How to Get Rid of an Inner Tube Belly

Inner tube, muffin-top, spare-tire, middle-age spread -- whatever you call it, that lower belly fat that hangs over the top of your pants is hardly attractive. Regardless of how much you pinch, poke and talk to your fat roll, it's not going anywhere until you make some healthy lifestyle changes. Deflating your inner tube belly takes a bit of a commitment to exercise and diet.

Perform 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity weekly. It seems like a lot, but it's only the equivalent of a one-hour brisk walk five days a week. If you prefer to reduce your workout time, increase your aerobic intensity to a half hour jog. Some additional aerobic activities include fitness classes, dancing around your house, actively playing with the kids and swimming laps.

Add full-body strength training to your fitness routine. Increasing your muscle mass raises your resting metabolic rate, so you burn calories even between workouts. Performing hundreds of crunches, situps and bicycles targets your abdominal muscles, but not the fat on top of your muscles, so save your abs the unnecessary fatigue. Split strength training into three days: Mondays can be squats and lunges; Wednesdays, crunches and back extensions; and Fridays, bicep curls, shoulder presses and pushups.

Reduce your daily calorie intake. There are 3,500 calories in 1-pound of fat, so cutting 500 to 1,000 calories per day allows you to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week. Your diet should mainly consist of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and low-fat dairy. Reducing portion sizes and limiting processed foods from your diet can greatly reduce the number of calories you consume each day. Write down all the calories you consume to keep accurate records of you daily calories.

Tips

Ride your bike to work, school, and for small-item trips to the store.

Replace saturated fats and trans fats with polyunsaturated fats. Pay attention to how dishes are prepared since dips and sauces can be high in fat.

Work out with a friend to help you keep each other motivated while working toward your weight loss goals.

Warnings

Abdominal fat is the most dangerous fat since it surrounds your organs and increases your risk of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.

Avoid products claiming to speed your metabolism since these supplements do not require U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for safety and effectiveness.

Consult your doctor before starting a weight loss and diet program, especially if you have an underlying health condition.