Really, if one thinks about it, it's ridiculous that so many people are still struggling to loose the belly fat. The reason I say this is because when one considers the astronomical amounts of money spent each year on weight loss supplements and exercise programs, the problem really should be long gone.

To be honest, I was also desperate to loose the belly fat at one point in my life and while I may not have tried all the different diet pills, I certainly made up for it by reading everything I could find on the subject hoping to stumble across the perfect secret.

Firstly, I came across a wealth of diets that all claimed to offer 100% positive results and while some do work, at least in the short term, others are just plain dangerous. Secondly, I looked at numerous exercise programs and here again, while some were that weak that they could never show results, others were completely over the top as far as your average person is concerned.

So how did I manage to loose the belly fat in the end? I was told about interval training and believe me; I never looked back after that. It's not only me telling you it works, but science as well. Yes, it's been proven that interval training is perhaps the most effective weight loss strategy in the world. The favorite recommendation from trainers seems to be steady state cardio and yes, a session will cause your body to burn fat for up to thirty minutes. Now compare it to interval training. Just a single session will result in your body burning up fat for up to forty hours and that in my opinion is simply amazing.

If anyone reading this has doubts then just consider the results of a study which was conducted at Tremblay in 1994. Using two groups of volunteers, one group was put on a steady state cardio program while the second group was put on an interval training program. As you've more than likely already guessed, the results were overwhelming. Those on the interval training program had lost nine times as much subcutaneous fat compared to those who had been doing steady state cardio.

What impressed researchers even more, was the fact that the interval training had actually altered the participants' metabolisms in a permanent way. In other words, even after the study had been completed, their bodies remained more efficient at burning fat.

If one considers that those initial studies took place back in 1994, it stands to reason that over the years; techniques have been refined, thus making interval training even more effective than it was back then. Obviously, results will depend on the level of training you do as well as the intensity of your training. For beginners starting off with a twenty minute training session and doing this three times each week, they can expect to loose about 2lbs per week

The exercises are pretty intense and if you are a beginner you would be advised to start slowly and ease into it. Whether you just have a few pounds to lose or a lot more, this is the most effective way to lose the belly fat.