Sometimes life gets in the way, we socialise a little too much and exercise too little, and before we know it, the beer belly has appeared! All is not lost, here are five simple tips to get your midriff trim again.

Food

Start eating regular balanced meals. Don't be tempted to skips meals as when we stop eating; our bodies kick into survival mode, which means your metabolism slows down and your body will battle to keep hold of every last calorie and ounce of fat. You need to provide your body with fuel so that your metabolism is continuously running and not panicking about when it's next going to be fuelled. The other major downside to skipping meals is that we tend to binge after missing one or two meals and end up eating a lot more than if you had stuck to three regular meals.

Muscles

If you're looking to eliminate that beer belly, you mustn't neglect the weight work out at the gym or home.

To burn the most fat you're going to need an efficient metabolism, and the best way of achieving this is to lift weights and put on muscle, as your body will need to burn more calories to keep those muscles fed. Your body's metabolic rate can be elevated for up to 36 hours after a weight training workout, which means more calories and fat burnt without extra effort!

Say goodbye to beer, but don't miss out

While many men love their beer, it's essential to know that an average pint of beer contains about 180 calories, whereas a vodka and diet coke contains around 64 calories. You can still enjoy a beer, but if you want to dump that belly, you're going to need to find an alternative drink that doesn't make you feel like you are missing out.

It's ok to treat yourself

It might go against all logic surrounding losing fat around your belly, but the occasional treat (once a week – not every day!) can be a good thing for your weight loss progress. The theory behind the 'treat' is that by occasionally increasing your intake for a meal each week, you're making sure that your body doesn't get used to a standard food routine, which can result in a metabolism plateau. It can only work if the treat does not become a pattern that your body starts to rely on.

Cardio is good!

You don't need to go running for miles or pound the cross trainer for long sessions. Try HIIT (high-intensity interval training). A method that sees you work as hard as you can for short periods, resulting in better lung-capacity, endurance and increased metabolism. Often short bouts of 5-10 minutes, but you work extra hard, and this can have significant positive results. For example, find a flight of steep stairs and run up them (make sure you are wearing suitable footwear such as trainers) – and walk back down for the rest period and repeat for 5-10 minutes depending on your fitness and physical capabilities. It is one of the simplest and most effective fat-burning exercises you can do without hitting the gym!

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