How to loose the belly fat.

Adding even moderate strength training to aerobic exercise helps build lean muscle mass, which causes you to burn more calories throughout the entire day, both at rest and during exercise.

Become a label reader:

Compare and contrast brands. Some yogurts, for example, boast that they’re low in fat, but they’re higher in carbs and added sugars than others, Stewart says. Foods like gravy, mayonnaise, sauces and salad dressings often contain high amounts of fat and lots of calories.

Move away from processed foods:

The ingredients in packaged goods and snack foods are often heavy on trans fats, added sugar and added salt or sodium—three things that make it difficult to lose weight.

Focus on the way your clothes fit more than reading a scale:

As you add muscle mass and lose fat, the reading on your bathroom scale may not change much, but your pants will be looser. That’s a better mark of progress. Measured around, your waistline should be less than 35 inches if you’re a woman or less than 40 inches if you’re a man to reduce heart and diabetes risks.

Hang out with health-focused friends:

Research shows that you’re more apt to eat better and exercise more if your friends and family are doing the same.

Keep moving:

Physical activity helps burn abdominal fat. “One of the biggest benefits of exercise is that you get a lot of bang for your buck on body composition,” Stewart says. Exercise seems to work off belly fat in particular because it reduces circulating levels of insulin —which would otherwise signal the body to hang on to fat—and causes the liver to use up fatty acids, especially those nearby visceral fat deposits, he says.

The amount of exercise you need for weight loss depends on your goals. For most people, this can mean 30 to 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise nearly every day.

Deep Belly Fat

You need some visceral fat. It provides cushioning around your organs.

But if you have too much of it, you may be more likely to get high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, dementia, and certain cancers, including breast cancer and colon cancer.

The fat doesn't just sit there. It's an active part of your body, making "lots of nasty substances," says Kristen Hairston, MD, assistant professor of endocrinology and metabolism at Wake Forest School of Medicine.

Banish Midnight Snacking

Who hasn’t found a bowl of cereal to taste better in the wee hours of the night rather than after the sun comes up? Still, it might be better to close your eating window as early in the day as is feasible for you.

“Research has shown that eating according to your body clock and natural circadian rhythms helps reduce fat storage,” says registered dietitian Elizabeth Ward, co-author of The Menopause Diet Plan: A Natural Guide to Hormones, Health, and Happiness. “Eating earlier in the day when your body is much better at processing food will help you control your weight. If you skew your calorie intake to later in the day, it’s going to be difficult for you to prevent weight gain.”

She explains this is a hormonal response related to insulin, which does a better job of clearing glucose from the blood earlier in the day. Ward’s advice? Shut down any snacking after dinner.

2. Carefully Consider Your Carbs

While dietary fat has gotten a bad rap over the years, it’s more likely that carbohydrates are the culprit of a growing waistline.

“There’s a general misunderstanding among people who have cholesterol problems that it’s simply through consumption of fat,” says internist Spencer Kroll, M.D., who specializes in cholesterol and lipid diseases in his private medical practice in Marlboro, New Jersey. “The overconsumption of carbohydrates and processed foods are the primary contributors to the accumulation of abdominal fat. I’ve spent years trying to change people’s ideas that it’s not just about ice cream and heavy cuts of meat—it’s really about carb modification.”

You don’t necessarily have to follow a low-carb eating style, but it is a good idea to reduce your consumption of simple carbs, such as fruit juice and cookies. Instead, look for carbohydrates that also come with fiber like vegetables, beans, legumes and whole grains. Aim to consume at least 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day, recommends Ward.

You may also want to experiment with your starch intake. While some people do well with potatoes, oats, rice and whole wheat bread, others don’t. “Starch can be like rocket fuel to drive insulin resistance,” says Dr. Kroll. When your body doesn’t respond well to insulin, this can lead to pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes.

. Engage In Cardio And Strength Training

Exercise is a key component of weight loss, along with belly fat reduction specifically. A mix of resistance training and aerobic activity will give you the most benefits.

Research is still underway about the optimal intensity and duration of exercise, but a good starting point is to follow the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (think fast walking and mellow bike rides) or 75 minutes of vigorous activity (like running and playing basketball) a week, along with at least two days of muscle-strengthening activities.