Fat around the middle is more than just an annoyance that makes your clothes feel tight, and it causes a lot of harm.
Visceral fat, a type of belly fat, makes it more likely that you will get type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other diseases.
In medicine, a body mass index (BMI) is used to classify weight and determine if someone is likely to get metabolic diseases.
It’s not true, though, because even skinny-looking people with too much belly fat are more likely to get sick.
Even though it can be hard to get rid of fat in belly area, you can do a few things, just continue reading.
A few reasons why so many of us end up with stubborn belly fat
- Erin Palinski-Wade, a registered dietitian in Sparta, New Jersey, and the author of Belly Fat Diet for Dummies said- When fat is in the middle of the body, it’s easy for the organs to get quick energy from it, and it is also why the body likes to store fat there.
- Palinski-Wade also said- When you’re stressed, your body releases a hormone called cortisol, which makes you gain more fat around your middle.
- Miriam Amselem, a holistic nutritionist and fitness trainer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida said- Not getting enough sleep can also cause your body to make more cortisol, which may cause you to gain more belly fat.
- ShaNay Norvell, a fitness coach in Atlanta and the author of Stretch Your Stress Away with ShaNay said- Making terrible food choices high in sugar and saturated fat can lead to more belly fat. Alcohol is also in this group, which causes the well-known beer belly.
- When you don’t work out, fat builds up.
- Changes in hormones, like a drop in estrogen during menopause, can cause more fat around the middle.
How Bad is Fat in the Belly?
Extra belly fat can make you more likely to get several diseases, such as:
- Type 2 diabetes.
- Some kinds of cancer, like breast cancer and colon cancer.
- Heart attacks and diseases of the heart.
- A lot of cholesterol.
The increased risk for these health problems is due to the presence of two distinct forms of fat in abdominal fat:
Subcutaneous fat is fat stored directly beneath the skin. It is the type of fat that can pinch between the fingers. It is present throughout the body.
Visceral fat is unique to the abdomen. It is located in the deep abdominal cavity and around organs such as the liver and stomach. Visceral fat secretes hormones and chemicals that can exacerbate inflammation and insulin resistance, all associated with Type 2 diabetes. Palinski-Wade says.
Suppose your waist circumference is greater than 35 inches for women or 40 inches for men. In that case, you are at a greater risk for developing health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Use a tape measure; you may measure your waist circumference right above your hip bones, typically where your belly button is. Exhale, and then take your waist measurement.
How Come It’s So Hard to Lose Stomach Fat?
It is a quick source of energy for the body, which makes it difficult to lose abdominal fat. Palinski-Wade explains that this is because “the body does not want to give up easy energy,” making weight growth simpler than weight loss.
Additionally, your body will continue to release cortisol while you are under stress. It contributes to increased abdominal fat. Norvell adds that women typically retain more abdominal fat for childbearing and nursing.
Aging also works against you, Amselem explains. Testosterone aids in the development of muscular mass in men. As guy ages, his testosterone levels decline, causing his body to lose muscle mass and gain weight.
Even if there is no significant weight gain, perimenopause and menopause can alter fat distribution in a woman’s body. Once concentrated in the breasts, hips, and thighs, fat accumulates in the abdomen.
However, this does not indicate that losing abdominal fat is impossible. What’s needed, as Norvell puts it, is “simply greater diligence and intention with eating, exercise, and overall lifestyle choices.”
21 Effective Methods to Lose Belly Fat
You may make a few changes to your daily routine to help you lose weight.
1. Consume a lot of soluble fiber
Soluble fiber may assist in weight loss by boosting fullness and decreasing calorie absorption.
Soluble fiber absorbs water and creates a gel that slows the passage of food through the digestive tract.
So, Include plenty of foods high in fiber in your weight reduction diet.
According to studies, soluble fiber improves weight loss by making you feel full, so you eat less naturally. Additionally, it may reduce the calories your body receives from food.
Moreover, soluble fiber may assist battle abdominal obesity.
