There are a lot of gimmicks and commercials flying around about how to get rid of that pesky, unflattering belly fat. While there’s no “magic bullet” that will target abdominal fat in particular, this article will explain what causes an expanding waistline, and how you can cause the excess baggage go away.
Steps

1. Understand the risks associated with belly fat. Belly fat is joined with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. Specifically it’s the deepest level of belly fat–the fat you can’t see or grab–that poses health risks. That’s because these “visceral” fat cells actually produce hormones and other substances that can impact your health (e.g. increased insulin resistance and/or breast cancer risk).[1] The fact that they’re located right next to and in between organs in your abdominal cavity doesn’t help. For example, fat next to the liver drains into it, causing a fatty liver, which is a risk factor for insulin resistance, setting the point for Type 2 diabetes.[2]
2. Wrap a tape measure around your waist at the degree of your navel. If you’re a mortal of healthy weight, a measure of more than 35 inches (women) and 40 inches (men) is considered to be unhealthy.[1][3][2]
3. Exercise for weight loss. Aerobic exercise will facilitate fat loss all over your body, including your belly. You can’t “spot-burn” belly fat, but it’s usually the foremost to cut off when you exercise, regardless of your body shape.[3][1] Just be certain that you concentrate on calorie-burning exercises, rather than sit-ups or crunches. If your abdominal muscles are covered in fat, no strengthening of those muscles is loss to transfer that. Aerobic exercise is key.[3]
   • An extra benefit is that exercise reduces tension and insulin levels, which reduces the front of cortisol, a hormone that leads to more belly fat deposits.[4]

4. Change your diet. Unless you limit your calorie intake, you’re not going to lose belly fat. There’s no “magic bullet” that will target belly fat. There are some tactics that have might help do away with belly fat faster, but just when you’ve already consistently restricted your calorie intake. For example, eating an avocado after eating an entire bag of chips isn’t going to assist you get rid of belly fat–in fact, it’ll probably attain the problem worse!
   • Switch out refined grains for whole grains. In a scientific study, people who ate all whole grains (in addition to 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, three servings of low-fat dairy, and two servings of lean meat, fish, or poultry) lost more belly fat than another group that ate the same diet, but with all refined grains. A diet rich in whole grains changes the glucose and insulin response in your body, which hastens the melting of fat, and visceral fat, that deep level of fat, is easier for your torso to glow than the subcutaneous fat under your skin (the fat that you can see and grab).[3]
   • Studies suggests that a diet with a higher proportion of monounsaturated fats (avocados, nuts, seeds, soybeans, chocolate) can keep the collection of both types of belly fat.[5] Some experts argue, though, that it’s not that these fats specifically target abdominal fat in any way; it’s that anyone will likely lose weight on a lower calorie diet (regardless of where those calories come from) and as discussed earlier, belly fat is normally the initiative to go.[3]
   • Trans fats (in margarines, crackers, cookies–anything made with partially hydrogenated oils) seem to answer in more fat being deposited in the abdomen, so avoid these as often as you can.[4]
   • Soluble fiber (apples, oats, cherries) lowers insulin levels, which, as mentioned earlier, can subdue the front of cortisol.[4]

Tips

• The way your body distributes fat is largely beyond your control (heredity, menopause). What is inside your master is your point of body fat overall–if you hold that low, it won’t really matter where the fat goes, because there won’t be much fat to stick in the foremost place.
• Many women start gaining more weight in their belly as they get older, especially after menopause. The body fat distribution changes–less fat goes to your arms, legs and hips, and more of it goes to your midsection. Some people even feel their waistline widening while their weight remains the same![1] Nonetheless, the above steps will serve to do away with belly fat.

Warnings

• Be careful when restricting your calorie intake – being underweight is only as grave as being overweight.
• Doing only sit-ups and crunches can really make the appearing of more belly fat, as the ab muscles grow in size and shape, they will drive out against the fat, making it seem bigger and thicker. As above, all-over aerobic exercise is better than focused, spot exercise.

Related wikiHows

• How to Get Six Pack Abs
• How to Lose Weight
• How to Be Healthy

Sources and Citations

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/belly-fat/WO00128
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=96922213
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-truth-about-belly-fat
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 http://www.newsweek.com/id/168129/page/2
5. ↑ http://health.msn.com/weight-loss/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100185417

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