. If your body has the right vitamins and minerals, then it is better equipped to digest the food you eat as well as give you the energy you need to exercise. This will help you lose stomach fat much faster.

Exercise

Begin each day by stretching. This will loosen up your muscles so that you don’t pull any during your exercise routine. Make sure you stretch your arms, legs, sides, and neck. You only need to spend about five to ten minutes stretching to get your body ready for a workout.

Start with some aerobic exercise. This is very important because it will help you get your whole body in shape. Once you do that, you can then concentrate on our stomach area. In many cases the aerobic exercise is all it takes to lose the excess weight all over your body. You will want to spend twenty to thirty minutes per day on the aerobic portion of your workout.

Finish off by doing some exercises that target your stomach area. These would be sit-ups, crunches, and other various ab exercises. A few examples are listed below.

1. Side Bends. Since stomach fat goes all the way around, you will also want to include a few exercises for your love handles. In a standing position, bend your knees. Place your left arm over your head and slowly bend to the right. Hold for five seconds and slowly bend back to the center. Now switch to your right arm and slowly bend to the left. Hold for another five seconds and return to the center. Repeat this exercise three to five times.

2. Big Ball. Find a large exercise, therapy, or children’s toy ball. Lay with your back flat on the floor and lift your feet up on to the ball. Interlock your fingers and cup them behind your head. Lift your head up until you feel your abdominal muscles contract. You will not need to lift to far up to feel this. Hold your position for five to ten seconds and then slowly lay back down. Repeat this exercise five times.

3. Bicycle Crunch. Lay on the ground or a mat for comfort. Interlock your hands and place them behind your head. Bend your knees and hold them up in the air. Now lift up your head and reach your left arm to your right knee. Then reach your right arm to your left knee. Repeat these two steps for as long as you can. You may not be able to do it very long the first day, but after a week or two you will be a pro at it.

Medical Intervention

Medical intervention should be used as a last resort. Your doctor will be able to tell you whether you are a candidate for any of the three surgery options.

1. Liposuction. Liposuction is the use of instruments to suck out fat tissue from your problem areas. It cannot take out a whole lot of fat without being extremely harmful to your body so it is only an option for someone that is a little overweight.

2. Lap band surgery. This method places a band in around your stomach to make it smaller. You will not be able to eat as much food. By not eating as much food, you will lose weight. There are a lot of risks with this procedure so talk them over with your doctor before you decide to take this route.

3. Gastric bypass surgery. You must be classified as morbidly obese to qualify for this type of surgery. It is a risky surgery that often has some type of complication. Surgery is performed to reduce the stomach’s size by 90%. The small stomach pouch that is left fills quickly with a small amount of food. The stomach then tells the brain that it is full and the individual begins to learn to eat less food.

Warnings:

* Don’t fall for books that tell you it is possible to lose weight fast. It takes time to put weight on, and it takes just as much time to take the weight off.

* Watch out for weight loss supplements that are sold in such stores as GNC. They are suppose to increase your metabolism, but they can often times leave you feeling shaky and sick to your stomach. They will also not teach your body how to eat less and be satisfied. That can only happen as you decrease your food intake naturally.

* Stay away from alcoholic beverages. These are full of unnecessary calories. Drink water throughout the day which aids digestion and contains zero calories. A good rule is to never drink your calories.