Five-year observational research involving over 1,100 adults revealed that for every 10-gram increase in soluble fiber intake, abdominal fat accumulation decreased by 3.7%.
Eat more broccoli and spinach, as well as other vegetables. Since these are full of fiber, you’ll feel full faster, and your digestive system will work better.
Norvell says this is important because constipation can cause belly fat that goes away when you eat more fiber-rich vegetables.
Every day, make an effort to consume meals high in fiber. These foods are excellent sources of soluble fiber:
- Flax seeds
- Shirataki noodles
- Brussels sprouts
- Avocados
- Legumes
- Blackberries
2. Avoid trans-fat-containing foods
Some studies have connected a high intake of trans fat to a more significant accumulation of abdominal fat. So even if you’re not attempting to lose weight, it’s a good idea to minimize your consumption of trans fat.
Trans fats are produced by injecting hydrogen into unsaturated fats like soybean oil.
Some margarine and spreads contain them, and they are frequently added to packaged goods. Many food makers, however, have stopped using them.
In observational and animal research, these lipids have been associated with inflammation, cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, and belly fat growth.
A 6-year study revealed that monkeys fed a diet high in trans fats developed 33 percent more belly fat than those with monounsaturated fat.
If you want to protect your health and trim your waistline, it’s important to pay attention to food labels and steer clear of anything containing trans fats. They are commonly referred to as “partially hydrogenated fats,” but there are other names for them as well.
3. Avoid excessive alcohol consumption
There is a link between excessive alcohol consumption and an increase in abdominal fat. Therefore, consider drinking alcohol in moderation or abstaining from it entirely if you wish to minimize your waist circumference.
In small quantities, alcohol can benefit health, but excessive consumption is highly hazardous.
According to research, excessive alcohol use might also result in abdominal fat accumulation.
Observational studies relate heavy alcohol intake to a significantly increased chance of developing central obesity or the accumulation of excess fat around the waist.
Cutting back on booze can aid with weight loss. Of course, you don’t have to abstain from alcohol completely, but reducing your daily consumption can be beneficial.
More than 2,000 persons participated in research on alcohol consumption.
On average, people who drank less than one drink every day had less belly fat than people who drank less often but had more drinks when they did.
4. Consume a protein-rich diet
Protein-rich foods, such as fish, lean meat, and beans, are great for those attempting to lose weight around the waist.
Protein is an essential component for weight maintenance.
A high protein consumption stimulates the release of the hormone PYY, which suppresses appetite and promotes satiety.
During weight loss, protein also increases metabolism and helps you maintain muscle mass.
Numerous observational studies indicate that those who consume more protein have less belly fat than those who consume less protein.
Palinski-Wade says that protein breaks down more slowly than carbs, which makes you feel fuller for longer.
You also burn more calories when you digest protein instead of simple carbs or fat. You can meet your daily needs and get enough protein to help your metabolism and keep your appetite in check by getting about 30% of your calories from protein.
Include a quality protein source at each meal, such as:
- Meat Proteins like Chicken & Turkey,
- Fish Proteins like Salmon/ any fatty fish (contains Omega-3 fatty acids which help lowering inflammation and stress hormones in the body ),
- Eggs,
- Dairy proteins,
- Whey proteins,
- Beans,
- Oatmeal,
- Greek Yogurts,
- Nuts,
- 100% whole-grain bread.
5. Reduce the amount of stress in your life
Stress may cause fat to build up in the belly. So if you want to lose weight, one of the most important things you can do is to reduce your stress.
Stress can cause belly fat to build up by telling the adrenal glands to make cortisol, which is often called the stress hormone.
Research shows that a high level of cortisol makes you hungry and makes you store fat in your belly.
Also, women who already have a big waist make more cortisol when they are stressed. Having more cortisol also makes it easier for abdominal fat to grow.
The world is stressful, and you can’t eliminate stress to lose belly fat. But you can learn to control how you react to stress so that you don’t cause a cortisol rush all the time.
