You are not alone in the struggle of losing belly fat. The Lancet recently reported that about 160 million people in the country are currently struggling with overweight or obesity. This is probably the biggest lifestyle health problem in the country. For many people, being a little overweight is of little concern, but belly fat is a big concern if you are image conscious. For people trying to lose weight, getting rid of belly fat is always the primary objective. However, this is usually easier said than done. A common false belief is that it is possible to target belly fat alone with exercises like crunches, but the fastest way to lose belly fat is with a comprehensive exercise and lifestyle adjustment program. There is no magic pill or routine to get rid of stubborn belly fat but a need to change your calorie intake and utilization. Here are some tips on how to lose stubborn belly fat at a faster rate.

Create a 20%-25% Calorie Deficit
A calorie deficit occurs when you take in fewer calories than you need. A calorie deficit helps burn stomach fat because the body has to fill the deficit by burning fat. A study was done at the University of Jyväskylä, which involved two groups of athletes. One group of athletes creating a 10%-12% deficit, or about 300 calories, while the second group created a 20%-25% calorie deficit (approx. 750 calories). After one month, the group with the larger deficit lost fat at an average of 4.4 pounds, while the first group had much less success. Creating a calorie deficit requires careful tracking of your diet including portion control. Consult a dietician as the first step in answering your question on how to lose stubborn belly fat.

Create Weight and HIIT Workout Plans
Creating an appropriate workout plan must be the head start in the fastest way to lose belly fat . Most people looking to lose weight prefer cardio workouts like jogging, spin bikes, and elliptical machines, which are not very effective at burning fat. Weight training and High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) are the two things that you need. Physical training experts recommend two to three weight training sessions per week and at least two HIIT sessions per week. HIIT is perhaps the best exercise for belly fat because of several advantages:

• Improves Insulin Sensitivity
  This is the ability of muscles to utilize blood sugar for energy instead of storing it as fat.
• Sustained Metabolism
  The body keeps burning fat up to 24 hours after a HIIT workout.
• Energy Boost
  Boost the production of catecholamine hormones which promote fat mobilization for energy.

The good thing with HIIT is that even short duration workouts of 20-30 minutes are very effective and is the best exercise for belly fat.

Change Your Diet
Eating too little is not the answer to how to lose stubborn belly fat . The body reacts to a food shortage by preserving more fat and lowering metabolism, which reverses your gains, if the calorie intake is below the average required of 1200.

A proper dieting plan is best done with the help of a dietician taking into account your weight, age, physical activity level, and basic metabolism rate. You can make your dieting plan more effective with the help of smartphone apps.

Processed and fast foods are a no-no when trying to get rid of fat. Instead, include lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains including brown rice, corn, and unprocessed wheat, low-fat dairy products, seafood, grass-fed beef and free-range chicken, and nuts to burn stomach fat in a healthy way. Limiting sugar and alcohol intake and substituting them with a protein-rich diet including beef, chicken breast, fish, tofu, and whey protein is yet another best answer to how to lose stubborn belly fat.

Adequate Sleep
Sleep plays a big role in regulating blood sugar. Getting enough sleep keeps you well energized and reduces the need to snack.

If you are wondering how to lose belly fat in 1 week, the better option would be to look at how you would work on overall weight management. Make the first step by cutting out the sugar from your diet. The next step is to incorporate the required carbs in relevant quantities to avoid the starvation mode. And the final step is to consult a good physical trainer on how to lose belly flab by making meaningful lifestyle changes and proper exercises.