In order for you body to burn fat, it has to be in a "fat burning" state. This article will show you the 2 main ways to lose belly fat.

1. Increase Your Metabolism

What exactly is metabolism? It is your body's ability to burn calories. If you have a high metabolism, your body burns lots of calories. If you have a low metabolism, your body will not burn as many.

The most important thing you can do to raise your metabolism is to add muscle. To most people, adding muscle to burn fat sounds counterintuitive. The truth is, muscle burns calories like a car burns gas. The more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn, and the more belly fat you will lose.

The best way to raise your metabolism is by exercise. There are two great ways to do this. The first one is strength training, and the other is interval training.

Strength training adds muscle. Don't worry about getting "big and bulky". This only happens when you train very specifically with diet and exercise. Strength training will add lean muscle mass, which will burn more calories at rest and while being active. Who doesn't want to burn fat while at rest? Strength training is one of the best ways to lose belly fat.

Interval training is different from traditional cardio in the sense that it incorporates alternating between high and low intensities. For example, you could get on a stationary bike and go for 2 minutes slow and 1 minute fast, then repeat 3-6 times. This is a basic interval training structure. This is better than regular "same speed" cardio because it really works your body hard!

During those intense minutes, you are stimulating your body to raise its metabolism for hours after you are done exercising. Just like with strength training, you are making your body burn calories after you are done exercising. This is a must when trying to lose belly fat.

2. Create a Caloric Deficit

This is all done by diet! You would be surprised to know just how many calories you actually consume per day. You can keep a food log and then analyze it with this free website:

www.fitday.com

Remember that there are 3,500 calories in 1 lb. If you cut back by just 500 calories per day, then over the course of 1 week you have lost 1 lb of fat. The problem area is that a lot of times we underestimate the number of calories in the foods we eat. Once you understand this, you will lose belly fat quicker than ever.

Another way you can use diet to lose belly fat is by eating a lot of fiber. Fiber is very hard for your body to break down. Your body actually uses calories to help break down fiber during digestion. This is one of those foods that "burn fat" and increases your metabolism. Small changes like this will help you lose belly fat.

Cutting back on bad carbs is also a great way to lose belly fat. When consuming bad carbs such as sugar, white bread, junk food, etc., your blood sugar gets very high. When you have high blood sugar, your body releases insulin to store it as fat. If you consume good carbs such as fiber, brown rice, and whole wheat pasta, your blood sugar does not spike as high, and in turn not as much is stored as fat.

If you follow these tips, you will synergistically turn your body into a fat burning machine that will make you lose belly fat in no time.

Good luck to you and remember to keep learning and stay persistent. The effort to lose belly fat does not have to be slow and frustrating!