It’s been called the spare tire or the jelly roll. It’s where every extra ounce of fat vacations. The stomach is seemingly the last place our body wants to rid itself of fat. The number one complaint that I hear from my personal training clients is that cannot banish belly fat.

We have all heard the myth of spot reduction. You cannot do stomach crunches and expectt the belly fat to disappear. There is only 1 concrete and absolute way that stomach fat can leave your body for good- a regular exercise and nutrition program.

Here are 5 tips to banish the belly fat:

1. Eat 5-6 small meals throughout the day. Each meal should contain one serving of protein and one serving of carbs. The first meal should be eaten within an hour after waking and each meal thereafter should be every 2-3 hours. Be sure to include plenty of veggies and other fibrous foods in your menu.

2. Drink lots of water to keep the body hydrated. Unsweetened tea or herbal tea is good as well. Keep coffee to a minimum and completely get rid of sodas.

3. Rest properly. This means taking at least 24-48 hours of rest between strength training the same muscles, and it also means getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Lastly, it means taking 1-2 days off from exercising per week. Rest is not a luxury. It is a necessity.

4. Cardio should be done at different intensity levels and different session lengths. Consider doing a low intensity/long session, a high intensity/short session and a few medium intensity/medium length sessions per week. Spice up your activities! Try Salsa dancing or ride your bike on your favorite trail.

5. Strength train each muscle 1-3 times per week. You should lift a proper weight and perform the proper amount of sets/reps for your strength training method. Do not focus on just the abdominal muscles. You should strength train the entire body for maximum results. And ladies, you should lift heavy weights too! Do not be afraid of bulking up or looking masculine. It’s very hard for women to look muscular.

All of the above things combined will banish the belly fat. Keep up the good work and be patient.