Lose the Muffin Top/Flat Tire

Doctors continually urge patients to lose excess abdominal weight. Studies indicate people who have apple shapes (rounder in the middle) are more prone to develop diabetes and heart disease. In addition to the additional stresses extra weight puts on your body, it also increases the risk for these diseases. Not only do you look better at a more normal weight, but losing those extra pounds could save you lots of health problems in the future.

In order to lose weight on the stomach, it's necessary to combine aerobic exercises with strength training. The combination of these two types of exercises helps build muscle mass, which in turn burns more fat and calories.

Examples of aerobic exercises great for trimming your tummy are:

Walking
Jogging
Running
Swimming
Dancing
Aerobics
Kick Boxing
Karate
Elliptical Machines

Aerobic exercises work your entire body. They get your blood pumping, your heart rate up and work to tone your entire body. Exercises just targeting your stomach aren't going to be enough to get rid of your muffin top. This is because a layer of fat covers your abdominal muscles. No matter how much you exercise those muscles, it's still not going to burn off the fat. So, even if your abs become rock hard, this layer of fat hides them. That's why you must exercise your entire body to burn fat.

Adding strength training to your exercise plan increases your body's ability to burn fat. Muscle mass burns more calories than fat does. When your body is more muscled, it burns more calories in a shorter amount of time. In fact, you'll burn more calories even when at rest.

When strength training, you can use free weights or a weight machine. However, be careful when starting. You want to lift enough to make a difference, but not so much that you injure yourself. You don't have to lift a lot of weight, you just have to lift it in for several repetitions in order to have an effect.

When fighting the muffin top, cut calories and begin to eat healthier. Include a healthy serving of fruits and vegetables in your meals. They are low in fat and contain natural sugars. Essentially, you can eat as many fruits and vegetables as you need to satisfy hunger. They're good for you!

Cut out high fat foods. Reduce the amount of deep-fried foods you eat. Drink low-fat milk. Eliminate alcohol from your diet entirely because it's been proven that calories derived from alcohol cause fat to settle in your mid-section.

Reduce your calorie intake. The only way to lose weight is to take in fewer calories than your body uses. To accomplish this, cut portion sizes and make healthier foods selections. Pay attention to food labels. They have a lot of helpful information when making choices at the grocery store. If a food consists of two thirds fat, choose something else. Some experts encourage dieters to eat five small meals a day instead of 3 meals to keep your body fueled. Try this and see if you feel less hungry.