Trying to lose weight is never easy, but it can seem especially difficult when your attempts are focused on the belly. However, you can shed pounds from your midsection, and the rest of your body for that matter, by committing to a simple three-month plan that focuses on improving your overall health and firming up your middle. 3 months belly fat
Month 1
Step 1
Limit your intake of highly processed foods. That includes chips, cookies, cakes, candy, ice cream and other packaged snacks.
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Step 2
Stop drinking sodas. Don’t purchase them for your home and don’t buy them at restaurants. Soda is high in calories and doesn’t offer any nutritional benefits, adding to your waistline and not your health.
Step 3
Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. Include a glass with each meal and start and end your day with one. Drinking water throughout the day will keep you hydrated, keep your metabolism functioning properly and keep your digestive system expelling waste and reducing belly bloat.
Month 2
Step 1
Exercise for 30 minutes every morning. Start your day by performing a cardiovascular exercise of your choice, such as jogging, biking, running or swimming. Any exercise that gets your heart rate up will burn calories if combined with the actions you began in the first month of your belly fat busting plan.
Step 2
Eat at least four servings of fresh vegetables and fruits every day. Keep your refrigerator stocked with them. Fresh produce is filled with fiber and water, both of which make you feel full faster, allowing you to eat fewer calories without feeling hungry.
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Step 3
Don’t eat before bedtime. Stop your intake of food two to three hours before you go to sleep. This way, your body will have time to properly digest the food of the day and metabolize all of those calories.
Month 3
Step 1
Increase the amount of time you exercise from 30 minutes to 45 minutes a day. The more exercise you do, the more calories you’ll burn and the more overall fat and belly fat you’ll eliminate.
Step 2
Perform crunches and sit-ups. Really target your midsection by doing any exercise that tightens up your abdominal muscles. Crunches and sit-ups work because they repeatedly contract and release these muscles. Do sets of 10 in the morning and evening. You can increase this number as your ab muscles strengthen.
Step 3
Perform reverse crunches and leg lifts to firm up the lower abdominal muscles. This area of the belly often looks fat even when you have toned abs. Commit to a set of 10 leg lifts and reverse crunches twice a day to tone up all of your abdominal muscles and finish off your new sleek look at the end of your three month deadline.
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A woman is running on an indoor treadmill.
Image Credit: ShotShare/iStock/Getty Images
A weight-loss rate of 1.5 pounds per week is realistic and falls within the expert-recommended range of 1 to 2 pounds per week. To lose 1.5 pounds a week, a caloric deficit is required. Since 1 pound of fat has 3,500 calories, you must create a daily deficit of 750 calories to reach a deficit of 5,250 calories in seven days. Integrating dietary changes and a regular exercise routine can help you lose weight.
Step 1
Perform 60 minutes of cardiovascular exercise on most days of the week to burn calories. In an hour, a person who weighs 150 pounds can burn 410 calories by riding a bike at a speed of 12 mph, 440 calories by walking at a speed of 4.5 mph and 400 calories playing tennis.
Step 2
Incorporate two or three 30-minute strength-training sessions into your schedule on nonconsecutive days. Strength-training stimulates muscle tissue, which takes up less space and burns more calories than fat. According to Harvard Health Publications, it can boost your metabolism by 15 percent. Perform exercises that target your major muscle groups. Start with one set of 10 repetitions and work your way up to two or three sets. Include exercises, such as bent-over rows, push-ups, bench presses, squats, crunches and lunges.
Step 3
Eat smaller portions so that you consume fewer calories. The American Council on Exercise suggests decreasing your portions by 10 to 15 percent. It also advises against skipping breakfast and recommends eating small meals throughout the day to avoid hunger.
Step 4
Swap out high-calorie, weight-loss-sabotaging foods for healthier, low-calorie alternatives. For example, instead of eating cookies, chips, candy and fast foods that are loaded with transfats and saturated fats, choose vegetables, fruits or mixed salads. Drink water instead of sodas or alcoholic beverages.
Step 5
Focus on eating a nutritious diet that consists of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, reduced-fat dairy products, lean meats, fish and poultry. 3 months belly fat
Step 6
Get about seven to eight hours of sleep each night to avoid weight gain. According to Harvard School of Public Health, lack of sleep influences appetite-stimulating hormones in your body, making it likely that you’ll end up with hard-to-combat cravings for unhealthy foods that are high in fat and carbs.
Tip
Start exercising slowly. For example, do cardio three times per week for 15 minutes, and as your cardiovascular fitness improves gradually increase the frequency and duration of workouts.
Warning
Consult your doctor before starting a new workout routine or diet, especially if you have a medical condition or an injury.
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Is It Safe to Lose 20 Pounds in One Month?
