How to lose belly fat

Are you struggling to lose those extra pounds building up around your midsection? You certainly aren’t alone. On any given day, nearly half of American adults are on a diet to lose weight, and only a minority succeed.¹

Difficulty with losing weight is troubling, especially concerning belly fat, also known as visceral, abdominal, or truncal fat. Belly fat’s impact is more serious than aesthetics. It’s associated with metabolic disease, type 2 diabetes, and other serious health concerns.²

That may sound depressing, but with the right information, you can adopt an eating strategy that will help you lose belly fat.

 

1. What is belly fat and why does it matter?

People tend to carry fat in two distinct ways: either under the skin (as subcutaneous fat) or in the abdomen and surrounding internal organs (as visceral fat). The latter is what is often referred to as “belly fat.”³

How you carry fat is based on several factors: genetics, age, gender, and lifestyle.⁴ But the good news is that you can take control and lose unnecessary belly fat.

How to measure abdominal or visceral fat

MRI or CT scanning are currently considered the gold standards for measuring visceral and abdominal fat.⁵ A DEXA scan, which uses a low-dose x-ray beam, produces similar results and may be more accessible. Other tools like bioimpedance scales are less accurate and provide less information about visceral fat, but are widely available.⁶

For those who don’t have access to imaging tools, a simple technique is to measure your waist circumference. General recommendations are for men to keep their waist measurement below 40 inches (101 cm) and women to keep their measurement below 35 inches (89 cm). However, some ethnic groups, such as South Asians, have lower cutoffs of 35 inches (89 cm) for men and 31 inches (80 cm) for women.⁷

However, we suggest aiming for an even smaller waist circumference, most notably, one that will keep your waist-to-height ratio in a healthy range. Studies show that a waist-to-height ratio less than 0.5 may be an even better measurement for predicting a lower risk of health complications.⁸

Measuring your waist allows you to keep track of your results and follow your progress. It can help you determine if your eating plan is helping you reduce your risk of chronic disease.

You can also measure your hips and calculate your waist-to-hip ratio (waist measurement divided by hip measurement). The target for men is less than 0.9 and for women it’s less than 0.8.⁹

Do you want to learn more about how to accurately measure your waist circumference or hip to waist ratio?

Why does belly fat matter?

Abdominal fat is associated with an increased risk of several health conditions, including:¹⁰

• metabolic disease¹¹
• type 2 diabetes¹²
• heart disease¹³
• inflammation¹⁴

Belly fat is even associated with a shorter life.¹⁵ Even “normal weight” people, as defined by BMI, with extra belly fat are at increased risk of health complications.¹⁶

As we saw in 2020, more visceral fat is associated with a higher risk of severe Covid-19 complications.¹⁷

Fortunately, excess belly fat can be reduced. Studies show that reducing it improves metabolic health and is likely to improve overall health.¹⁸

Summary

Belly fat, also known as abdominal or visceral fat, is associated with an increased risk of multiple health conditions. Imaging tests, like DEXA scans or MRIs, are most effective for measuring belly fat, but simple techniques like waist circumference or waist to hip ratio are also very useful. Fortunately, lifestyle changes can decrease belly fat and improve overall health.

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2. Nutrition

Any weight loss method may reduce belly fat to a degree. But what intervention helps reduce abdominal fat the most?

Low-carb nutrition

Low-carb nutrition lowers insulin, improves metabolic syndrome, and can put type 2 diabetes in remission. It can also help people lose belly fat.¹⁹

In 2019, researchers from Virta health published a two-year study on the keto diet and reported a 15% reduction in abdominal fat.²⁰

Other studies show a low-carb diet leads to greater loss of abdominal fat than a low-fat diet, although they also showed greater overall weight loss with low carb, so it isn’t clear that low carb will always be superior to low fat for targeting abdominal fat.²¹

In another study, low-carb dieters lost 22.8% of their abdominal fat, compared to only 1% for the low-fat dieters, again with greater overall weight loss.²²

Yet another study reported an 11% reduction of abdominal fat for low-carb eaters compared to a 1% reduction for low-fat dieters.²³

Calorie restriction

Other methods of weight loss may also help people lose belly fat. One randomized trial reported that 12 weeks of calorie restriction reduced fat mass by 11 pounds (5 kilos) and visceral fat by 15%.²⁴

However, as with most restrictive eating plans, other studies question the sustainability of these diets and results. One randomized trial using a low-fat, calorie-restricted diet reported that at eight years, the dieters lost 4 kilos (8.8 pounds), almost all from lean mass rather than fat mass.²⁵

An interesting randomized trial revealed that after one year, exercise without calorie restriction led to the same reduction in belly fat as a diet with 20% fewer calories.²⁶

Vegan diets

In one 16-week trial, 122 overweight adults who ate a low-fat vegan diet lost an average of nearly 14 pounds (6.4 kilos), and became more insulin sensitive. The control group continued their standard diet and did not see any significant changes.²⁷

Another 16-week trial reported those following a vegan diet lost 9.5 pounds (4.3 kilos) of fat mass, some of it from visceral fat, whereas those on the control diet did not lose any.²⁸

It is important to note that vegan diets do not provide all the essential nutrients that humans need and therefore require long-term use of vitamin and mineral supplements.²⁹

Some may also find it challenging to meet the need for adequate protein on a vegan diet. Protein intake is especially important during weight loss to minimize the loss of muscle mass.³⁰

Read more about low-carb vegan diets in our evidence-based guide.

Intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting for beginners 

Studies of intermittent fasting, most of them examining alternate-day fasting, show that this strategy can also help people lose abdominal fat.

One study found that six weeks of alternate-day fasting led to a 7% overall weight loss with a waist circumference loss of 5.7%.³¹

Another randomized trial reported more significant overall fat mass loss with intermittent energy restriction than traditional dieting, but abdominal fat loss was not reported.³²

But not all studies agree. One trial of alternate-day fasting reported no change in visceral fat.³³ This trial had subjects eat 25% of their usual calories one day and 125% the next day; the unusual protocol may have influenced the results.

Summary

Nutrition plays a vital role in reducing abdominal fat. Many diets that promote weight loss, including vegan diets and chronic caloric restriction, can help people lose belly fat. However, the key is finding a sustainable diet that provides adequate nutrition and still helps you lose belly fat. For many, a low-carb diet may be an effective option, and adding intermittent fasting is also promising.

 
 

3. Exercise

One common misconception is that doing abdominal muscle strengthening exercises, like crunches or sit-ups, helps people lose belly fat. But studies show that sit-ups alone are not effective at reducing belly fat.³⁴

Other types of exercise, especially when combined with an effective diet, may reduce belly fat. For instance, two trials reported high-resistance training and moderate-cardio programs had a greater impact on belly fat loss than lower-intensity exercise.³⁵

And a study from Spain reported a more significant loss of total fat mass when the investigators added intense exercise to a low-calorie diet.³⁶

Aerobic training alone may also be effective for visceral fat loss, but the key seems to be the intensity. Only studies of moderate and high-intensity aerobic exercise find a meaningful impact on belly fat.³⁷

Summary

To lose unwanted belly fat, exercise can be a helpful addition to nutrition. However, exercise intensity matters, with moderate and high intensity aerobic or resistance exercise showing the best results.

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4. Supplements

If you believe the ads, there are hundreds of “belly busters” or products that will help the fat “melt away from your middle.” While most of these are ineffective, some supplements may help.

Green tea

One randomized trial reported a small benefit in abdominal-fat loss for a group randomized to a green tea extract when compared to a caffeine control group.³⁸ Since the difference was small and this was just one study, you shouldn’t expect green tea to be a magic potion for belly-fat loss. But it may be an added bonus when combined with nutrition, exercise, and other lifestyle improvements.

Probiotics

A randomized study reported that those supplementing with Lactobacillus amylovorus experienced a small decrease in abdominal fat compared to those eating yogurt made with other bacterial strains.³⁹

However, there’s still much to learn about our gut flora’s impact on weight loss and body composition. The evidence is not strong enough to make a general recommendation about using probiotics to lose belly fat. But, if you choose to take probiotics for other reasons, you may want to consider strains with Lactobacillus amylovorus.

Apple cider vinegar

One study in Japanese men reported those who drank 0.5 to 1.0 ounces (15 or 30 ml) of vinegar decreased their waist size by about 0.5 inches in 12-weeks.⁴⁰

You can read more about the potential health benefits of apple cider vinegar in our evidence-based guide. Again, the evidence isn’t strong enough to recommend vinegar specifically for belly-fat loss.

Summary

Marketing for most supplements overstates their potential benefits to help people lose abdominal fat. Although the evidence is limited, some people may see a small effect from green tea, probiotics, or apple cider vinegar.

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5. Other lifestyle approaches

You have likely heard about the importance of getting enough sleep and managing chronic stress. But can these healthy practices also help you lose belly fat? They might.

Elevated levels of cortisol, a hormone that your body produces when under stress, are associated with higher levels of abdominal fat.⁴¹

Fortunately, stress management can make a difference. It may help with weight loss and reduce both cortisol and abdominal fat.⁴²

What about sleep?

One randomized trial reported that insufficient sleep reduced fat loss during a weight loss program.⁴³

And another study reported that better sleep correlated with greater fat-mass loss.⁴⁴ Plus, given all the other health benefits of better sleep, there are plenty of reasons to make it a priority.

Summary

Managing chronic stress and getting adequate sleep are two lifestyle interventions that may improve belly-fat loss. It’s worth prioritizing them for general health.

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6. Conclusion

Abdominal or visceral fat is associated with significant health risks, including metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

Fortunately, you can lose stubborn belly fat with targeted lifestyle changes. A combination of low-carb nutrition, moderate to high-intensity exercise, and intermittent fasting can help you reduce the fat around your midsection.

You can learn more about losing weight from our Top 18 tips for weight loss guide. Or try our program Weight Loss for Good. Plus, if you want to set achievable goals, read our guide, Setting realistic expectations for weight loss before you start making changes.