When you gain weight, the midsection of the body is often the first place it shows up and the last place it leaves when you lose the weight. Frustrating though this may be, sticking to a healthy diet and a regular exercise plan can enable you to shed the extra pounds and look and feel your best. In addition, losing weight in your midsection will improve your overall health, as excess abdominal fat is linked to some serious health problems, including diabetes and heart disease.
Get adequate sleep and control your stress level, both of which may increase visceral fat -- the dangerous belly fat that surrounds your organs and increases your risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Reduce your caloric intake so you consume fewer calories than you burn each day through daily activities and exercise. Weight loss depends on sustaining a caloric deficit over a period of time. For example, if you create a daily caloric deficit of 500 calories, you will lose about 1 pound of fat in a week, since 1 pound equals 3,500 calories. Keep track of what you eat each day and adjust it as necessary to meet your calorie goals.
Increase your calorie deficit by exercising each day. If you burn an additional 500 calories each day through exercise, you can lose an extra pound of body weight each week, which will reduce your time to a trimmer midsection. Jog, cycle or take an aerobics class for an hour each day to meet this goal. Add strength training to your workout routine to build lean muscle mass and increase the number of calories your body burns while at rest. Engage in total-body strength-training sessions that target all of the major muscle groups two or three times each week.
Overhaul your diet for tummy-trimming success. Although calories are calories no matter where they come from, certain foods are detrimental to weight loss and a slim midsection. Cut out refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta and rice; foods with added sugars; fatty meats and full-fat dairy. Increase your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and low-fat dairy.
Perform targeted exercises for your abs, hips and back -- the areas that comprise your trunk -- so that when you lose the extra overall body fat your trim trunk is ready to go. You can't target a specific area of your body in which to lose weight, so doing thousands of crunches each day isn't going to help you get a six pack if your abdominal muscles are covered in a layer of fat. However, if you tone and tighten your core region, you'll be one step closer to an enviable midsection once you have lost total body fat. Perform crunches, planks, leg lifts, Russian twists and supermans, along with exercises for your other major muscle groups, to reveal a sculpted physique once the extra weight is gone.
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Writer Bio
Jody Braverman is a professional writer and editor based in Atlanta. She studied creative writing at the American University of Paris and received a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Maryland. She also received personal trainer certification from NASM and her 200-hour yoga teacher certification from YogaWorks.