While spot reduction of fat deposits largely remains a myth, the questions about it just keep on coming:

“How can I lose belly fat?”, “Can you give me tips on losing stomach fat?”, “How to lose belly fat”, “How to lose stomach fat”, “What’s the best way to lose stomach fat?”, “Can you help me lose belly fat and love handles faster?”.

Folks, I know it is frustrating, but the truth is – unless you opt for a liposuction (which I do not recommend), there is no way to magically spot reduce abdominal fat - - or is there?

If you need to lose weight, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Since most people gain weight when their diets get out of hand, if you need to lose weight, you probably realize that you need to “fix” your diet.

And so you did – you are now following a good diet, which consists of fresh, minimally processed foods, such as lean proteins, fruits, vegetables and healthy oils. What is next? Hopefully, your diet is working for you and you start to lose weight.

Then, as the time goes by, something happens – despite your arguably perfect diet, you cannot seem to shake off your abdominal fat. What is wrong? What have you missed? Surprise! In addition to your diet, you need to exercise.

Now, if you think I am talking about excruciating weight-lifting sessions, or using a giant vibrator an odd exercise contraption - - that is not the case.

According to Women’s Health and early finding reported in the International Journal of Obesity, walking 1 to 2 miles per hour for 20 minutes three times a week increases the rate at which your body metabolizes abdominal fat. After 20 weeks of either dieting or exercise, all participants in a study lost weight.

But those who exercised in addition to following a balanced diet were pleasantly surprised to discover a 17 percent decrease in the size of their abdominal fat cells and their girth. In contrast, the diet-only group saw a decrease of less than 1 percent.

If you have found a good diet and exercise program that you enjoy, stick with it, and you shall see the results.

However, if you are still looking for a great program, which is not a fad – I would recommend this program or Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle – a no-nonsense, follow at your own pace, approach to nutrition and exercise – which many people are able to maintain as an ongoing lifestyle.