1. Eliminate empty calories from your diet - If you've been adhering to an empty-calorie diet for quite a long time, no wonder you're having a hard time getting rid of belly fat. Empty-calorie foods are not nutritious and they are usually calorie-laden but not satiating. As such, overindulgence is common and since they get digested quickly, they usually trigger a spike in your insulin and blood sugar/glucose levels fast making you prone to storing body fat notably in your belly and waist area. Popular empty-calorie foods include processed carbs like white bread and white rice, donuts, cakes, potato chips, ice cream, soft drinks, alcoholic drinks like beer and so on. Just consider 1 Ice Cream Sundae with chocolate topping and whipped cream contains 437 calories, most of them deriving from saturated fats(13 grams) and sugars(35 grams). This is the kind of food you should only have as a treat.

2. Cut back on sodium - Sodium is bad for weight loss as wherever there is sodium, there is water. Sodium promotes water retention, bloating and weight gain as a result. This is something a lot of weight loss adherents don't realize, excess weight is not only about excess belly fat. Beware of certain foods high in sodium like canned foods, salad dressings, bouillon cubes, pop corn, pretzels, table salt, baking powder, baking soda, powdered broths, gravies, instant noodles seasoning packet, yeast extract spread(Marmite), processed meats like ham, bacon, salami, hot dogs, deli meat and cheese like mozzarella, provolone, romano and parmesan. Cutting back on sodium-rich foods will also benefit your health as well as helping you lose weight and flattening your stomach.

3. Have a glass of lemon water - If you use to drink water, add a dash of fresh lemon juice(half a lemon). If you can have the water lukewarm, it's even better. Try having several glasses each day, first thing in the morning on empty stomach and after your meals. Lemons are a storehouse of antioxidants like vitamin C, B and other valuable nutrients like riboflavin, magnesium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus. Here are some weight loss benefits of drinking lukewarm lemon water.

(i) Lemon water aids digestion and regulates sugar absorption which is beneficial for your metabolism and weight loss.

(ii) Lemon water prevents constipation due to its high potassium content which acts as a natural laxative. Constipation is a known enemy of weight loss.

(iii) Lemon water will quench your thirst and halt your cravings for high-calorie beverages.

4. Eat nutrient-dense foods - Now that you've made a choice to eliminate empty-calorie foods from your diet, add nutrient-dense foods in your grocery list. Favor foods like lean protein, complex carbs, vegetables, fruits, legumes, beans and nuts. These contain nutrient-dense calories which will keep hunger pangs at bay, prevent binging and rev up your metabolism for faster belly fat riddance.

5. Avoid overeating - It's easy to overeat even healthy foods and this will increase your chances in gaining more belly fat. Food is naturally converted to glucose/sugar for energy but if too much sugar is in your blood, your glycogen stores(sugar storage cells) will get saturated faster and any excess is stored as body fat. Always control your portions, this is why small 4-6 meals per day is often recommended by nutritionists. The 3 big meals a day can easily promote overeating.

6. Exercise intensely - You want to get the maximum benefits of your cardio workout? Forget the long endless boring jogging sessions. Run faster and increase the intensity by making longer strides and keeping your knees high. Vary the pace from fast-medium-slow. Then repeat. You'll burn more belly fat with this strategy known as HIIT(High Intensity Interval Training). If you go to the gym, it's easy to perform HIIT on a treadmill by timing your runs say 3 mins fast, 2 mins medium and 1 min slow but running in the park is fine as well. If you do 3 sessions, that's only 18 minutes of intense cardio(6 mins per session) as compared to long hours of slow endless running. It has been proven that HIIT burns belly fat well beyond the initial exercise as it sets your fat burning metabolism on fire.

If you follow these simple tips without worrying how much fat you will lose in a particular time frame, you will be impressed by the amount of belly fat you will shed in the long run. By treating it as a lifestyle, you'll also enjoy what you're doing making your weight loss mission less daunting.