You've been eating right and exercising for months, and although you've reached your goal weight and feel happy with you thinner frame, your belly is still a little pudgy. How can you get rid of the extra flab surrounding your abs?

Ab exercises, right? Unfortunately, all the crunches in the world won't slim down your middle. They will strengthen the muscles underneath the layer of fat, but until you eliminate that extra layer, your toned ab muscles will remain hidden. You can't spot-reduce fat from certain areas of your body; you have to reduce body fat as a whole.

The best way to do that is with cardio. If the exercise plan you're following isn't doing the trick, then it's times time to kick it up a notch. Make sure you're doing high-intensity cardio workouts such as running, swimming, jumping rope, hiking, or high-impact cardio classes (try this 10-minute belly-busting workout). These burn mega calories and help to reduce your overall body fat. Also include speed intervals in your workouts since these are proven to target fat around the mid-section. Keep reading!

You've been exercising regularly for months but you've barely lost any weight and your clothes don't fit any better. Exercise is supposed to help you burn calories and lose inches, so what's the deal? Before frustration causes you to give up and drown your sorrows in a brownie sundae, here are four reasons your exercise plan isn't working.

• You still look cute after a workout: While going for a walk or taking a gentle yoga class are relaxing ways to exercise, they're not exactly major calorie-burners. Kick up the intensity level of your workouts so your heart is pounding, you're huffing and puffing, your muscles are burning, and you're sweating buckets. Choose workouts such as running, jumping rope, bike riding, or these other huge calorie-burners.
• You work out when you feel like it: Your sweat sessions depend on your energy levels, so one week you feel like exercising five days and the next you barely make it to Tuesday night Zumba. It's important to stick to a regular exercise schedule that includes working out for an hour five days a week. Not sure how to implement that? Here's a weekly exercise plan to help you drop a pound a week.
• You're all about running: No one will argue that it's a great form of exercise, but aside from doing cardio, it's important to include strength training in your regimen as well. Lean muscle raises your metabolism, helping you burn more calories and lose body fat.
• You underestimate calorie amounts in your post-workout snack: After a grueling workout, you reach for a Luna Bar and a smoothie to refuel. You might not realize it, but that little nibble is well over 300 calories. A post-workout snack shouldn't exceed 150 calories, so be sure to read labels and measure portions to keep your calories in check to avoid undoing all your hard work.

Eating every few hours is a must when you're trying to drop pounds. It keeps hunger pangs at bay so you're not famished when you head into a meal, preventing you from inhaling way more calories than you normally would. Snacking also keeps blood sugar levels stable, so that low-energy, shaky feeling doesn't cause you to reach for a high-calorie pick-me-up. Eating often also keeps your metabolism going so you burn more calories all day long.

If you're trying to lose weight, it's important to stick to a snack that's 150 calories or less. Choose something that has both fiber and protein to fill you up, and avoid sugary, nutritionless foods. 150 calories might not seem like a lot, so in order for your brain to register that you're fueling up, eat your snack slowly. Make your snack last at least 15 minutes, and really savor each bite. Slowing down when eating your snack will help you feel satiated by the time you finish, which will prevent you from wanting to reach for more.

Skipping out on the first meal of the day to save calories and lose weight? Not exactly the best plan, since saying no to breakfast can slow down your metabolism and cause your body to hold on to fat. But it's not only important to eat in the morning — make sure you avoid these four breakfast mistakes as well.

• I'll eat when I get to work: You wake up at 6am and are in such a rush to get ready, pack your lunch, and get to your nine-to-five job that you figure you'll sip coffee on your commute and just eat when you get to your desk. It's important to eat within an hour of waking, because just like skipping breakfast, it messes with your metabolism. Avoid eating too late by making meals the night before. If you don't have time to sit down and eat, pack a portable snack the night before that you can quickly grab and nibble on the way.
• I'll grab a drink with my breakfast: Liquid calories get you every time! Specialty coffee drinks, huge glasses of smoothies, and fresh juices can run you 300 calories or more. That on top of your breakfast can make calorie counts creep up fast. Go for coffee with a little bit of milk, drink a smaller-size smoothie with your breakfast, and eat your fruit instead of juicing it to consume fewer calories and more fibre.
• Oooh, a scone: When you grab coffee at the local café in the morning, who can resist the freshly baked muffins, quick breads, and scones staring at you from the counter? Avoid filling up on sugar in the morning: it doesn't sustain your blood sugar levels, so you will feel tired and fuzzy-headed. That, coupled with hunger pangs will have you reaching for more food within an hour, which means more calories consumed. Here are some low-sugar breakfast ideas to enjoy instead — all under 30 grams.

