FREE DOWNLOADS: How to Lose Belly Fat in 4 Simple Steps

Embarrassment is not the worst part of having a flabby midsection. That spare tire around you tummy can increase your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes (yikes!). Thankfully, you don't need a complicated diet plan to learn how to lose belly fat. Stomach flab may be stubborn, but it's no match for proper nutrition, hydration, exercise, and a can-do attitude.

Believe in Yourself

The way you feel about your ability to lose weight will play a major role in your success. If you're plagued with self-doubt and negativity, you won't see the point of sticking it out when things get tough. In order to achieve your weight loss goal, you must truly believe you have what it takes.

Losing weight is not just about vanity; it's also about living healthy and feeling your best everyday. One thing that will help keep you in the right frame of mind is to think of your fat burning journey as a lifestyle change rather than a diet. If you focus on healthy living instead of dieting, you'll maintain momentum and it will be easier to shut down those negative feelings.

Eat Nutritiously

Eating a healthy diet will keep your metabolism operating properly so you burn stomach fat more effectively. If your eating plan lacks essential carbohydrates, protein, healthy fat, vitamins and minerals, it's not nutritious. To ensure you get adequate amounts of all of these nutrients, incorporate a variety of healthy, whole foods like vegetables, fruits, poultry, lean meats, raw nuts, legumes, beans, seeds and whole eggs into your diet.

As for counting calories to lose weight, I don't do it. Don't get me wrong, I'm very conscious about what I put into my body. However, I refuse to spend my life keeping tabs on every crumb I swallow. When I get hungry, I'm going to eat—and trust me, I won't be thinking about calories while I'm doing it.

I'm living proof that if you eat the right foods, and stick to reasonable portion sizes, you can lose belly fat without counting a single calorie.

Drink Plenty of Water

Water is often overlooked in nutrition plans. But this element is crucial for burning fat and maintaining proper health. Water helps metabolize stored fat and rids the body of excess fat and toxins. Water also prevent bloating and constipation, and helps curb your appetite.

Most people underestimate how much water they need, so they don't stay properly hydrated. For optimum health, drink half of your body weight in ounces of water daily. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, you should drink at least 100 ounces of water per day.

Get Up and Exercise

When you start your healthy eating plan, you'll automatically reduce your caloric intake and start to shed some weight. However, unless you add exercise into the mix, your metabolism will eventually slow down and ultimately reduce your ability to burn stomach fat.

There's no way to target specific areas for fat loss. Crunches, sit-ups and other ab-specific exercises only work to tone the muscles. The only way to get the svelte tummy of your dreams is to burn the fat off. If you don't, any muscle tone you achieve via abdominal exercises will be buried under the flab.

If you combine 30 to 60 minutes of moderate to intense cardiovascular activity with proper nutrition, the fat around your belly will melt like butter. If you're out of shape, doing a 30 to 60 minute workout may be too much at first. It's okay if you start off exercising for 5 or 10 minutes. Simply work your way up as your fitness level improves.

Don't try to change your lifestyle overnight; Start by making small tweaks. In the beginning, you might try drinking more water, increasing your fresh vegetable intake and exercising three days a week. Once you get used to these adjustments, gradually build on them. Remember, small steps can lead to big results.

Sitting and wishing won't help you get the trim tummy you've always wanted. Let the Diet Solution Program teach you how to lose belly fat and improve your overall health.