By Andrea BoldtUpdated Apr 21, 2022 Medically Reviewed by Veronica Johnson, MD
In one month’s time, you build the kind of healthy eating and exercise habits that’ll lead to sustainable weight loss. 3 months belly fat
Image Credit: Siam Pukkato / EyeEm/EyeEm/GettyImages
Whatever your motivation for wanting to lose 20 pounds in one month (say, a looming wedding, family event or graduation), unless you’re on a medically prescribed plan, this rate of weight loss is nearly impossible and unsafe to achieve in just 30 days.
However, a month does give you time to lose some weight. And, more importantly, during that time you can jump-start healthy habits that’ll help you continue to slim down in the coming weeks. Here’s how to get started.
Establish Realistic Weight-Loss Goals
To lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit, which is when you burn more calories than you eat, according to the Mayo Clinic. In order to establish a realistic goal for one month of weight loss, consider how many calories you eat to maintain your current weight (your maintenance calories).
You can find your maintenance level by tracking your meals for about a week, monitoring how many calories you eat each day. Then, assuming you don’t gain any weight during this week, you can use this general value as your calorie baseline.
In order to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week, which is generally considered a safe weight-loss goal, you need to cut between 500 and 1,000 calories per day, according to the Mayo Clinic. Creating a calorie deficit to lose 20 pounds in one month, on the other hand, entails a drastic, unsustainable diet plan, which can be risky to your health
Create a Healthy Calorie Deficit
A healthy, sustainable rate of weight loss is 1 to 2 pounds per week.
When you first start a diet plan and make drastic changes in the way you eat and exercise, you may lose more weight initially in the form of water. This rapid weight loss should level off after a couple of weeks, however.
A calorie deficit of 500 to 1,000 calories per day will help you lose between 4 and 8 pounds safely in one month. So, assuming you continue with this same rate of weight loss, you can expect to lose your goal of 20 pounds in about 2 1/2 months. 3 months belly fat
Use your calorie tracker to monitor your daily intake and deduct between 500 to 1,000 calories each day. If that puts you below the minimum recommended 1,600 calories for a woman or 2,000 calories for a man, try a less drastic calorie deficit and introduce a little more exercise to your daily routine, according to the USDA Dietary Guidelines.
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Plan Meals to Lose 20 Pounds
If you want to see the best possible results within a 30-day period, limit your consumption of processed foods, which are often high in calories but low in nutrients. Regularly eating ultra-processed foods can lead to overconsumption, potentially adding as much as 500 calories to your daily intake, according to a May 2019 study published in Cell Metabolism.
Instead of packaged foods such as snack crackers, cereal bars and soda, eat plenty of lean protein at each meal to ward off hunger, recommends the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Fill up on fiber-filled veggies and fruit, but limit the dressings, sauces and butter you use to flavor these foods. Use citrus juice, vinegar, fresh herbs, spices and sparse amounts of olive oil to add zest.
Make sure to select snacks that are high in nutrients but low in calories. Quality snacks that can support your quest to lose 20 pounds include:
- Fresh fruit
- A handful of nuts
- Low-fat cheese
- Low-fat yogurt
With some clever thinking, you can find ways to add plenty of volume to your meals.
Augment Weight Loss With Exercise
Increasing your physical activity levels will help you lose weight more quickly and keep it off in the long run. If you don’t already exercise, use the month to work toward at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity cardiovascular activities, such as brisk walking or water aerobics, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 3 months belly fat
Implement a consistent strength-training regimen to maximize your weight loss. If you’re new to this type of exercise, the HHS recommends two or more days of weight training per week. Building more muscle in your body will improve your metabolism and therefore increase the amount of calories your body burns in a day, according to the Mayo Clinic.
With every workout, aim for at least one exercise that hits every major muscle group — including the chest, arms, back, abs, hips, legs and shoulders — with a minimum of one set of 6 to 12 repetitions, according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). For more guidance on creating a resistance-training program
Your 3-Week Plan to Kickstart a Fitness Routine
By Bojana GalicUpdated Aug 21, 2019Fact Checked
While three weeks isn’t a long period of time, you can introduce healthy lifestyle changes to keep your fitness improving for the long term. 3 months belly fat
Image Credit: Cavan Images/Cavan/GettyImages
Got a big event coming up in three weeks that you want to look your best for? While that’s not enough time for a total transformation, three weeks is enough time to make some healthy lifestyle changes and set up a solid routine.
Improvements in fitness come with patience and consistency, and there’s no better time to begin than the present! Use the next 21 days to jump-start healthy exercise and eating habits through consistent workouts and cleaning up your diet. 3 months belly fat
Start With a Solid Cardio Routine
You can’t expect to go from sedentary to super fit in only three weeks, but you can certainly improve your fitness level. If you’re not currently exercising, start by introducing a consistent weekly cardio and strength training program to enhance your fitness level.
Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity cardio workouts each week, recommends the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Start with a moderate activity like brisk walking; or if you feel up to a more aggressive workout, try running, jogging, rowing or swimming to burn more calories.
Add Intervals to Your Cardio
If you’re already doing regular cardio, kick it up a notch by adding intervals to your routine. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) gives you results faster than steady-state cardio, according to the Mayo Clinic, as it burns more calories in less time — great for a tight deadline! 3 months belly fat
After warming up, perform your cardio at a higher intensity for 30 to 60 seconds, followed by a one- to two-minute recovery interval. Alternate between work and recovery for the duration of your workout (20 to 30 minutes total).
Don’t Forget to Strength Train
Aim to strength-train twice a week, recommends the CDC. If you’re new to strength training, consider performing compound exercises, as they burn more calories and improve coordination and movement, according to the American Council on Exercise (ACE). Exercises like deadlifts, squats, pull-ups and push-ups are a great place to start, ACE recommends.
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Another tip for newbies: Perfect your form with the body-weight version of an exercise first before adding any weight. You’ll be surprised at how much strength you’ll gain and how your body composition can change without any fancy equipment.
Warning
Remember to check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program. If you’re not sure where to begin with cardio or strength training, consult a fitness professional for help designing a plan.
Clean Up Your Diet
The first place to start if you’re looking to lose weight or body fat or improve your overall health monitoring your food intake. Cut back (or cut out) highly processed foods, added sugars and refined carbohydrates and instead fill your plate with fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein and healthy fats.
If weight loss is your goal, you should prioritize creating a sustainable caloric deficit (when you burn more calories than you consume). Keeping a food diary or using a food tracking app on your phone is the best way to get an idea of your daily intake.
Once you have an idea of how many calories you’re consuming to maintain your current weight, you can safely trim between 500 and 1,000 calories from your daily intake, according to the Mayo Clinic. Stick to the lower end of that range if you’re also going to be working out, as your body will need fuel for exercise.
Minimize Bloating Before Your Event
Fine-turning your diet before your deadline can minimize bloating, which can make you look trimmer and more fit. While simply eliminating processed foods can help improve bloating issues, certain foods, known as FODMAPS, are hard to digest and can cause increased bloating, according to Harvard Health Publishing. These foods include legumes, onions, artichokes and asparagus, among others.
Artificial sugars or sweeteners are also known to cause excess bloat or gas, according to Harvard Health Publishing. Avoid carbonated beverages — not only are sugary soft drinks packed with calories, but the carbonation in these drinks can trigger bloating.
Keep a Realistic Perspective
While improvements in fitness don’t happen overnight, creating a healthy exercise and diet routine can set you up for long-term success beyond your three-week deadline. Begin to build a sustainable routine and with some consistency and patience, you’ll begin to see (and keep) the results you’re looking for.
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Can You Get Rid of Fat Deposits on the Front of the Stomach
By Candice Hughes
Healthy Diet
Image Credit: g-stockstudio/iStock/Getty Images
Having excess belly fat can increase your risk for serious diseases, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, some cancers, diabetes, stroke, high cholesterol and metabolic syndromes. A combination of tactics that include exercise, diet and lifestyle change can reduce belly fat and decrease your risk of dying early. Get your doctor’s approval before beginning any new exercise routine or diet.
Step 1
Aim to get at least 60 minutes of moderate- or vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise three to five days each week to increase your chances of losing fat. Try walking, running, dancing, cycling or swimming to burn excess calories. Perform circuit training. Designate up to eight stations around your home with sets of dumbbells, a staircase, an exercise mat and a clear space on the floor. Alternate between stations performing short, three-minute bouts of cardio and strength training for 30 minutes in total. 3 months belly fat
Step 2
Engage in strength or resistance training two or more days each week that targets every muscle group. Use hand weights, kettlebells, cable pulley machines at your gym or use your own body weight as resistance. Start with the highest weight you can lift comfortably and aim to perform one set of eight to 10 reps of each exercise. Work your way up to adding more sets and a higher weight over time. Resistance training will build muscle and boost your fat-burning potential up to a couple of hours after your workout.
Step 3
Strengthen and tone your abdominal muscles — the obliques, rectus abdominus and transversus — by performing basic exercises, such as crunches on an exercise ball or the bicycle maneuver. You won’t burn the fat off of your stomach by doing these exercises, but you will be toning the muscles. Once you’ve attended to the necessary cardio and strength workouts to actually reduce fat, you’ll start to notice the definition on the front of your stomach.