Keep reading for three more breakfast mistakes that can cause weight gain.

Going for a 30-minute run at a moderate pace of 10 minutes per mile (six mph) burns about 270 calories. What if you only have 20 minutes and you still want to burn the same amount? Below are some ways to do it.

• Pick up the pace: Increase your speed and run much faster at a pace of seven minutes per mile (8.5 mph). You'll burn 261 calories after 20 minutes.
• Add a little incline: If you're on the treadmill, add a five percent incline and run at a pace of nine minutes per mile (6.6 mph) and burn 280 calories.
• Add a steeper incline: Go even steeper with a 10 percent incline and go at a pace of 10 minutes per mile (six mph) and burn 280 calories.
• Add sprinting hill intervals Alternate between running one minute with zero percent incline at a pace of nine minutes per mile (6.6 mph) and one minute with a five percent incline at a pace of eight minutes per mile (7.5 mph) and burn a total of 282 calories.

All calculations are based on a 130-pound woman.

Skipping out on the first meal of the day to save calories and lose weight? Not exactly the best plan, since saying no to breakfast can slow down your metabolism and cause your body to hold on to fat. But it's not only important to eat in the morning — make sure you avoid these four breakfast mistakes as well.

• I'll eat when I get to work: You wake up at 6 a.m. and are in such a rush to get ready, pack your lunch, and get to your nine-to-five job that you figure you'll sip coffee on your commute and just eat when you get to your desk. It's important to eat within an hour of waking, because just like skipping breakfast, it messes with your metabolism. Avoid eating too late by making these meals the night before. If you don't have time to sit down and eat, pack a portable snack the night before that you can quickly grab and nibble on the way.
• I'll grab a drink with my breakfast: Liquid calories get you every time! Specialty coffee drinks, huge glasses of smoothies, and fresh juices can run you 300 calories or more. That on top of your breakfast can make calorie counts creep up fast. Go for coffee with a little bit of milk, drink a smaller-size smoothie with your breakfast, and eat your fruit instead of juicing it to consume fewer calories and more fiber.
• Oooh, a scone: When you grab coffee at the local café in the morning, who can resist the freshly baked muffins, quick breads, and scones staring at you from the counter? Avoid filling up on sugar in the morning: it doesn't sustain your blood sugar levels, so you will feel tired and fuzzy-headed. That, coupled with hunger pangs will have you reaching for more food within an hour, which means more calories consumed. Here are some low-sugar breakfast ideas to enjoy instead — all under 30 grams.

Keep reading for three more breakfast mistakes that can cause weight gain.

• Kiwi and four other foods you should be eating for weight loss — MindBodyGreen
• Grab a fork — 6 scrumptious recipes to celebrate salad month — POPSUGAR Food
• Sport a two-piece in confidence with this bikini bootcamp workout — Fitness
• Achoo! Yoga, Ayurvedic, and herbal remedies for Spring allergies — Yoga Journal
• This seated workout tones your muscles more than you think — Shape
• Mouth-watering Meatless Monday recipes under 450 calories — Self
• Why you should be eating more nuts — HuffPost Healthy Living

You've been eating right and exercising for months, and although you've reached your goal weight and feel happy with you thinner frame, your belly is still a little pudgy. How can you get rid of the extra flab surrounding your abs?

