Remember those days when you could eat anything and not worry about how it was going to affect your figure? Or how it used to be no big deal to put on a swimsuit and just run around the neighborhood? Now for many of you, like me, the last time that we remember running around in a swimsuit without a care in the world, we were six. Well, the good old days of amazingly high metabolism and being completely comfortable bearing it all before the world seem to be over, or are they?

Is it possible, can one really be comfortable in a two piece swimsuit, or strutting around without a shirt? Can a person past their younger years have that proud feeling again, where they are unashamed to bear his/her body to the world? The answer is a simple yes! That includes everyone, no matter what body type, or shape, or even how old you are. With three very simple modifications to your daily life, you can get rid of that excess stomach fat forever and have a body to be proud of.

There are three key ingredients to getting a body you can be proud of: diet, strength training, and aerobic exercise. I know youve heard this before and you think there has got to be more to it than that. Well theres not. It strictly comes down to what you consume versus what you burn. I am going to show you easy ways to make these three things a part of your everyday life.

First Step: Diet

I know that there are a lot of good things out there to eat. The problem is that they are not good for you. I know what youre thinking; Im some kind of food Nazi. Well you are partly correct, I am a registered dietician. Dont get me wrong, I have a sweet tooth to rival all sweet tooths! (My husband, the personal trainer, also likes to pig out) So believe me when I say I can relate! I am not going to tell you to cut everything that tastes good out of your diet. I am however going to tell you to practice moderation! One or two cookies is okay, seven is not and it is possible to eat only one piece of pizza!

The key to a good diet, one that will melt fat, is moderation and counting those calories. Your diet should have about 60% carbohydrates, 35% protein, and no more than 15% fat. Easy ways to do this are to make sure that you are eating foods that have these proportions naturally. Start replacing any white foods (white bread, plain pasta, white rice) with brown foods (whole wheat bread, pasta, and brown rice). Also make sure you are getting plenty of vegetables.

At meals fill your plate 2/3 with vegetables and 1/3 with lean protein (white meat chicken or turkey, and fish). Throw out those impressive 12 plates when casually eating and replace them with a 8 or 9 plate. Remember moderation. An 8 or 9 plate is a lot more diet appropriate. Also, it can take your body 15 minutes to tell your mind your full, so wait before you have that second helping.

Second Step: Strength Training

This doesnt have to be done in a gym; it can be done at home. There are many different magazines and books that offer ways to do resistance training at home. You can use resistance bands or purchase weights from a local sports equipment store. If you are unsure of what to do, there are a lot of great fitness books out there that will guide through exercises and diet.

Another alternative would be purchasing some personal training sessions (can be costly however). Strength training is very important because muscle is a natural fat burner. A pound of muscle burns 10 more calories than a pound of fat without you doing any extra work! The more muscle you have the more fat you can burn!

Step Three: Aerobic Exercise

The first and second steps are very important, but you are never going to be able to lose that extra stomach fat and display those abs without aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise burns fat; there is no way to get around it. Again, it does not have to be done in a gym. Find an activity that you like, that elevates your heart rate, and do it for about an hour, five days a week. Walk, run, play tennis, bike, shoot hoops, whatever it takes to get you moving and your heart rate elevated. Another plus to aerobic exercise is, it raises you caloric limit for the day. If you cheated during lunch, and youre counting the calories, you can make it up during your cardio session.