How to Make Your Belly Smaller

Reducing the size of your belly benefits your health. Having excess belly fat puts you at an increased risk for diabetes, certain cancers, heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke. To make your belly smaller, a healthy diet and exercise routine are essential. If you desire a quicker and easier solution, there are various other methods that can help reduce your belly. Regardless of which belly-slimming method you choose, an adjustment of your lifestyle is required.

Tips For You

1. Manage stress in your life. Learn meditation and breathing techniques. Get eight hours of sleep each night, and avoid taking on too much responsibility at work. According to The Natural Health Website for Women, high stress stimulates cortisol release in the body. Cortisol, a stress hormone, triggers uncontrollable food cravings. The weight you gain is stored in the belly so it's close to your liver and easily accessible when energy is needed.
2. Combine strength training and cardiovascular exercise to burn belly fat and tone the stomach muscles. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that you perform 150 minutes of cardiovascular exercise per week. This can be accomplished by jogging, biking or swimming. They also recommend including strength training on two days of the week. Include belly-toning exercises, such as crunches, bicycle crunches and reverse crunches, in your strength-training routine.
3. Include monounsaturated fatty acids in your diet. According to the Prevention website, these healthy fats help you lose weight, especially around the middle. Enjoy foods such as avocados, olives, nuts, seeds and dark chocolate, in moderation.
4. Avoid belly-bloating foods that make your belly appear bigger. WebMD recommends that you limit your salt intake to 2,300 milligrams per day, because salt makes you retain water and bloats you. Limit chewing gum, because you inhale air while chewing. Avoid belly-bloating carbonated sodas, and watch your intake of gas-inducing vegetables, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower.
5. Wear belly-control shapewear to make your belly appear smaller instantly. Belly-control shapewear contains a tummy-flattening panel that compresses the belly and smooths bulges. Shapewear is available for men and women and comes in a wide variety, ranging from briefs and tank tops to T-shirts and shorts.
6. Undergo surgery to make your belly smaller. Have fat removed from your belly with liposuction. Combine liposuction with a tummy tuck if the skin lacks elasticity to shrink back. A tummy tuck removes the excess skin.