by Michael Nicks

Created on: August 08, 2009

How to lose belly fat fast can be easier for some people than others. The most steadfast way to lose belly fat is to target that specific area of your body. Specific exercises for the stomach area which includes; abdominal and oblique muscles and also increasing cardiovascular activity such as running can drop your waist down to a toothpick in comparison to your old self.

There are two key factors involved; Calories and Exercise. The body stores fat, when more calories are consumed than the body is able to burn as energy. A pound of fat is equal to 3500 calories; therefore you can calculate how many pounds of fat you can lose by adding your total daily caloric intake and subtracting how many calories are burned during your typical day. A common target goal of cutting 1000 calories a day will result in a loss of two pounds per week. One key thing is to remember this target, as it can be unsafe to lose more than 1200 calories a day.

To lose belly fat fast you will need to eat a balanced diet and avoid refined foods. Refined foods are low in vitamins and minerals and high in fats and carbohydrates. The best carbohydrates should include whole-grains and fruits. Fat intake should be minimized especially saturated fats. Also make sure to get enough good quality protein, as this is the building blocks for muscle. The more lean muscle you have, the more calories you will burn.

Caloric intake is part of the equation for burning belly fat, but the quick way to accelerate the process is to increase moderate and even strenuous activities such as, running and hard physical activity which burns calories about four times the amount compared to walking. One key exercise for achieving your goal is running. This cardiovascular exercise is not only good for your heart but will drop pounds around your waist faster than just about any exercise. Based on an hour of running at a 6 minute mile pace, you can burn between 900 and 1300 calories based on your body weight, and most of that comes right off your waist. Walking is still great exercise but compared to sustained running, you burn only between, 150 to 215 calories. You can see how much faster you can lose the belly fat by doing some form of vigorous aerobic exercise such as running.

Some people cannot run vigorously, because of the pressure on their body's joints. You can substitute swimming, run using an exercise machine, or you can have an intense bicycle workout. The main point here is to maintain a level of sustained activity, for a given time period, at least 45 minutes to an hour. The exercise should be done also on a consistent basis, and give yourself at least a day between training to let your body fully recover.

The other exercises that will be the most effective in losing your belly are situps, crunches, leg raises, and any other mid section exercise that will isolate the abdominal and the oblique muscles. Do as many repetitions of these exercises as you can, until you feel you can do no more, do not over extend yourself. There are also many devices or programs on the market that can help isolate the abdominals and give you a more effective workout, because they help to target or isolate the muscles. So, to effectively lose belly fat fast, you have to make sure you target those specific abdominal areas and also sustain and maintain a weekly workout plan.

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