If you wish to lose weight and slim your belly, then follow these rules. Please note that “spot reduction”, that is reduction of fat from one body part, is not possible. So knowing how to lose belly fat is actually knowing how to lose weight, as the only way to lose belly fat is to reduce your overall fat content. Whether you are very overweight, or if you just have a stubborn layer of fat left to shift before you can display a set of six pack abs, these tips should solve your problems.

Before we continue, please note that performing hundreds of abdominal exercises everyday does not help to reduce fat. Crunches and sit ups, although intensive on the stomach, will not alone shift fat – and building bigger abdominals could actually make your stomach look bigger if it is still covered in a layer of fat.

Why are we focussing on belly fat? Two reasons – to show of our abs, and also to be healthy. Modern thought concerning weight issues is that simply measuring body mass index does not provide a good indicator of health. Size of waist circumference is a better measure of health. Even a small amount of fat carried in the abdominal region is unhealthy.

We have broken the process of losing belly fat down into five simple rules:

Lose the Belly Fat by popular American nutritionist Marcy S. Gregory serves as a wellness and nutrition guide that proves invaluable for anyone who wishes to have a better diet and a flatter stomach.

First Rule of Weight Loss: Get Fit

The most important change you must make if you wish to lose you belly fat and get a flat stomach is to start working out. But simply jogging a few miles twice a week, or playing some tennis at the weekend, will not shift stubborn belly fat. The best way to lose weight is a combination of intensive interval training and resistance training, ideally in the form of compound weight training.

You do not need to join a gym to start getting fit, as we can provide several home exercise routines and as well as weight training routines. However for motivation and support, being a member of a gym can help.

One of the best ways to get some intensive interval training is in a martial arts class. Kickboxing, karate, judo, kung-fu – they are all excellent choices. Also new popular methods include spinning, kick-boxercise as well as more traditional step aerobics. You need to be working in the fat burning zone, so invest in a heart rate monitor, and learn how to use it!

For weight training, one of the celebrity workouts will be ideal. We recommended either following a workout similar to Matt Damon or Daniel Craig, if you wish to build some awesome muscles, or for a leaner look, follow the Brad Pitt workout. All of these focus on compound weight training exercises which are designed to burn fat and build muscle. If these do not tickle your fancy we have a growing selection of advice and articles to help you get fit here at Motley Health.

You should aim to do two intensive weight training sessions and two intensive circuit training sessions each week. Always plan a good rest day at the weekend, plus have a day of “active rest”, which means moderate light activity, such as golf, swimming or walking, on the other day. Read our abs exercise tips to get you going, also learning how the celebrities get fit can give you inspiration, and we have workouts and diet tips from some of our favourite celebs to help you.

Second Rule of Weight Loss – Sugar, Saturated Fat and Belly Fat

After exercising, the most important rule for losing belly fat is to stop eating junk food, period. Some nutritionists say that junk food can be eaten in moderation, however, moderation often leads to excess with little effort. Do not take the risk. From now on junk food in any form should not be allowed into your home. So no more takeaways, no more double whoppers with cheese, no more cookies, sweets, candy, soda or other sugar laden snacks. Also it is important to cut back on processed meats – so say no to hot dogs, sausages, chips, salami and and other form of processed meat. These meats are high in saturated fats.

Third Rule of Weight Loss – Eat The Right Carbohydrates

Not all carbs are equal. Refined flours and the foods that they create, such as white bread, pasta, donuts, cakes and biscuits should be avoided. They can cause bloating, poor digestion, and lead to accumulation of fat. “Good carbs”, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, should be eaten instead. A diet that takes most of its carbs from fruits and vegetables, as opposed to flours, is healthier. Ideally granary or wholemeal bread should be eaten instead of white bread, and biscuits and cakes should be avoided. Consuming too much carbohydrate can bump up your insulin level which can slow down your metabolism. Your body cannot metabolize too much carbohydrate at once because the body doesn’t need so much energy at once. The excess sugar will just turn into belly fat. Slow release carbs are also beneficial, such as oats, brown rice, some pulses and sweet potato.

Much research has shown that adopting the Atkins Nutritional Approach, i.e. a high fat/protein diet, is the way ahead. Avoiding carbs increases fat burning metabolism (lipolysis) which helps to reduce stomach fat.

The secret to losing waistline pounds and inches quickly is ASAP, an acronym for Awareness, Science, Application, and Persistence.

Third Rule of Weight Loss – Binge Eating

Try not to binge in the evening. Often people eat out of boredom, frustration or stress. And when at home, bingeing is very easy to do. The main problem with binging in the evening is that there is not much activity done afterwards. You go to bed afterwards, so causes high sugar levels in the blood stream and no energy spent after that. The excess sugar turns into fat. So, DO NOT BINGE!.

Also, try to consume you last meal around 2-3 hours before your bedtime. If you are hungry during late nights, consume a small meal rather than binge.

Fifth Rule of Weight Loss – Drink Less Alcohol, or Go On The Wagon

Decrease alcohol consumption, or better still, give up drinking altogether. There is a good reason why a beer belly is called a beer belly! There are two reasons to give up alcohol. Firstly, alcoholic drinks contain a lot of calories, especially those that are sweetened. Beer is stacked with carbohydrates and sugars. If you are in the habit of having a few drinks in the evening, these calories really add up, and the fat is generally accumulated around the waist. The other reason is a metabolic one. When you consume alcohol, your body stops burning fat and sugars while using the alcohol for energy. Alcohol is a source of energy. This means that if you spend an evening drinking, you will not be in a state off lipolysis (fat burning) or glucosis (sugar/carbohydrate burning) and any food eaten will be stored as fat. Only once all the alcohol has been utilised will you start to burn fat again.

Losing belly fat and getting a flat stomach is a long term goal for most people, so persevere, stick to te plan, don’t give up. In addition to these tips, look to enhance your fitness training by following specific routines and schedules. Organising your weekly routine makes it much easiey for you to follow. After a while it will become second nature to get out and exercise. If you do not have to think about what you are going to do, then that saves precious time. To keep a diary, write up your training goals and progress in an exercise log, and just do it!