Step 4
Eat a healthy diet full of fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains and lean meats. Use a daily calorie estimate calculator to help you determine how many calories to eat based on your height, weight, age, gender and activity level. Creating a calorie deficit while trying to lose weight is effective, but not at the expense of your nutritional needs. If your activities for a particular day are more strenuous, you’ll have to consume more calories.
Step 5
Increase the amount of daily physical activity you get to burn calories and lose excess belly fat. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park farther away from the building at work or when running errands to increase your walking — you can also vacuum an extra day each week or start a garden. 3 months belly fat
Step 6
Reduce your alcohol consumption. Alcohol increases the calories you take in and can make it harder for you to lose belly fat and may even cause you to gain fat. If you do drink, do so moderately. 3 months belly fat
Tip
You can keep track of whether or not you have too much belly fat by measuring your waist regularly. Women with a waist circumference of 35 or more inches and men with a waist circumference of more than 40 inches are considered to have excess belly fat.
How to Get Six-Pack Abdominals in Three Months
By Katie WinterhofUpdated Jul 9, 2019 Reviewed by Aubrey Bailey, PT, DPT, CF-L1
Be prepared to set goals to build those 6 pack abs.
Image Credit: PeopleImages/E+/GettyImages
Achieving the body you want in a short time requires focus on your middle section, and six-pack abdominals are something to strive for. It can be difficult to get the ripped look quickly, but it is possible. 3 months belly fat
With a strict commitment to eating a healthy, well-balanced diet and taking your abdominal exercises to the extreme, you may be able to develop six-pack abs in three months. Be prepared to set goals, make a plan to achieve them and commit to pushing beyond your exercise comfort zone. With determination, you’ll be turning heads at the beach in three months.
Read more: 10-best-abs-exercises-for-women
Set Yourself Up for Success
Focus on overall weight loss. Eat a healthy diet that includes more lean meat, veggies and fruits than empty carbs. Exercise aerobically at a moderate intensity for 150 to 300 minutes a week.
- Start with a healthy, balanced diet. ACE Fitness claims that six-pack abs are created in the kitchen, not the gym.Stay away from processed and refined foods. Choose vegetables, fruits and lean protein instead. Eliminate liquid calories, such those from as sodas, energy drinks and coffee with sweeteners. Flush your system and improve your metabolism with water. Drink at least half of your body weight in ounces of water a day. If, for example, your weight is 128 pounds, drink 64 ounces daily.
- Begin a cardio workout. Think running, spinning, swimming, kickboxing or step aerobics. Find a high-intensity exercise routine to burn a higher amount of calories. Commit to exercising seven times a week for at least 30 to 45 minutes a day. Include a strength-conditioning workout three times a week to burn fat and build muscle. 3 months belly fat
- Focus on your abdominal muscles every day. Make a plan to work each section of your abdominals. For example, work your upper abs on Monday, your lower abs on Tuesday, your obliques on Wednesday and your total abdominal muscles on Thursday. Then repeat the cycle over the next four workout days.
Read more: the-best-home-abs-workout
Perform Abdominal Exercises
Perform ab exercises in a variety of ways. Use a stability ball, medicine ball and your own body weight to achieve your goal. 3 months belly fat
- Focus on your upper abs. Perform a stability ball crunch with the ball under your lower back and your feet flat on the floor, with your knees at a 90-degree angle. Place your hands behind your head, keeping elbows out. Crunch up and hold the contraction for one count and return to a neutral position. Remain in the contraction as you crunch up and down, careful not to recline all the way back on the ball. Perform as many of these as you can in one minute. Complete five sets, with a 20-second rest between sets.
Some Important Tips
- Work your lower abs with stability ball pikes. Get into a plank position with the stability ball under your feet by slowly walking out. Keeping your legs straight, move the ball toward your chest, bending at the waist and lifting your hips. Hold for a count of two and retract to the beginning position. Do five sets of 20 to 30 repetitions.
- Focus on your obliques with seated medicine ball trunk rotations. In a sitting position, holding a medicine ball in front of you, lean halfway back and lift your feet off the floor. Rotate your trunk to one side and then to the opposite side, keeping the medicine ball in line with your belly button. Keep your back erect throughout the exercise, not letting the ball touch the floor on either side. Perform as many rotations as possible in one minute and rest for 30 seconds. Complete five cycles. 3 months belly fat
- Work your entire abdominal region with planks. Assume a position similar to that required for traditional push-ups: body straight, but with the area of your arms from elbow to wrist — instead of your hands — touching the floor. Staying on your toes, hold the position for one minute, rest for 20 seconds. Complete four cycles.
Consult a physician before beginning any new exercise routine or diet change.
