If you have dreams of having six-pack abs but have never been able to obtain them regardless of what you do, then you may have to find a way to lose stomach fat before the muscles can be seen.
Unfortunately, the stomach is one of those areas of the body where fat tends to accumulate.
For women, stomach fat often increases with age as the metabolism slows down and even more so after menopause.
What you may not realize is that not only do you need to lose stomach fat which is visible, but you also have a deeper layer of fat in the stomach area known as visceral fat.
This is the fat that puts your health at risk and increases your chances of developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease and even some types of cancer.
While it is important to lose stomach fat in those deeper areas, that is not the fat responsible for covering your abdominal muscles.
Luckily, visceral fat usually responds easily to efforts to burn fat so you can lose both types of fat to look better and be healthier without any added effort! The steps you need to take to lose stomach fat and develop the six-pack abs you've always dreamed of are: •Exercise.
It is a well established fact that sit-ups and crunches do not help you burn fat.
If used alone, they won't help you build six-pack abs either.
You will need an exercise program made up of cardiovascular exercise to burn fat, as well as strength training exercises which work all of the abdominal muscles.
Cardiovascular exercise should be performed daily at moderate intensity to achieve maximum results.
•Change your eating habits.
Don't cut all fat from your diet.
However, do replace saturated fats with healthier choices.
Substitute complex carbohydrates like those found in fresh fruits and vegetables for simple carbohydrates like those in white breads, pasta and sweets.
To lose stomach fat, you will also need to reduce the number of calories you eat by selecting lower calorie choices and eating smaller portions.
•Firm your core.
The core muscles are those in your torso, including the abdominals.
A workout which is designed to strengthen your core muscles will also support the surrounding muscles.
This will help you perform your exercises correctly and with good form so they are more effective.
•Don't rely on the newest trend in exercise equipment.
For some reason, it seems easier to rely on equipment to perform exercises than to do exercises independently.
Unfortunately, most of the equipment which is guaranteed to be the best to help you lose stomach fat limits you to only one or very few moves.
Repetitive movements are not enough to build the muscle for a defined six-pack.
Also, most people aren't consistent in using this type of equipment.
•Find something you enjoy to get your cardiovascular workout.
A monotonous routine will get boring early on and boredom leads to defeat.
Whether you turn to taking a brisk walk for at least thirty minutes each day or a few laps in the pool, consistency is the most important feature of a good workout to help you lose stomach fat.
Even though you may have dreamed of obtaining six-pack abs for a number of years, focusing on the improvement in your health which you will gain from losing both types of stomach fat will give you an added incentive to stick with your plan.