How to Get Rid of Belly Fat

Belly fat isn’t just something you should want to change so you can look better in a fitted shirt, it’s something that can be detrimental to your health.  A recent study showed that adults who had a high waist to hip ratio had double the death rate and a 2.75 times greater risk of heart disease relative to those with a normal waist-to-hip ratio – even if they had a normal body weight.  The fat you carry around your belly counts in terms of health even if you’re not overweight.
(Check out this website to plug in your waist to hip ratio.  http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/calculator_waist.asp)
Belly fat is worth taking seriously and causes much concern for some women.  I sit with clients for 30-60 minutes prior to their first session and it is during this time that we discuss short and long term goals.  A common goal for my clients is to lose fat, especially around their belly.  I have learned about so many different abdominal DVDs and gimmicks as my clients have tried to spot treat this area.  I heard clients trying DVDs such as the 10 Minute Ab Solutions, Tummy Toners, Hip Hop Abs, and Total Abs. One client purchased an ab roller and ended up falling flat on their face resulting in a gash on their chin.  Someone even purchased an abdominal stimulator belt.  And yet, they are still at my door trying to lose the belly fat.  The fact is, you can do 1000 crunches or sits ups everyday, but if you don’t get rid of that belly fat over the muscle, you’ll never see those abs.  To see a visible 6-pack you have to remove the fat that is covering your abs. Doing ab exercises will NOT remove this fat.  So what will?
Diet.  As the saying goes “abs are built in the kitchen”. You can train hard & build muscular abs, but if you eat junk food all day, you won’t lose your belly fat.

• I cannot say this enough, stop eating processed food and start eating whole, unprocessed foods
• Limit alcohol consumption
• Eat high fiber goods including fruits, vegetables and whole-grain products
• Select low-fat dairy products, rather than full-fat products
• Eat protein sources that are lean, such as beans, lentils and chicken without the skin
• Drink enough water to get rid of the toxins and harmful materials in your body and to enable fat burning foods to work for you
• Do not use artificial sweeteners

Exercise: Schedule 30-60 minutes of moderate level aerobic activity 5-7 days a week.   There are many ways to get cardio exercise:

• Brisk walking (not walking at a normal pace)
• Jogging
• Cross country skiing
• Aerobic dancing or zumba
• Mixed martial arts or kickboxing
• Biking (when done at a cardio pace)

The Bottom Line?

• Even if you’re normal weight, your waist-to-hip ratio matters. Measure it and make sure your ratio doesn’t put you at higher risk for health problems like heart disease
• Abdominal exercises won’t do the trick if you have inches of fat covering up your abs
• Exercise, exercise, exercise
• Be mindful of your diet.  Most importantly, eat whole foods with nothing more than a few ingredients, all of which you should be able to pronounce