The battle of the bulge is one that most middle-aged folks have to fight. And we are not referring to the six-pack abs that seems to be the flavor of the season. Most people would do anything for a trim look whereby their bellies stay within their side frame.

Short of surgery, there is no real simple and easy process to remove fat from the midriff. Once you add pounds to the belly, the only way to get rid of it will be through hard work, tremendous patience and rigorous workouts.

Here are some tips to cut down on that midriff quick and fast:

1) While exercising, make sure that your movements are fluid and controlled. And try not to arch your back during abdominal workouts, for this could lead to a strain in the muscles of the lower back and increase the time for knocking the beer belly off.

2) To think that workouts need to be done till you are out of breath is wrong. You should stop your workout when you start to feel uncomfortable. Then it is time to cool down and start again.

3) If someone told you that doing sit ups was the easiest way to reduce belly flab, do not believe him, for a full body workout alone can flatten the tummy. Work the entire abdominal region as otherwise sit ups only tone the abdominal muscles.

4) It is a good idea to do some stomach crunches when you are just lying around watching a soccer game on television or listening to music.

5) Always keep your workout routine varied as doing one exercise repeatedly will only make those set of muscles get used to it. And once this happens, you will see less impact of the workouts in those areas.

6) Have a healthy diet as no amount of workouts can do you any good if you tend to gorge on high calorie foods. Prefer healthy foods that are easy to digest.

7) Try to avoid saturated fats and foods that contain high fructose corn syrup. Both of these are known to be prime suspects of causing the bulging belly.

8) At work, try to maintain an upright posture. This way, you won't be showing off that big belly bulge to all and sundry. Moreover, proper posture helps workouts and guards against muscle aches.