Ab exercises, right? Unfortunately, all the crunches in the world won't slim down your middle. They will strengthen the muscles underneath the layer of fat, but until you eliminate that extra layer, your toned ab muscles will remain hidden. You can't spot-reduce fat from certain areas of your body; you have to reduce body fat as a whole. The best way to do that is with cardio. If the exercise plan you're following isn't doing the trick, then it's times time to kick it up a notch. Make sure you're doing high-intensity cardio workouts such as running, swimming, jumping rope, hiking, or high-impact cardio classes (try this 10-minute belly-busting workout). These burn mega calories and help to reduce your overall body fat. Also include speed intervals in your workouts since these are proven to target fat around the midsection.

You can also tackle a softer belly with your diet. Avoid foods containing trans fat such as certain packaged cookies, crackers, margarines, granola bars, and breads. If the list of ingredients says partially hydrogenated oil, then put it back on the shelf. Include foods that contain MUFAS (monounsaturated fats) instead such as avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil. Other foods that fight belly fat or bloat include blueberries, pineapple, protein such as low-fat dairy products, and high-fiber foods such as pears and leafy greens. Try this flat-belly smoothie recipe that includes belly-busting foods all in one delicious drink.

Stress can be another reason for belly fat, since it triggers the production of cortisol, a stress hormone linked to an increased appetite and more belly fat. Taking measures to reduce the stress in your life through yoga, meditation, massage, sipping tea in a bubble bath, or these other completely free stress-relievers could be the difference between a flat belly and a flabby one.

In order to burn calories and lose overall body fat, it's necessary to skip the walks, pick up the pace, and run instead. When you're first starting out, running feels so hard. Your muscles ache, your lungs burn, it's hard to breathe, and all you can think about is stopping. Here are five techniques to incorporate every week to help running feel like a breeze instead of a chore.

Pencil It In
In order for your body to become more accustomed to the demands running places on it, you have to run regularly. Instead of fitting in random runs whenever you can or when the weather is nice, it's imperative to stick with a weekly running schedule that includes running at least three or four times a week. Running often will strengthen the muscles in your lower body and core that are needed to make running feel easier, and it will also build your endurance. Ease into running regularly with shorter runs, and as it begins to feel easier, gradually increase the mileage per workout.

Slow Down
There's no need to start off running seven-minute miles. Slow down your speed enough so you're breathing faster than you would if just walking, but not huffing and puffing so much that your lungs hurt or you're gasping for each breath. Skip the interval training because even though it's great for targeting belly fat, running at a comfortable, consistent pace is easier than sprinting. Slowing down will allow you to focus on correct running form, which can alleviate common running aches, and you'll also be able to take in the scenery or have the energy to chat with your workout buddy, all of which can actually make you love going out for a run. As your body becomes stronger, your pace will increase naturally, and you can begin to challenge it with sprinting intervals.

Keep reading for three more ways to make running feel easier.

What's a decadent brunch without a warm and fluffy stack of pancakes doused in melted butter and syrup? The problem is that real maple syrup packs on the calories — 200 per quarter-cup serving and a whopping 53 grams of sugar! If you're looking to lower the sugar in this favorite weekend treat, here are some low-sugar options that also offer fiber, protein, and other nutrients.

Banana: Mash half a medium-size banana and spread that on your stack. It's only 53 calories and 7.2 grams of sugar but also offers over 200 milligrams of potassium.

Fresh berries: One cup of fresh raspberries has only 5.4 grams of sugar and 64 calories but a whopping eight grams of fiber.

Maple cinnamon yogurt: Whip up a batch of homemade maple-flavored yogurt by mixing together Greek yogurt, milk, maple syrup, and cinnamon. A quarter-cup serving is 38 calories and only 4.1 grams of sugar, but you'll also be getting almost five grams of protein.

Frozen pureed fruit: Throw one cup of frozen blueberries into the blender, and pour it on your pancakes. It is 13.1 grams of sugar, has 79 calories, and also offers 4.2 grams of fiber. To make your mornings easier, prefreeze pureed fruit in ice cube trays, and you can microwave a few cubes when you need them.

Almond butter: One tablespoon of creamy nutty almond butter spread on your pancakes has only one gram of sugar, 95 calories, and 3.5 grams of protein.