If you're obsessed with getting rid of your tummy fat, you're not alone. Millions of Americans have tried all kinds of tricks and gimmicks to get rid of tummy fat, with only limited or no success at all. You might have tried all kinds of diets like Atkins, South Beach, high protein, low carb, high carb, and low fat diets, just to name a few. Confused yet?

With all of the different diet gurus out there each sending a different message to people seeking to shed tummy fat, it can be tempting to just give up. After all, if none of the "experts" agree, how can you be expected to find out what actually works to get rid of tummy fat?

The answer is that you need to use two simple principles to achieve the results you want and finally get rid of that tummy fat. These principles are eating properly, and doing the right kinds of exercise.

Now, you might be scratching your head at this point, wondering what exactly it means to eat "properly." You've heard this song and dance before, so it's no wonder you're skeptical. But the principles of proper eating are really quite simple.

First, you should balance your meals with the right amounts and kinds of proteins and carbohydrates. Neither the ultra-high protein diets nor the ultra-low fat diets will do you any good if you hope to get rid of tummy fat. A truly healthful and balanced diet involves learning how to meet your body's nutritional needs by feeding it high nutrient meals

that give you the right balance of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. You can get rid of tummy fat efficiently and without starvation diets or excessive hunger if you take this approach.

Second, use resistance training to your advantage. By resistance training, we're not talking about spot reduction exercises that make inflated promises of getting rid of your tummy fat through a few repetitions of a specific exercise.

This is another example of a fitness principle gone awry. Neither cardio nor spot reduction are the way to go about getting a flat tummy. As further evidence that spot reduction just doesn't work, how many people do you see walking around with 6-pack abs and flabby arms and thighs? None, right? That's because those 6-pack abs weren't achieved through spot reduction, but by focused resistance training.

Resistance training, or weight bearing exercises, are the way to achieve your fat loss goals and finally shed that bothersome tummy fat. This is because resistance training increases your lean muscle mass, providing you with metabolically active tissue that will keep working to burn away fat, even while you're at rest. The key is learning to use a consistent and targeted program that helps you build muscle and lose fat. And ladies, don't worry – you won't end up looking like Hulk Hogan, but you will soon find you're becoming sleeker, with toned and well-defined muscles.

Now you know the not-so-secret "secrets" that will help you get rid of tummy fat. Get rid of all the hyped cardio workouts, spot reduction machines, and fad diet books, and get to work to get rid of tummy fat once and for all. You might be surprise to find how quickly you see results once you start following these simple principles. By eating healthfully and exercising properly, you'll have the flat tummy that you've always wanted in no time.