The fat that doesn't end, it just goes on and on my friend!

Belly fat. What an ugly phrase. Those two words shouldn't even be allowed next to each other. It's almost a double negative - the word belly itself evokes images of St. Nick and hints at something huge and full.

According to Andrew Bicknell, this is the hardest area to trim down, despite diets and exercise, most people have the toughest time getting their stomach and abs area to be flat, tight and toned. Here, he presents 7 tried and true ways to get rid of this stubborn fat and achieve the perfect stomach - some of them might surprise you!

Getting rid of stomach fat can often be one of the hardest things to do. Diets, exercise, no matter what is done it stubbornly refuses to go away. Stomach fat can be hard to lose because it is the primary storage area for adipose (fat) tissue and is one of the last places that the body will give up its fat stores.

This means of course that losing stomach fat is not something that can happen quickly. More of a long term approach is needed; and no, long term does not mean years. By using the body's own internal engine, its metabolism, we can burn off that excess stomach fat over a period of time and if our metabolism stays at a higher rate we can keep the fat off.

Here are seven ways you can increase your metabolism and finally get rid of that stomach fat.

1. Get more sleep - 8 hours is the minimum for everyone. Research done into the effects of sleep show that people who get less then 8 hours of sleep have slower metabolisms then those who get a good nights rest. People who do not get enough rest also tend to eat more throughout the day to try and keep their energy levels up.

2. Exercise in the evening - This doesn't have to a full blown workout, just something to get the heart going and the blood flowing. The reason for this is that as the day wears on our metabolic rate declines. This means that we are no longer burning calories as quickly as we were in the morning.

3. Get moving - Anytime you can sneak in any form of physical activity like taking the stairs instead of the elevator you will use extra calories to fuel your activity.

4. Protein is good - Protein can help to stabilize how much insulin in the blood stream. Insulin levels that are to high or low can seriously affect your metabolism.

5. Eat more often - By eating 5 or 6 smaller meals throughout the day you will keep a steady supply of energy flowing through your body all day long. A constant flow of calories keeps your metabolism rolling. Skipping meals will actually cause a metabolism slow down.

6. Eat healthy - Those 5 or six meals should consist of nutrient rich, high fiber, high protein foods. A healthy diet gives your body everything it needs to run at its optimum level.

7. Resistance training - Lifting weights builds lean muscle mass which in turn requires lots of extra calories just to maintain. This is where resting metabolism is higher, burning extra calories in the process.The key to getting rid of stomach fat is increasing your metabolism for a total body fat wasting effect.

Use these 7 tips to get the firm trim stomach you always wanted.

Good luck - and let me know if any of these tips work for you!

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