How To Lose Belly Fat: 7 Proven Strategies

Carey Rossi
·5 min read

Medically reviewed by Katrina Carter, DPT

Belly fat—also known as abdominal or visceral fat—resides around your midsection and surrounds internal organs like the intestines and pancreas. Different factors, such as aging or eating and physical activity habits, can affect belly fat.

Excessive belly fat can increase your risk of developing obesity-related conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and coronary artery disease. Still, you can adopt changes to help manage your weight, like exercising regularly and eating a healthy, whole-food diet. Read on to learn more about these and other helpful tips for losing belly fat.

1. Add More Strength Training

You'll want to do more than cardio workouts for your physical activity; add some strength training. Strength training can increase muscle mass, allowing you to potentially burn more calories. It has been shown to reduce:

  • Body fat mass

  • Body fat percentage

  • Visceral fat

While getting the recommended 150 minutes of weekly aerobic exercise, find ways to include strength exercises. The ideal amount will vary individually, but most adults should aim for at least two days of strength training.

2. Choose More Plant-Based Foods

Visceral fat and inflammation are linked. Certain foods, such as those with refined sugars, can promote inflammation. However, plant-based diets with options like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can be helpful for belly fat loss.

These diets contain antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties called polyphenols. One study also found that individuals who followed a Mediterranean or a green Mediterranean diet experienced more weight loss and reduced waist circumference.

3. Eat All Fats In Moderation

Fats are energy-efficient, providing the body with more energy than carbs and proteins. Being an energy source isn't the only benefit they offer. Monounsaturated fats and specific types of polyunsaturated fats like omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory effects on the body.

However, overeating any kind of fat increases your calorie intake. Increased calorie intake could lead to weight gain from the body storing excess fat to use as energy later, so enjoy even healthy fats in moderation. General guidelines recommend making fats less than 28% of your daily caloric intake.

4. Switch Between Workout Intensities

Some studies examining the effect of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on improving body composition have suggested that HIIT significantly reduces total abdominal and visceral fat mass. That doesn't mean all of your workouts must be high-intensity.

Mixing in low-intensity exercises can help reduce belly fat. After you've used all of the carbs in your body for energy, the low-intensity exercises will start burning fat as the source of energy.

5. Try To Reduce Stress

Experiencing stress can lead you to gain weight around your abdomen. While some people might eat high-fat, high-sugar, or high-calorie foods during stressful times, this is not the only factor for increased belly fat.

The stress hormone cortisol might increase the amount of fat your body clings to and enlarge your fat cells. Higher cortisol levels have been linked to more visceral fat.

When possible, consider finding stress-relieving activities to do. Examples are meditating, exercising, connecting with others, and listening to music—but the goal is to find something relaxing for you.

6. Get Enough Sleep

In the United States, around 33% of adults don't get enough sleep or rest on a daily basis. Known as sleep deficiency, not getting the sleep you need affects different aspects of your health. For example, people who regularly sleep less than seven hours per night are more likely to have a higher risk of developing obesity than those who sleep more.

Everyone's sleep needs differ, but adults generally need at least seven hours of sleep nightly. It's also important to get quality sleep. Better sleep means you feel rested and experience fewer instances of interrupted sleep. A consistent sleeping schedule and a relaxing sleeping area are ways to increase your sleep hygiene to get quality sleep.

7. Limit Alcohol Intake

Drinking too much alcohol can contribute to increased belly fat. One study investigated the link between alcohol consumption and where body fat was distributed among participants diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. The researchers found that higher levels of alcohol consumption were linked to higher visceral fat for participants.

You don't have to avoid alcohol altogether if you want to lose weight. It's best to instead limit how much you drink. Recommendations include one or fewer daily drinks for women and two or fewer daily drinks for men.

A Quick Review

Exercising more, adding some HIIT and strength training, and eating a healthy diet rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables are some ways to get rid of belly fat. Finding ways to get quality sleep and relieve stress are other helpful options.

For additional guidance, talk with a healthcare provider or registered dietitian before you begin a workout regimen or make any changes to your diet.

Frequently Asked Questions

What causes the most belly fat?

Weight gain, including belly fat, can occur for many reasons. Factors like a sedentary lifestyle, high-calorie diets, genetics, and stress can all be causes for increased weight.

What burns belly fat the most?

Low-intensity exercise—like walking—can burn more belly fat.

How can you lose belly fat fast?

There's no way to burn belly fat fast. Combining healthy eating with a mixture of exercises will help you lose belly fat over time.

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