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The first thing you must understand is that there is no physical exercise that can reduce fat from a specific part of the body. When you burn fat for energy, as during an aerobic activity, fat loss will occur systemically, i.e., from all over the body. But since fat distribution naturally varies from person to person, depending on inherited genetic factors, some people will tend to lose abdominal fat faster while others may lose fat at say hips or thighs faster. So do not compare your abdominal fat loss graph with others.
Another thing, doing countless sit-ups and leg-raises or slogging out day in and day out on the latest abs equipment without paying heed to your diet and an aerobic activity is not going to make your abdominal fat go away. What these exercises do is to shape up and tone your abdominal muscles, but do nothing to metabolize away the layers of fat covering them. That is why the shaped and toned muscles remain elusive to the eye.
There is one and only one way of losing abdominal fat the easy way, and that is with the combination of a balanced and nutritive diet, aerobic activity, and strengthening exercises for abdominal and other muscles. The best kind of workout to burn the layers of abdominal fat along with overall fat comprises a cardiovascular or aerobic exercise like brisk walking, jogging, cycling, dancing, swimming or stair climbing, combined with abdominal exercises like crunches and hip lifts, and also weight training for other muscle groups. Weight training increases your lean muscle mass and hence your metabolic rate, implying that you burn more fat even while resting.
Glycogen (stored carbohydrates) is the primary fuel source during the first 10 minutes of an aerobic exercise. Substantial fat burning starts only after stored glycogen is depleted. Hence, the key to fat loss is working out at moderate intensity continuously for about 45 to 60 minutes. However, this comprises only 50% of the abdominal fat loss plan. The remaining 50% contribution comes from diet control. Abdominal exercises will help strengthen the muscles and give definition to the reducing midsection.
However, if your calorie intake is higher than your calorie expenditure, you are bound to put on abdominal fat as well as general body fat regardless of how diligently you work out and how many abdominal crunches you do a day- it is simple mathematics in action. Ideally, spread your calorie intake into five small meals a day instead of 2 or 3 big ones. Include a variety of foods that are rich in fiber and low in fat and sugar, with about 55% of the calories coming from carbohydrates, 30% from protein, and 15% from fat. Avoid carbohydrates late in the evening.
Remember, when it comes to losing abdominal fat, you have to adopt a holistic, whole-body approach as there are absolutely no shortcuts. A surgical shortcut like liposuction also becomes meaningless if you are not going to control to your diet, because removing fat cells from the abdomen by liposuction will lead to excess fat storage elsewhere and perhaps under the chin or on knees or shoulders- where it may look even worse than at the abdomen.
Lastly, here is a fact that is not exactly what you would want to hear: even if you are on a holistic exercise-cum-diet fat loss plan, abdominal fat is most likely going to be the last fat to leave your body.
