While there are a variety of ways to attack fat and lose the pounds, belly fat is one of those stubborn areas that can be really hard to get rid of. This is especially true for women, considering our bodies are hormonally predisposed to building fat around the abdomen every month in the first place. There is a range of things that can affect a woman's weight and where it builds on the body. The older we get, the slower our metabolisms become, we continue to exercise less, and progesterone levels peak at least once a month, preparing ourselves for reproduction by accumulating fluid around our midsections. A whole new host of problems can result from continued weight gain, including heart disease and cancer, the chances of which will rise the more abdominal fat there is.
Once a month, progesterone levels will peak. While the most notable effect is that it messes with your mood, it also tells the body to accumulate fluids around the midsection. Although this goes away once your period starts, you will most certainly appear thicker around your midsection for at least a week. The best plan of action is to stay active to encourage the loss of these fluids. You will also want to watch your food intake since your hormone levels will almost certainly drive you to eat more. The best technique on losing belly fat for women has long been a healthy diet combined with exercising regularly. Over the years, this has not changed, although we should know how to maximize the results by eating and exercising smarter. One good way to go about this is to eat more foods that are high in fiber and monounsaturated fats. Fiber can make you feel fuller while preventing hunger and cravings from kicking in. Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) on the other hand, help target belly fat while lowering your overall cholesterol levels.
One mistake a lot of women seem to make is targeting the tummy area too much when exercising. This is usually in an effort to attack the midsection and reduce the fat that is accumulated around there. It isn't terribly effective though at losing belly fat for women, and you can do better by exercising the entire body, since this would burn the fat in your tummy anyway. Activities that burn a lot of calories include jumping rope and running. You can also try to build more muscle, toning the rest of your body in the process. This is because the more developed muscle you have, the faster you will be able to burn through calories.