When you pulled your jeans on this morning, did they feel tighter than they did yesterday? Did you have to resort to the old coat hanger trick to zip them up? And did the waistband cut in more painfully when you sat down?

Yes? I know the feeling well! And while we would like to believe our jeans shrank in the clothes dryer, we also know that isn't always the case.

So if you would like to fit into your jeans and look great in them, too, read on to discover just how to reduce belly fat today.

To start with, remember there are two aspects to 'belly fat' as generally described.
What may look like fat may be both fat and poor muscle tone.

The other point is that there is no diet that targets a specific area of your body. On the other hand, it is possible to lose weight overall within a fortnight and gain a 'leaner' look all round. Once you have done that, the right exercises will give you the toned tummy you're looking for. So, any attempt to lose your 'spare tires', 'love handles' or 'pooch belly' has to be two pronged. You will need to:

• go on a diet to lose weight overall, including fat around your waist
• take up an exercise that builds muscle tone, in particular, muscle tone around the waist

Eat well

Start by ensuring that you are eating healthy. By eating heathy, I mean eating nutritious food in the appropriate quantities at the appropriate times. Feel free to check this hub for more on this point.

Remember also, that if you consume 100 calories a day in excess of what you use up, you'll gain just under a pound a month. Over a year, this adds up to around 10 pounds. You can do the math to work out how much weight you will gain if you let this go on for 5, 10 or 20 years.

Drink water

Ensure you drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Water fills you up in between meals. Quite often, when we think we are hungry, we're actually thirsty. So have a go...before grabbing some additional food, drink a glass of water, then wait for 10 minutes to see whether the feeling of hunger subsides.

If you are exercising in addition to following a diet plan, drinking enough water is critical part of your body's cooling mechanism. In addition, the water will rehydrate you generally and improve your brain function.

Sleep well

Make sure you get at least 7 hours of sleep a night. Lack of sleep adversely affects the hormones which regulate your appetite. Too little sleep and you may feel more hungry than you otherwise would.

You don't have to join a gym to start exercising. Just going for a brisk walk half an hour a day, 3 to 4 days a week is a good way of burning calories, reducing body fat and improving your overall health. You will also find you sleep better because you will be more relaxed. Just remember to finish your exercise more than 3 hours before you sleep or you may find yourself to energized to doze off.

My own experience with exercise indicates that it is unlikely that you will build a noticeable amount of muscle in two weeks from a 'standing start'. Muscle building takes a longer, concerted effort. In addition, exercise won't burn fat from a specific part of your body.

On the other hand exercise, particularly in the morning, will crank up your metabolism so you start to burn fat overall. You will also start to metabolise food at a better rate and for longer during the day.

In addition, be sure to tone up muscles such as the transverse abdominus, the 'deep' muscles that wrap around your waist from front to back and from ribs to hips, rather like a corset. While simple crunches or sit ups are better than nothing, if you really want to move on from losing belly fat to gaining muscle definition around your belly, you will need to do these specialised exercises. I've found walking, particularly uphill, trims my waist. Pilates and the Truth About Abs program mentioned below offer a range of excellent exercises that will assist you to strengthen and tone your body core and waistline. 

Change begins in the mind, however, it doesn't occur until we take action.

Coaches sometimes talk about 'taking massive action'. I think that concept can put people off.

My preference is to dream big (realistic) dreams and take small steps every day to achieve them. This way I keep my eye on the ball and make progress, too.

So, good luck with your efforts to achieve a healthy life style (and reduce belly fat!) :-)

If you would like to learn more about how to reduce belly fat, feel free to check these three programs:

• Strip That Fat - Lose up to 10 lbs in just 2 weeks!
• Fitness Model Program - How to look like a fitness model without being one!
• Truth About Abs - How to Lose Stubborn Belly Fat