There is a common misconception about fat loss, people think that they should be losing weight. This is not the correct, they actually want to be losing fat. There is a difference. Weight is your body which is made up of bone, muscle, fat, special tissue and a lot of water ect. The idea here is to preserve muscle mass and lose fat because muscle actually aids you in burning fat.

Losing fat is not a one week journey; you have to make a lifestyle change. This isn't as hard as it sounds it just takes a little effort on your part. The tips I am about to provide you are not based on supplements, fad diets or crash dieting. They are based on proper nutrition and exercise. Those of you who are looking for a quick fix are out of luck, I'm sorry, there is no such thing as losing 30 lbs of fat in a week.

Here are 3 steps to help you lose belly fat:

1. Take up weight training and cardiovascular activity

The combination has been proven to provide amazing results you just need to give it a try. I recommend starting out with a 3 day a week workout split and do cardio after your weight training. This is because your body has used the majority of the stored carbohydrates during the weight training session leaving your body to burn fat while you do your cardio. Cardio can be done at a low intensity, about 60-70% of your maximum heart rate, for about 20-40 minutes depending on your level of fitness.

2. Reduce your calories

This is key to losing belly fat. There are many programs on the internet to calculate your basal metabolic rate (this is the amount of calories your body needs a day to maintain its current weight). Figure this out then subtract 500 calories. It's that simple. If you are not seeing results in a week, decrease your calories a bit more.

3. Eat foods that help you speed up your metabolism and help you feel great

Technically you could still lose weight eating chocolate as long as you're below your maintenance level, don't do this though it's just to make a point. You'll find that nutritious food is more filling, and has less calories than unhealthy food. Base your diet around lean meats, complex carbohydrates and fruits and vegetables.

You should try and eat at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. While I don't think cutting out carbohydrates completely will help, reducing them should help you significantly. Depends on what you're eating now, try to get in 100g of complex carbohydrates a day and then lower it if necessary.

That's all there is to it. Losing belly fat is as easy as working out a couple days a week, reducing your caloric intake, and choosing foods that are good for you and help you feel more energetic. Change may not happen overnight, but consistency will play a major role in the level of success you have.