Getting rid of excess stomach fat can be, according to some people, the most difficult part of any all over slimming and toning fitness program. I don’t just think that stomach fat is stubborn. I think that all fat is stubborn; and none of it is easy to get rid of. Successfully cutting fat from your body (without actual cutting or other medical procedures, that is) involves eating less of the wrong things and more of the right things, and making cardio and strength training exercise a mandatory part of your daily routine.

As someone who has experimented with a number of fad diets and eating programs, I can tell you that the only thing that’s ever worked for me has been learning about proper nutrition and taking control of my own eating habits. Much of the time when people make poor food choices, it’s because they don’t know any better. I might have known that a certain fast food chain’s double cheeseburger wasn’t the healthiest thing I could put into my body, but I was shocked to learn that it contained an outrageous 950 calories: 590 of which were from fat! That’s almost 2/3 of the calories that my body needs in an entire day; and I would eat them as a late night snack!

Knowledge and awareness are everything when it comes to making wise food choices. So set yourself up for success by learning about what makes a balanced meal, how many calories your body needs each day (this varies by size, activity level, and other factors), and what types of foods you should be shopping for. If you really want to succeed in losing stomach fat, you’ll probably need to reduce the number of calories you take in each day. Learning to replace nutrient deficient foods with good sources of protein, fiber, and complex carbohydrates will make it much easier to get by on less.

If you live alone, it can be easier to take complete control of your diet than if you’re cooking for, or often eating with, family members or roommates. One of the best moves you can make to promote successful stomach fat loss is to devise a plan and share it with those people closest to you. If they understand the reason you’re not going to eat red meat anymore (or at least not very often), or why you’d prefer not to have potato chips on the counter all the time, they’ll be able to better support you. They may even be more than happy to join in with your efforts. And dieting and exercising with a buddy dramatically raises your chances for success; as opposed to going at it alone.

In the realm of exercise: intense, daily cardio sessions that last no less than 30 minutes each are ideal. If you can’t make time every day, do fewer days and more minutes each day; and keep your body working harder by using a number of cardio methods.

Strength training will also give you huge benefits, and results that you simply won’t see otherwise. By building more lean muscle mass, you’ll increase your body’s metabolism—which translates into calorie burning capacity—and lose excess fat and calories much faster than with cardio exercise alone.

The principles are simple enough: it’s the execution and will power required to follow through that make stomach fat loss so tough. But if you think you’re ready, set your mind to what must be done, and do it. You’ve got nothing to lose but some pounds of fat; and you didn’t want those anyway.