How to Quickly Reduce Your Gut
Gut fat is more serious than fat at any other location on your body. It is this fat that can lead to deep visceral adiposity, which increases your disease risk, notes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Gut fat is more serious than fat at any other location on your body. It is this fat that can lead to deep visceral adiposity, which increases your disease risk, notes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To get rid of your gut fast, follow a strategic game plan that involves your current eating and exercise habits. Although ab-specific exercises can tone your midsection, they are only part of the overall solution. You need to burn more calories than you consume.
Step 1
Give up fast food, deep-fried foods and other foods that are high in empty calories. Eat strictly nutrient-dense foods instead, such as lean meats, low-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans.
Step 2
Consume a meal as soon as you get up to boost your metabolism and prevent you from overeating later in the morning. Have something that is high in fiber, such as a bowl of oat bran cereal with low-fat milk and strawberries.
Step 3
Drink water instead of calorie-rich beverages. Stay away from soft drinks, processed fruit drinks, lattes with whipped cream, sweet teas and alcoholic drinks. Hydrate your body and prevent excess calorie intake by drinking 10 cups of water daily.
Step 4
Increase your intake of meals, but keep your portion sizes small. This can keep your metabolism elevated and prevent you from overeating. Combine complex carbs and protein with every one of your meals. Cottage cheese with chopped fruit and nuts is a meal example. Do not go more than three hours without eating.
Step 5
Running is one type of exercise that will burn the fat in your gut. If you're not into running, choose any type of cardio, provided it gets your heart rate elevated. Elliptical training, fast-paced walking, kick boxing, jumping rope, rowing and inline skating are examples. Alternate between high and low intensities to increase your caloric expenditure.
Step 6
Lift weights to build metabolically active muscle. Do exercises like push-ups, lateral raises, lat pulldowns, tricep dips, twist curls and lunges. Perform three to four sets of 10 to 12 reps, and work out three days a week on your cardio-off days.
Step 7
Execute ab exercises to tighten your stomach muscles. Target your lower abs, obliques and upper abs with exercises like hip thrusts, leg lifts, side crunches, stability ball crunches and sit-ups. Perform three to four sets of 15 to 20 reps, and work your abs after doing cardio.
Tip
Do a minimum of 45 minutes of cardio 3 days per week; more exercise will lead to faster results.
warning
Check with your healthcare provider before beginning any exercise program.