It's pretty evident by looking around that losing belly fat is a concern affecting millions of Americans. It's no secret that belly fat contributes to health concerns like diabetes and heart disease. But, I'm saddened by the misinformation that is out there regarding the proper way to lose the extra weight. It's no wonder that people continue to battle the bulge.

The fact is, you can't "spot reduce" fat. When fat is burned for fuel, it's burned throughout your body. This is why you can do all the crunches you want, and never see a six-pack. The key is to do consistent cardiovascular activity that will increase your calorie burn, resulting in increased fat loss. Doing cardio that engages your major muscle groups, such as walking, biking, swimming, etc. are good options. I've been reading other blogs and hearing "20 minutes, 3 times a week," and I know why this is the going suggestion, but I'm going to be honest: unless you are brand new to exercise, you need to either be going longer, or doing cardio more often to really reach your goals.

Here's why: the key to fitness has a handy acronym, F.I.T., Frequency, Intensity, & Time. You need to make sure your exercise is frequent (and consistent), at an intensity level that ranges between a 6-9 (on a scale of 1-10, 1 being sleeping, 10 being a full-out sprint), and is of sufficient time to reach your calorie-burn goal. If you've got a significant goal for weight-loss, you need to make a significant commitment to the frequency and/or length of your workout.

In addition to doing cardio, which will help with fat loss, you need to consider adding a weight program to your workout. This can be as little as 20 minutes, 2x a week. Concentrate on exercises that engage your large muscle groups: chest, back, legs, butt, and arms. You don't need a gym membership to do these exercises. Squats, lunges, push-ups, dips using a chair, and simple dumbbell exercises are all a great place to start. If you do ab exercises, concentrate on your whole "core," with exercises such as the plank. This will help prevent back strain.

The benefit of weight training is that as you build more muscle, your body mass that is muscle burns more calories at rest, increasing your total daily calorie burn, regardless of whether you worked out that day or not. Also, muscle is more dense than fat, allowing 1 pound of muscle to take up considerably less space than 1 pound of fat. You will see a change in the shape of your body (contouring, toning) before you see a change on the scale.

Finally, you can't forget adjustments to your eating habits. We've all heard "eat more veggies, eat lean meats, eat high-quality carbs, etc." These are good guidelines, but start with small changes that fit easily with your lifestyle: cut mayonnaise off your sandwiches, choose pasta with marinara sauce instead of alfredo sauce, choose a grilled dish instead of fried, switch to light salad dressings, etc. Once you've made a little change that works, add another one. Food is a huge part of our social lives--changing drastically and immediately can be a sure-fire way to fail. And remember--foods with high fat content aren't necessarily what makes you fat. Fat gain is cause by consuming more calories than you burn, regardless of the source of calories. If you eat non-fat or low-fat foods in huge portions, you'll still sabotage your weight-loss efforts. Try to eat sensibly and conscientiously on a regular basis.

Losing belly fat can seem overwhelming. What it boils down to is what you hear all the time: eat right & exercise. This is true, but you have to know how to go about doing it. I hope this helps you get there.

~Yours in Health