3 Ways to Lose Belly Fat Fast

Your belly is the first place the body stores fat.

Some of the fat you can see. It’s just under the skin, and it’s called subcutaneous. Another fat is deep inside your body and around your vital organs. It’s called visceral.

You may be more concerned about the fat you can see, but it’s actually the fat you can’t see that causes serious health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer.

Both types of fat play an important role, but they can cause problems when you have too much.

Want to trim both types of fat to healthy levels?

Here are three proven ways to lose belly fat fast and improve your appearance and your health.

Tip #1: Combine Aerobic and Resistance Exercises

“If you’re overweight or mildly obese and want to lose fat — vigorous aerobic training was better than resistance training,” says researcher Cris Slentz, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist at Duke University Medical Center; speaking about a study published in late 2011.

In the 8-month study, men and women were combined into three groups. The first group walked or jogged 12 miles a week on an inclined treadmill. The second group did three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions on weight training machines, three times a week. The third group combined both workouts.

At the end of the study, people in the aerobic group lost the most visceral fat. Participants in the combination group lost more belly fat but less visceral fat. The weight training group lost the least belly fat; they lost some subcutaneous fat, and they gained some visceral fat.

What’s the science behind these results? According to Mark Tarnopolsky, MD, Ph.D. aerobic training reduces belly fat better because it burns more calories than weight training.

“Years ago, we found that the energy cost of a very intense circuit weight training in young men was only about 250 calories an hour,” says Tarnopolsky. On the other hand, people who ran for an hour could burn 500 to 750 calories.

Strength training is still relevant, though, which is why Tarnopolsky recommends performing aerobic and resistance exercises. And as studies show, this combination is one of the best ways to lose belly fat.

Tip #2: Use Potent, Natural Fat Burners

If you’re not burning enough belly fat at the gym, clinically-proven, natural fat burners can help you stoke up a fat-burning flame:

Caffeine anhydrous

At least three studies show that caffeine can stimulate thermogenesis, a process that converts calories into heat instead of fat. Because of these findings, caffeine has become one of the most popular ingredients in diet pills that burn fat fast.

One example is Xenadrine Results, which uses caffeine and other proven fat burners to help people have more energy and achieve faster fat loss. To learn more about how caffeine works in diet pills, read this Xenadrine Results review.

Dose for weight loss: 200-400 mg of caffeine a day

Green tea

Studies show that green tea can boost fat metabolism and help reduce belly fat. It’s a natural source of caffeine, which may be one reason why it has this ability. However, researchers believe it’s the catechins–a type of antioxidant–in green tea that gives it this fat-burning ability.

Dose for weight loss: 200-400 mg of green tea extract a day

Irvingia Gabonensis

Also known as African Mango, this fruit has been proven to increase insulin sensitivity, which stimulates the body to burn fat faster. It also improves your sensitivity to leptin, which is the hormone that tells your brain to stop eating when your stomach is full. Because of this, Irvingia gabonensis also works as a natural appetite suppressant and helps you keep unnecessary calories out of your body.

Dose for weight loss: studies show that you need around 250 mg of Irvingia gabonensis a day

Tip #3: Cut 11 Foods out of Your Diet

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not the number of crunches you do that determines if you have six-pack abs or not. It’s the layer of fat and skin that covers your abdominal muscles. You could have strong, toned muscles, but if your stomach is bloated or covered with fat, those muscles will never see the light of day.

If you want your six-pack to shine through, one of the ways to lose belly fat is to cut these 11 foods out of your diet:

1. Candy – It tastes delicious, but this sugar-filled treat will prevent you from having a flat stomach.

2. White Flour – Because it’s highly-processed, white flour has no nutritional value.

3. Soda – Full of dyes and sugar, this fizzy beverage is brimming with calories that will stick to your waistline

4. Potato Chips – This crunchy treat is tasty because it’s soaked in unhealthy oils and fats. Not to mention the salt that promotes water retention and bloating.

5. Cheese – Adding flavorful cheese to your meals also adds fat.

6. Cookies – Even low-calorie cookies are full of sugar that can quickly turn into fat. And the first place it goes is usually your stomach.

7. Fatty Meats – Beef, bologna, pork, and other high-fat meats have no place on your shopping list if you want a flat belly.

8. Whole Milk – It tastes better than 1% or skimmed; that’s for sure, but whole milk adds fat and cholesterol to your diet.

9. Alcohol – A 12-ounce beer has about 150 calories. You may enjoy it now, but the extra time you have to spend at the gym to burn it off may make you question if it was worth it.

10. Chocolate – Dark chocolate can be good for your health, but chocolate shouldn’t be part of your diet if you want to lose belly fat.

11. Fried Foods – Some fried foods are made up of more than 50% fat! If you wish for a toned, trim belly, avoid these foods at all costs!

A Flat Belly, a Healthier You

Trimming belly fat has some outward advantages. It can improve your appearance and help you get the toned abs you’ve always wanted. But perhaps the most important reason to lose belly fat is to improve your health and reduce your chances of developing a disease.

“Lifestyle changes that include healthier diets, regular physical activity, and weight loss of 7%-10% have shown phenomenal health benefits,” says David Katz MD, MPH. He goes on to say that lowering your body weight and leading a healthy lifestyle can prevent 80% of diabetes, 80% of heart disease, and 60% of cancers.

What are you waiting for? Three proven ways to lose belly fat fast are at your fingertips.