Nutrition

Beer Belly Be Gone!

Too many Stellas left you thick in the middle? We asked Gold's Gym trainer Mike Ryan, who's beefed up Mark Wahlberg, Edward Norton, The Rock and The Denver Broncos, to give us the real deal on how to banish them for good.

04.24.2009

Beyond the Truffle Shuffle, belly fat is no laughing matter. "Belly fat is like all fat: It can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes," says Ryan. And since heart disease is the No. 1 killer of Americans each year, it's time to get rid of your spare tire.

Do cardio. "Cardio is the best way to get rid of fat - running, jogging, bicycling, aerobics classes." says Ryan.

But don't skimp on strength training, either. Building muscle helps your body burn fat quicker.

You can't spot-reduce. "You can't do 1,000 sit ups and hope your belly's going to be gone." And all of those ab-this and ab-that machines won't do squat, either, without the aforementioned cardio.

Drink your beer, but ditch the greasy bar food. Ryan says stay away from chips and salsa, pizza, fried stuff and heavily salted foods - they cause you to retain water - and opt for peanuts instead. "It'd be great to say eat carrot sticks, but you'd probably get beat up in a bar."

And speaking of water retention... Increase your water intake. "When you deny yourself water, your body will retain water - it seems a little backwards." Says our expert. Ryan suggests drinking more water throughout the day and alternating some between beers - the water will help filter the alcohol through your veins.

Take it easy. "I think I speak for all guys when I say one of the things about beer is that you can't just have one. We overindulge - and six packs will not give you six-pack abs." says Ryan. He recommends sticking to just a couple of brews a night.