Fat tends to settle on the stomach. Even with regular visits to the gym and a healthy diet, it takes a long time to get a six-pack.

Celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels has tips to reliably get rid of belly fat and reveal muscles.

Abdominal exercises like crunches strengthen the muscles in your core, but they don’t reduce belly fat. This is because it’s generally not possible to reduce fat in specific areas.

“Only reducing your overall body fat percentage will help you lose belly fat,” explains Michaels.

To reduce your body fat percentage and thereby lose belly fat, you need to pay attention to your diet.

According to Michaels, a low-calorie diet is the key to losing belly fat. Make sure you always eat in a calorie deficit – that is, consume fewer calories than you burn during the day.

Make sure your diet is “clean” – with lots of fresh, unprocessed foods and little sugar, simple carbohydrates and alcohol.

Better options are sugar alternatives, whole grain products, legumes and pseudo-cereals such as quinoa.

The trainer herself prefers workouts that burn a lot of calories – and thus also target belly fat. These include HIIT, strength training and functional exercises that target several muscle groups at the same time.

At the same time, it is important to strengthen the muscles that lie beneath the fat. “Do exercises like push-ups, mountain climbers, planking and lunges. They burn a lot of calories and strengthen your core.”

Sleep should not be neglected and should be at the top of your priority list. Sleep and weight gain are closely linked, as a lack of sleep increases the level of the hunger hormone ghrelin.

The original of this article “With four tips you can get rid of belly fat” comes from FitForFun.