Losing belly fat doesn't have to be nearly as difficult as most people make it out to be. If you've tried typical dieting and weight loss methods -- but haven't been able to get rid of your stubborn abdominal fat -- maybe you should consider taking a different approach to the problem. No matter what, you should realize that drastically cutting your calorie intake, swallowing handfuls of diet pills/fat burners/appetite suppressants/etc., and doing tons of "long, slow, and boring" exercise (e.g. walking, slow jogging, riding the exercise bike, etc.) will most likely just end up leading you to failure and frustration.

If losing belly fat and looking better is your goal, you'll have better luck by following the 3 proven steps below. Give them a try for a few weeks and you'll lose your stomach in a faster, easier, and healthier way than you probably thought possible!

1. Fill up frequently (on the right foods).

Believe it or not, eating food isn't what gives you a big belly. It's eating the wrong foods in the wrong amounts at the wrong times. In reality, food can and should be your ally in the battle against belly fat. But if you're only eating 2 or 3 huge meals per day, and letting yourself get very hungry between meals, it's going to be much more difficult to lose weight in a fast, healthy way. The main reason for this is that, when you're hungry and your stomach is growling, you're much less likely to make smart food decisions.

Instead of the typical "3 big meals" eating plan that most people follow, try this: eat a good-sized breakfast every morning and then eat 4 to 6 small, healthy, and balanced meals and snacks throughout the day. This will keep you from getting hungry and giving in to your food and hunger cravings. It will also help to keep your metabolism in high gear so your body is constantly burning fat and calories whether you're exercising or not. Eat plenty of healthy foods so there's no room for the junk that feeds your stomach fat. The best choices are lean proteins (especially lean meats, eggs, fish, low-fat dairy, and whey protein), healthy fats (think olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado, etc.), and low-glycemic, high-fiber carbohydrates (especially fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains).

2. Pick up the intensity.

The best way to "program" your brain to hate exercise and to get burnt out on a new fitness program fast is to try and force yourself to endure hours of long, slow, boring, and grueling cardio workouts. Although pretty much any exercise is better than no exercise (health-wise), these types of workouts simply aren't very effective for losing belly fat. Shorter, higher-intensity workouts will burn more fat while causing your body to produce extremely powerful hormones that continue to burn fat (and even build muscle tissue) for hours after a workout has been completed.

Rather than always doing long-duration, low-intensity exercise sessions, try the following:

- In 90% of your workouts, emphasize increasing intensity rather than increasing distance or time spent exercising. For example, as your cardiovascular fitness improves, attempt to run, walk, swim, or bike the same distances in less time, rather than increasing the distances you run (which is what most people do).

- Try doing "interval training" which involves performing at a high-intensity level (usually 70-80% of maximum effort) for short periods (think wind sprints) followed by brief periods of "active recovery" (think fast walking or slow jogging). A workout that involves a 5 minute warm-up followed by 10 minutes of interval training can often burn more fat and cause more beneficial changes to your body (including reducing belly fat) than a workout that lasts an hour but only involves low-intensity exercise.

- Do some form of resistance training a few times per week. This will allow you to burn more fat, build and maintain muscle tissue, and keep your metabolism going at a high-rate... even while dieting! In general, people who do both aerobic and resistance training see much better, longer-lasting weight loss results -- in a lot less time -- than people who do only aerobic/cardio exercise. Again, always focus on brief-but-intense workouts and focus on using light-to-medium weights... or just use your own bodyweight for a super-effective fat-burning, muscle-building resistance workout.

3. Don't try to "wing it" (get yourself some expert advice).

Most of the people who fail at losing their belly fat in a reasonable amount of time do so because they try to just "wing it" when it comes to dieting, exercise, supplementation, etc. They read a few articles, look over a few books, maybe even talk to a couple of knowledgeable people... and then they attempt to do the equivalent of driving across a country without a road map.

Losing weight and getting fit doesn't have to be difficult. But if you don't have a good step-by-step, day-to-day plan that incorporates proven diet, exercise, supplementation, motivation, and progress-tracking techniques -- written in an easy-to-understand way by a true expert -- the road to success is going to be much longer and a lot more rocky. You can reduce your abdominal fat, look better, and feel great in just a few short weeks... but only if you get yourself a good road map and follow it closely!

One of the most effective, easy-to-understand, and proven fat loss guides in the world is Burn the Fat, Lose the Muscle by fitness trainer Tom Venuto. Unlike most weight loss/fitness programs it's not ultra-restrictive nor does it focus on just one aspect of fat loss. Instead it incorporates everything you need in order to lose your belly fat, look great, and feel incredible... in as little time as possible. I HIGHLY recommend taking a look at this great program. Click here to check it out right now...

Did you like this article about losing belly fat? Do you have questions or comments? Please leave your feedback below. Thanks and best of luck in your weight loss efforts!