- Breaths are under control. Palinski-Wade says that one easy thing to do is to practice taking it slowly, controlled breaths through your nose and out your mouth like you’re whistling. The American Lung Association has a video that shows how to breathe through your belly. This way of breathing can slow down your heart rate, reduce the number of stress hormones in your body, and help if you feel like you can’t get enough air.
- Take a break. The American Heart Association says to do something you enjoy every day, even if it’s just for 10 to 15 minutes. So make art, read, talk to a friend, take a bath, or do something else that lets you forget about stress and focus on yourself.
So, enjoy fun times, and stress-relieving hobbies can help you lose belly fat. Yoga, control the breaths, taking some breaks between works, and meditation are ways that can be helpful.
6. Consume fewer sugary meals
Excessive sugar consumption is a crucial factor in the weight increase of many individuals. Therefore, limit your consumption of sweets and processed foods containing added sugar.
Sugar contains fructose, which, when ingested in excess, has been associated with various chronic disorders.
It includes cardiovascular disease, diabetes type 2, obesity, and fatty liver disease.
Observational studies demonstrate a correlation between a high sugar diet and belly fat accumulation.
It is crucial to recognize that refined sugar is not the only culprit in belly fat accumulation. Therefore, even healthy sugars, like natural honey, should be used sparingly.
7. Do Aerobic/Cardio exercises
Aerobic exercise is an excellent way to lose weight. Studies show that it is perfect for making your waistline smaller.
Aerobic exercise (cardio) is an excellent way to burn calories and improve your health.
Studies have also shown that this is one of the best ways to eliminate belly fat. The question of whether low-intensity or high-intensity exercise is preferable has not been resolved.
The frequency and duration of your workouts are more crucial than their intensity.
One study found that postmenopausal women lost more fat when they did aerobic exercise for 300 minutes per week instead of 150 minutes per week.
Aerobic and cardiovascular exercise helps you:
- Burn more calories.
- Lower Stresses.
- Decrease insulin resistance.
- Reduce overall Body Fat.
Palinski-Wade says that cardio and strength training can go a long way toward getting rid of belly fat.
Amselem says anyone can do resistance training with dumbbells, lifting, Pilates, and resistance bands.
No matter what kind of cardio you choose, do it regularly to get the best results. Norvell says the best exercise is 30 to 60 minutes of heart-pumping, dancing, walking, jogging, or swimming five times a week.
Amselem says you should also do 30 minutes of strength training thrice a week and stretch daily.
8. Reduce your carb intake, particularly refined carbs
A lot of belly fat is linked to eating a lot of refined carbs. So you might want to cut down the number of carbs you eat or replace refined carbs with whole grains, legumes, or vegetables.
Cutting out on carbohydrates is an effective strategy for losing weight, especially belly fat.
People who are overweight, at risk for type 2 diabetes, and women with polycystic ovary syndrome lose belly fat when they eat less than 50 grams of carbs per day (PCOS).
You don’t have to eat only low-carb foods. Scientific evidence suggests that switching from refined to unprocessed starchy carbohydrates can benefit metabolic health and lead to a reduction in abdominal obesity.
In the well-known Framingham Heart Study, people who ate whole grains were 17% less likely to have too much fat in their stomachs than people who ate a lot of refined grains.
9. Do resistance exercises (lift weights) and make a Stronger Core
Strength training is an excellent way to lose weight and may help you lose belly fat. Studies show that it works even better when done with aerobic exercise.
Resistance training, also called weight lifting or strength training is vital for maintaining muscle mass.
Studies with people with prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, or fatty liver disease suggest that resistance training may also help people lose belly fat.
According to research conducted on overweight adolescents, a combination of strength training and aerobic exercise is the most effective strategy for reducing visceral fat.
Get advice from a certified personal trainer if you start lifting weights.
Plus, focusing on your midsection won’t make you wake up one morning with less belly fat. A healthier diet, cardio, strength training, and core exercises are all better ways to lose weight. Your core muscles are your Back, Stomach, Hips, and Pelvic area.
