Article # 486. Steps to Burn Upper Abdomen Fat

Excess upper abdominal fat may occur from years of poor diet, lack of exercise and excess stress. Genetic factors also play a role in where your body accumulates excess belly fat. Unfortunately, performing countless repetitions of abdominal exercises every day does little to reduce the amount of upper belly fat you carry. Ab exercises help tone the muscles under the fat, but you have to lose fat throughout the body to reduce the amount of fat in your abdominal region and allow your newly toned muscles to show.

Diet

Step 1

Consume fewer calories each day than your body needs to function. Fat loss occurs when you force your body to burn fat stores for energy by consuming fewer calories. Keeping a food diary can help you determine the number of calories you consume each day.

Step 2

Replace high-calorie, low-nutrient foods with more nutrient-dense foods that help fuel and energize your body. Instead of eating chips, cookies, fast-food meals, processed foods and full-fat dairy, fill your diet with low-fat dairy, whole grains, lean protein, fresh fruits and vegetables.

Step 3

Drink more water. Reach for a cup of water instead of an energy drink, fruit drink, soda, coffee or other sugary drink. Water helps flush toxins from your body while keeping your body hydrated. "Many doctors recommend drinking eight glasses of water each day, but you can better gauge your hydration by drinking enough water to keep your urine a light yellow to clear in color.

Step 4

Eat smaller meals more often. Jump-start your metabolism in the morning by eating breakfast and keep your metabolism high by eating every two to three hours throughout the day. A quality meal balances lean protein with complex carbohydrates. For instance, cottage cheese with blueberries and sunflower seeds makes a good meal choice.

Exercise

Step 1

Develop a weekly exercise schedule. Schedule at least five 30-minute aerobic workouts and two strength-training workouts into your schedule each week. I suggest 45 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise each day to achieve weight loss.

Step 2

Exercise at a moderate to vigorous intensity during each workout. The harder your muscles have to work, the more calories your body burns and the more upper abdominal fat you lose. Start at a pace you feel comfortable exercising at and increase your intensity as that exercise level becomes easy.

Step 3

Strengthen all the major muscle groups in your body during your strength-training workouts. Perform exercises to work the muscles of your abdomen, thighs, back, shoulders and arms. Exercises such as lunges, squats, pushups and planks work several large muscle groups at one time.

Tips and Warnings

• Perform strength-training exercises using a resistance that causes your muscles to fatigue before you complete 12 repetitions. Determine the number of calories your body needs each day by using an online calorie calculator.
• Keep your consumption above minimum 1,200 calories if you're a woman (Depends on your AGE/Height/Weight), and above 1,500 calories if you're a man (Depends on your AGE/Height/Weight), to prevent your body from entering into starvation mode, where your metabolism slows down dramatically.