The average man's body houses 43.2 pounds of fat. And at any one moment, that number is either increasing or decreasing—it's never stagnant. Spend more of each day burning fat than you do storing it, and over time, you'll bury your belly forever. Sound simple? It is. You see, there's no single secret formula for losing fat. In fact, find 100 successful losers and they'll give you 100 different ways to win the battle of the bulge. But we did them one better. On the following pages, you'll find 101 tips designed to help you lose your love handles, bust your gut, and define your abs. Simply incorporate three or four into your life every day, and you'll finish off your fat easier and faster than you ever imagined possible.

Eat more protein.
About 25%-30% of the calories in each gram of protein are burned in digestion, compared to only 6%-8% of the calories in carbs. Do the math: You save 41 calories every time you substitute 50 grams of protein for an equal amount of carbs.

acidic foods such as vinegar and lemon juice work like lighter fluid in your body's fat incinerator

Read labels.
Avoid foods with "high-fructose corn syrup" in the ingredients list. Since 1971, consumption of this sugar substitute—which is used to sweeten soda, commercial baked goods, and even condiments—has increased more than 350% in the U.S., paralleling the rise in obesity.

Get off your ass.
Do every exercise standing instead of sitting. "You'll expend up to 30% more calories," says Joe Stankowski, C.P.T. The solution for the bench press? Dips.

Mix up your movements.
When you lift, perform supersets in which you alternate between sets of lower-body and upper-body exercises. That way, your lower body rests while your upper body is working. "This allows you to work your muscles maximally with very little downtime between sets for a faster, more effective workout," says Craig Ballantyne, C.S.C.S.

Exercise blind.
When you're using the elliptical trainer, try letting go of the handles and closing your eyes. (Be careful!) Without the visual feedback, your core muscles will have to work harder to keep you balanced, burning more calories.

Cut carbs.
Yes, you've heard it a zillion times. The reason: It works. In just one of many recent studies, a Journal of Nutrition report found that men who reduced their carb intake to just 8% of their daily calories lost seven pounds of fat and gained two pounds of muscle in six weeks.

Lift first, then run.
By doing cardio after you've lifted—when you're already tired—the same speed or intensity will have a greater effect than had you done it beforehand, says McGarr.

Change directions.
Try this interval-training trick on the elliptical trainer: Ride for 30 seconds as fast as you can, then immediately reverse your direction and ride for 30 additional seconds just as fast in the opposite direction. Rest 60 seconds and repeat. The force of stopping your momentum, as well as going from a dead stop to full speed twice in the same interval, will give your fat-burning efforts a massive boost, says MF training adviser Alwyn Cosgrove, C.S.C.S.

Fill up on high-fiber foods.
Consider them "good carbs." Their bulk takes up space in your stomach, helping you feel full and eat less. The top fiber food: beans, which contain 8 grams per 1/2 cup. Research shows that guys who added 12 grams of fiber a day to their diet lost a quarter of an inch from their love handles, without otherwise modifying their diet.

Top your salad with vinaigrette dressing.
Studies show that acidic foods such as vinegar and lemon juice work like lighter fluid in your body's fat incinerator, increasing carb combustion 20%-40%. Researchers believe the acids blunt insulin spikes and slow the rate at which food empties from your stomach. Fermented foods like pickles and yogurt are also good sour options.

Don't skip meals.
Not eating for long periods of time puts your body into a catabolic state, meaning it starts to break down muscle tissue for energy— and conserves fat.

Try the VersaClimber.
The more vertical you are when doing cardio, the more calories you burn.

Don't be a couch potato.
If you're a TV junkie, add up the number of hours you watch right now, and cut out all reruns—even if there's an episode of Seinfeld on you've never seen. Spend the time you save on your feet: outdoors or in the gym.

Hit the weights.
If you're lazy, it's not as bad as you think—just 10 minutes a day of lifting, three days a week, will help. Harvard research shows that 30 minutes of weight training per week has a greater reduction on waist size than almost any other variable.

Pass on the potatoes.
In any form—mashed and baked, as well as French fries and potato chips. They raise levels of insulin in the blood, triggering your body to stop burning—and start storing—fat. (Sweet potatoes are acceptable; they have more nutrients and fiber.)

Eat your biggest meal of the day after you lift.
It takes calories to digest food. And researchers at the University of Nevada found that it takes 73% more calories to process that food after a weight-training session than if you hadn't worked out at all.

Chug H20 before a meal.
The water will take up room in your stomach, making you feel more full and reducing your appetite, says Christopher Mohr, M.S., R.D.

Here's how to get Abs for Summer
Grab a light barbell, pipe, or broomstick and lie on your back on the floor. Raise your thighs in the air, perpendicular to the ground, and bend your knees 90 degrees. Hold the bar directly above you with both hands, so that it's higher than your knees [1]. Now tuck your chin to your chest and, keeping your arms straight, slowly try to pull your spine off the floor one vertebra at a time-the goal is to crunch up into a ball so that the bar passes over your feet [2]. That's one rep. Do one to two sets of six to eight reps, resting 30-60 seconds between sets. If you can't get the bar past your feet, your internal obliques are weak-crunch as far as you can for now and continue using this exercise until you can.

The Stick Crunch
Most crunches done on the floor hurt your back more than they work your abs-often because people tilt their chins up in the air as they rise off the floor. But this version (call it the "stick crunch") forces you to keep your head in a neutral position as you activate your deepest abdominal muscles to pull you up. As a result, it's safer for your spine, and it's one of the most effective moves for correcting weaknesses in your abs-even if your abs are only an afterthought.

Tags: abs, fitness, health