Core exercises can help improve the tone of your abdominal muscles. Norvell says that combining core exercises with cardio can help you lose fat around your middle. In addition, core strength is built up with exercises like planks and bridges.
10. Avoid sugar-sweetened beverages
If you’re trying to lose weight, avoiding all liquid sugar forms, like sugar-sweetened drinks, is essential.
Sugary drinks are full of liquid fructose, which can make you gain fat around your middle.
Studies show that drinking sugary drinks makes the liver store more fat. For example, in a 10-week study, people who drank high-fructose drinks gained a lot of belly fat.
Sugary drinks seem even worse than foods with a lot of sugar.
Since your brain doesn’t handle liquid calories the same way it does solid ones, you may eat too many calories and store them as fat.
If you want to lose belly fat, you should avoid sugary drinks like:
Soda, punch, sweet tea, and sugary alcohol mixers.
11. Get a lot of sleep and rest
There is a link between not getting enough sleep and gaining more weight. Getting enough good sleep should be one of your top priorities if you want to lose weight and improve your health.
Sleep is vital for your health, including how much weight you carry. Studies have shown that people who don’t get enough sleep tend to gain weight, which may include belly fat.
A 16-year study of more than 68,000 women found that those who slept less than 5 hours per night were much more likely to gain weight than those who slept 7 hours or more per night.
Sleep apnea, a condition in which breathing sometimes stops during the night, is also linked to having too much visceral fat.
Make sure you get quality sleep and sleep at least 7 hours per night.
If you think you may have sleep apnea or another sleep disorder, talk to a doctor and get treated.
12. Want to get away with sleeping more?
Well, here you go. The National Sleep Foundation says that most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. Sleep also helps you control your appetite. If you don’t get enough sleep, you’ll probably want to eat more and choose foods with more sugar and fats that are bad for you, says Palinski-Wade.
Here are a few sleep-better tips:
- Try to stick to a consistent sleep-wake timetable.
- Establish a pre-bedtime ritual to help you wind down and get some rest. Yoga, deep breathing, and meditation are all great additions.
- Move those electronics that are a distraction out of the bedroom.
13. Keep track of your food intake and physical activity levels
As a general rule, if you want to lose weight, you should always keep track of what you eat. Two of the most common ways to do this are to keep a food diary or use an online food tracker.
There are many ways to lose weight and belly fat, but the most important is to eat fewer calories than your body needs to maintain the same weight.
You can track how many calories you eat by keeping a food diary or using an online food tracker or app. This method has been shown to help people lose weight.
Also, tools for keeping track of your food help you see how much protein, carbs, fiber, and micronutrients you eat. Many also let you track how much you exercise and move around.
Here are some free apps and websites to keep track of the calories and nutrients you eat.
A quick look at the best apps that track calories:
- Best overall: MyFitnessPal
- Best free features: Lose It!
- Best entirely free: FatSecret
- Best for specific diets: Cronometer
- Best for weight loss: Noom
- Best for building healthy habits: Lifesum
- Best for diet quality: MyNetDiary
- Best for simplicity: Calory
14. Every week, eat oily fish
Eating fatty fish or taking omega-3 supplements might be good for your health. Some evidence also shows that it may help people with the fatty liver disease lose belly fat.
Fatty fish are perfect for you.
They have many healthy proteins and omega-3 fats that keep you from getting sick.
Some evidence shows that these omega-3 fats may also help reduce visceral fat.
Adults and kids with fatty liver disease who took fish oil supplements lost a lot of fat in their livers and stomachs.
Try to eat two to three servings of fatty fish each week; some good choices are:
Salmon, Herring, Sardines, Mackerel, Anchovies.
15. Quit consuming fruit juice
Regarding weight gain, fruit juice can be just as sour as sugary soda. So if you want to increase your chances of successfully losing weight, you might want to stay away from all liquid sugar.
Even though fruit juice has vitamins and minerals, it’s just as high in sugar as soda and other sweetened drinks.
Drinking a lot may put you at the same risk of getting belly fat.
