Quickest and easiest way to loose belly fat??

[extraconfusedhelp]

What would you say is the quickest way to loose fat from the belly?

I have recently started back at the gym, was meant to be going today but couldnt get a sitter, now I'm feeling bad about it.

I have got the 30day shred, so I'm going to do that later.

Any tips on what I should be doing and how long it will take to see a difference?

[Sleepwhenidie]

spot reduction is really difficult. Are you overweight or is it just your belly you are bothered about? FWIW sugar is meant to be the worst thing for belly fat, it increases insulin which causes fat to be stored particularly on the tummy...so if you are serious, give it up (very hard, it is in so many things, including wine and lots of other things you wouldn't necessarily think it would be!)

Exercise wise, shred is supposed to be fantastic and if you can add in extra cardio then all the better, you need to burn fat generally in order to get rid of the tum. Do planks and side planks but at this stage don't spend ages on crunches etc - you need to strip the fat to see any muscles underneath so while they are important your time now would be better spent burning fat than working on abs...although I don't mean excluding resistance training altogether, as it is as important as cardio as it has so many benefits, not least increasing your metabolism. Cardio such as running, skipping and swimming, also resistance training will also strengthen your core too.

If/when you are reasonably fit try interval training which is amazing for fat burning (though tough) and has the advantage of not taking up much time, 15-20 minutes is enough.

If you are doing something almost every day then you should start seeing results within a couple of weeks, especially if you combine it with healthy eating...

Good luck!

[extraconfusedhelp]

Thank you very much for the advice, I am alittle over weight.

I'm nearly 10stone, and think the ideal weight for me is around 9.3/9.4 so need to loose about 9lbs. so not too much but its hard to do.

I am planning on working out 4 times per week.

[Sleepwhenidie]

I think the shred is intended for every day, it is just 20 minutes, which obviously isn't going to hurt to your efforts but I'm not sure it will have the effect it sets out for if only used 4 times a week. If I were you I would train in the gym with weights for about 20 minutes twice a week and follow this with 20 minutes interval training and then stretching. On the other two days do a longer cardio session of at least 45 minutes. Cut out sugar if you can, also make pasta, bread and alcohol occasional treats and try and avoid carbs in the evening, it is surprising what a difference that will all make.

Livestrong.com or myfitnesspal are great tools for tracking what you eat and how much exercise you are doing, I find they are fantastic for focusing my mind on whether I really want that bar of chocolate or if I definitely want to skip a workout today and eat the huge dinner I am looking forward to without worrying about it!

[WickedWitchSouthWest]

myfitnesspal is great for picking up bad eating habits - I discovered snacking was my biggest problem as is bread so I've addressed that now. I have done the 30 day shred (did it 5 days a week - having read Jillian's own website she recommends exercise 2 rest days) and now just do it a couple of times a week with zumba twice a week and a run when I can get the time! I also do the school run on foot :) The shred was fabulous for giving me a brilliant head start and now i'm just maintaining my weight and fitness I don't need to do it every day.