How can I get rid of my beer belly?

Men tend to carry extra body fat on the stomach ( abdomen). If you have unhealthy eating habits and are a regular drinker, you may have noticed your waistline gradually getting bigger. Extra fat around your middle increases the risk for a number of serious health problems including:

• diabetes,
• high blood pressure,
• high cholesterol, and
• an inadequate blood flow to part of the heart muscle, which can cause a heart attack.

Cutting down on alcohol is a big first step towards flatter abs.

Alcohol contains a lot of empty calories and men tend to convert these calories into a beer gut. Try swapping your regular beer or lager for one of the light versions on sale. Most light beers have about two-thirds of the calories of regular beer, which means you'll be getting fewer calories per pint, which means less fat on your belly.

The best way to cut down the calories you get from alcohol is to avoid them altogether and switch to soft drinks, like water or fruit juice. They can be a refreshing change from alcohol and you'll soon notice the difference to your stomach.

If stopping drinking alcohol doesn't appeal to you, then at least cut down the amount you drink. Try avoiding alcohol during the week and only drink in moderation on weekends. Alcohol often increases appetite, so if you cut down on your drinking, you should find you don't eat as much food.

If you do fancy a drink then avoid lager and beer, as they're high in calories. Why not switch to single shots of spirits topped up with diet mixer. Two single gin and diet tonics have almost half the calories of a pint of beer, but they'll take the same time to drink. If you're drinking at home, why not buy a measuring cup instead of pouring from the bottle, as this will help you control the amount you're drinking.

Waist size

To measure your waist, find the bottom of your ribs and the top of your hips, and measure in the middle. This is usually where your belly button is. If the circumference of your waist is over 94cms (37 inches), then you are over the average adult circumference, meaning you're at a higher risk of health problems.

Use a calculator, find your waist size in centimetres and divide that number by your hip size in centimetres. This will give you the right number. For example, if your waist is 88cm (34 inches), and your hips are 100cm (39 inches), then your waist to hip ratio is 88 divided by 100, which equals 0.88. A waist to hip ratio greater than 0.95 means you're carrying too much weight around your middle.

Exercises

Start by seeking your doctor's advice before starting an exercise program. To get the best improvement, combine your exercise with a healthy balanced diet.

Sit-ups are great for strengthening your lower back and abdominal muscles, but they do nothing for the body fat in your stomach. Aerobic, or cardiovascular, exercise is the only way the body gets rid of fat. Try to do a 30-minute cardiovascular workout at least three times a week. Cardiovascular activities get your heart beating fast and make you break into a sweat. Good examples are fast walking, jogging, rowing, swimming, cycling and squash.

If you can't begin with this much activity, do 10-minute sessions for a couple of weeks. Then 20 minutes for the next two weeks and slowly work your way up to 30 minutes or more if you can manage it. Once you've settled into your new fitness plan and start to lose weight, you can focus on the exercises that will finish the job. Sit-ups, side bends and side twists will all help tone up those stomach muscles.

After 10-12 weeks of exercise, you'll notice a big change in your waist size. Stick with the fitness plan but increase your workout's frequency, intensity or time, to fit in with your new fitness levels. As you whittle away the beer belly, your trousers will fit better and your general health will improve too.