The harsh reality is that a fat belly which hangs over your trousers is not a pretty sight. This can lead to confidence issues which, in turn can impact upon your social life. So the question I ask you and indeed myself is how can we lose belly fat without having to endure those terrible diets or forcing ourselves to exercise every day.

The answer is relatively straight forward and is neither crash diets nor extreme exercise. In fact the body does not take kindly to rapid changes in diet or exercise. Learn from the friends that you have whom have a flat belly if you are wondering how to lose belly fat. I bet those same friends do very little yet they do not have much belly fat to lose. Is it genetic makeup that dictates our body shape?

Although genetics does play a role in our frame size, it has little to do with how to lose belly fat. Individuals will as a whole, lose belly fat with the right life style; that is a low fat high fiber diet with enough exercise to ensure that your calorie intake is less than the calories which you burn, over a prolonged period. When I say diet, I also mean taking the correct food that accelerates our body's tendency for metabolism. As a general rule of thumb this generally constitutes a diet of energy foods such as meat, poultry, and dairy products. You may question this however eating these foods in addition to undertaking moderate exercise drives these foods to do their work. Your body is a machine that stores and burns energy. It becomes a well-oiled machine if you incorporate diet and exercise together.

So which types of exercises will help us how to lose belly fat? This does not have to include going to the gym although gym work using toning machines like cross trainers can burn hundreds of calories. Simply vacuuming your house several times a week can do great wonders in burning excessive fat. Walking and running around the neighborhood for a mere 20 minutes regularly does not only help you how to lose belly fat but they can also strengthen your lower body.

Teaching ourselves how to lose belly fat is only half the battle however as if you are in this for the long haul, maintaining your good condition forever is key. How can you maintain a healthy, slim figure even as you go through the phases of aging? Here are some practical tips on how to lose belly fat and keep your athletic build for life:

- Drink plenty of water all throughout the day, preferably 8 or more glasses. As the universal solution, water dissolves stubborn fat and helps spread out the nutrients that are otherwise stuck in your intestines.

- Eat meals in moderate proportion. It's okay to eat 6 meals a day as long as you make sure you avoid the lures of overeating. Your goal should always be burning more energy than you consume.

- To avoid the temptations of eating at inappropriate times, keep yourself busy. Try to find physical activities that would occupy your mind like mowing the lawn or walking your dog. The less you think about food, the more you avoid falling into the trap of overeating.

- Eat slowly, taking time to chew every bit of your food. Doing this sends signals to your brain that you are already full.

Copyright (c) 2009 Lakeland eBooks