How to Lose Belly Fat Safely & Fast

Losing excess belly fat around the abdominals -- and keeping it off-- is important for everyone. Excess weight around the abdominal area is tied to an increased risk for heart disease, diabetes and certain forms of cancer. The problem with belly fat is that it's visceral fat, the kind that surrounds your organs and can secrete toxins. To shed excess belly fat and get your waistline under control in a way that's safe, healthy and fast, you'll need to exercise regularly and eat a well-balanced diet designed to help you lose weight.

Tips For You

1. Perform abdominal exercises to tone and strengthen your muscles. This may not help you to shed belly fat, but toning your midsection through crunches, bicycle twists and leg lifts can still help you to lose inches and flatten your belly, since muscle takes up less space than fat. Weight training will also boost your metabolic rate so you burn more calories even at rest. Abdominal exercises will improve your health and provide the foundation for later weight loss.
2. Exercise four to five times a week, doing cardiovascular exercises for 30 to 45 minutes at a time. Activities might include running, walking, bicycling or swimming, but anything that elevates your heart rate will help. The cardiovascular activities are what will help you burn fat. It isn't possible to spot-reduce fat in one area, so you won't be able to guarantee when you'll lose belly fat or how much of it you'll lose right away, but if you incorporate regular cardio into your workouts you'll lose weight all over, and eventually, the excess belly fat will come off. The good news: Abdominal fat may be especially responsive to exercise than fat in other areas of the body, according to Tongjian You, a professor of nutrition and exercise at SUNY Buffalo.
3. Eat a balanced diet. Cut back on excess unhealthy fats such as unsaturated fat or trans fat. Make sure you're eating enough protein, whole-grain carbohydrates and fruits and vegetables. Continue to eat healthy sources of fat in moderation. Healthy fats include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids such as those found in olive oil, avocados and nuts.
4. Get seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Studies by the Columbia University Medical Center suggest that lack of sleep can make you hungrier, which can make effective weight loss difficult. Lack of sleep also increases levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which may be linked to abdominal fat.