An 8-ounce (240-mL) serving of unsweetened apple juice has 24 grams of sugar, half of which is fructose.
To help get rid of extra belly fat, replace fruit juice with water, unsweetened iced tea, or sparkling water with a wedge of lemon or lime.
16. Add apple cider vinegar to your diet
Apple cider vinegar may help you lose some weight. In addition, animal studies suggest it may help eliminate belly fat.
Drinking apple cider vinegar has a lot of health benefits, including lowering blood sugar levels.
It has acetic acid, shown in several animal studies to reduce fat storage in the belly.
In a controlled 12-week study on men with obesity, those who took 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of apple cider vinegar per day lost half an inch (1.4 cm) from their waists.
Most people can safely take 1–2 tablespoons (15–30 mL) of apple cider vinegar daily, which may help them lose a small amount of weight.
But make sure to dilute it with water because undiluted vinegar can wear away the enamel on your teeth.
If you want to try apple cider vinegar, there are many options online.
17. Take a probiotic supplement or eat probiotic foods
Taking probiotic supplements might help keep your digestive system in good shape. Studies also show that good bacteria in the gut may help people lose weight.
Some foods and supplements have bacteria that are good for you. They are suitable for your health in many ways, like making your gut healthier and improving your immune system.
Researchers have found that different bacteria help control weight, and keeping the right balance can help people lose weight, including belly fat.
Members of the Lactobacillus family, like Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus amylovorus, and especially Lactobacillus gasseri, have been shown to cut down on belly fat.
Most probiotic supplements have more than one type of bacteria, so make sure you buy one that has at least one of these types of bacteria.
18. Experiment with intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting is a way of eating that alternates between eating and not eating. Studies suggest that it could be one of the most effective ways to lose weight and belly fat.
Intermittent fasting has recently become very popular as a way to lose weight.
It’s a way of eating that cycles between eating and not eating.
One popular method is to fast for 24 hours once or twice weekly. Another is to fast every day for 16 hours and eat all your food in 8 hours.
In a review of studies on intermittent fasting and alternate-day fasting, people lost 4–7% of their abdominal fat in 6–24 weeks.
There is some evidence that intermittent fasting and fasting, in general, may not be as helpful for women as it is for men.
Even though some modified forms of intermittent fasting seem to be better, you should immediately stop fasting if you notice any harmful effects.
19. Green tea, please
Regularly drinking green tea has been linked to weight loss, though it’s probably not as effective on its own and works best when combined with exercise.
Green tea is a highly healthy beverage.
It contains caffeine and the antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which appear to boost metabolism.
EGCG is a catechin that may help you lose belly fat, according to several studies. Moreover, the effect may be enhanced when green tea is combined with exercise.
20. Modify your routine and try new things
Maintaining a healthy weight is challenging without long-term changes to eating and activity patterns.
Doing just one of these things won’t make much of a difference.
Combining many tried-and-true approaches increases the likelihood of successful outcomes.
It’s interesting to note that many of these strategies are also related to a diet and lifestyle promoting health.
Losing belly fat and keeping it off requires changing your daily habits.
Fat loss is often a happy outcome of adopting healthier lifestyle choices and eating more whole, natural foods.
21. Find a way to evaluate your progress
When you’re trying to lose belly fat, measuring your progress can hold you accountable and encourage you to keep going. Norvell says to measure your waistline and take pictures of your front, back, and sides. Then continue to measure and take pictures every week. You can also use a pair of pants that don’t stretch so you can feel any changes in tightness or looseness over time.
Norvell says you might progress in a week or two if you eat better and work out regularly. She says that the midsection is usually the last place to show changes, especially for women. But slow and steady changes can help keep belly fat off in the long term.
Here’s the deal!
Sadly, there are no quick fixes for losing abdominal fat.
Losing weight is a challenge that always demands your Full Attention, Dedication, and Persistence.
Adopting even a few tips and lifestyle changes outlined here is guaranteed to help you shed those unwanted pounds.
