How can I lose all this extra belly fat?

Question

I used to have visible abs a couple years ago but over time I gained weight, except its only on my stomach. I can sometimes still make out the abs underneath, so I know theyre still there...but I dont know how to get rid of the fat on top.

I try to eat healthy..but I dont exercise much. The reason for that is because I can never find any ab workouts that actually WORK. All of them just tighten my abs underneath, they dont get rid of the fat!

What can I do?

Answer 1

well, you are on the right track. they dont work, nothing does. You can't remove fat from one spot of the body, you can only remove it all over. The only thing is to continue to exercise.

Also, that fat is animal fat, not plant fat. So decrease the amount of milk / meat you drink and if you remove it all (go vegan in other words), it takes about 13 weeks to 1 year to get rid of it all, depending on how fat you are.

Answer 2

You need to lose fat overall to lose belly fat.  Doing abs work will not reduce the fat.

Keeping a food journal really does help.  It will give you a much better sense of how much you are eating, and when, and why.

Make a few additional small changes - walk everywhere, always use stairs instead of elevators, walk on escalators, get up and move around at least once an hour if your work or your life in general is sedentary, walk every day, use a pedometer. Walking 10,000 steps a day is a really good idea. Build up to a long brisk walk everyday, or most days.  Be more active and watch less TV and spend less time on the computer.   Buy one piece of exercise equipment to have at home and be strict with yourself about using it.   Sometimes you can find mini-steppers or exercise bikes at second hand stores and thrift stores for just a few dollars.

Start a weight lifting routine. It will help increase your metabolism and make you feel and look better in so many ways. Join a gym. Possibly you can find one that has someone who specializes in weight lifting programs for beginners. Weight lifting will increase your metabolism as well as improve posture and appearance overall.  Even if you can't get to the gym you can work out at home using things around the house.  A couple of the links I've included explain how.

In terms of diet, cut out or reduce things like junk food, pop, fat, fast food. Eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, fish.   Particularly if you choose a vegetarian lifestyle include natural peanut butter, hummus, dried fruit and nuts.  Pay close attention to getting the nutrients your body needs to be healthy.  

Make your portion sizes smaller.   Use a smaller plate - in our society we have become accustomed to thinking that we need a large plate of food at every meal, and we don't.  About quarter of your plate of food should be protein and at least half of it should be veggies.  

Learn to count calories.  At your current weight and activity level, you may need about 2000 calories or more to maintain your current weight. So you will lose weight at a reasonable and healthy rate if you cut back to about 1600 or 1700 calories a day.  

Eat small amounts frequently, rather than three large meals.  Never skip breakfast.  Include some protein in your breakfast.  It will help get you through the day.

Drink plenty of water, at least 8 big glasses of water a day, and more if it is very hot, if you sweat a lot, or if you are exercising intensely, and eliminate fruit juices.  Fruit juices have too many calories, so get your vitamins from fresh fruit, not the juice.  You will begin to see changes in your body.

Check out websites about nutrition, exercise, weight training, etc.  Here are a few helpful links.

http://www.nutrawatch.com/

http://www.caloriesperhour.com/

http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_ea...

http://www.wikihow.com/Lose-Weight-the-H...

http://weightloss.about.com/cs/fitness/a...

http://www.thepumpingstation.com/trainin...

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/fe...