Some long-term diseases are more likely to happen if you have too much belly fat. Some things you can do to lose belly fat are to drink less booze, eat more protein, and lift weights.

Having too much belly fat can be bad for your health and may make a number of long-term problems worse.

Visceral fat is a type of belly fat that makes you more likely to get type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems.

Body mass index (BMI) is used by many health groups to classify weight and figure out who is most likely to get metabolic disease.

BMI, on the other hand, only looks at height and weight and doesn't look at body makeup or visceral fat.

Even though it can be hard to lose fat in this area, there are a few things you can do to get rid of extra belly fat.

Here are 18 effective tips to lose belly fat, backed by scientific studies.

1. Eat plenty of soluble fiber

Fiber that dissolves in water turns into a gel that helps food move more slowly through your digestive system.

Studies show that this fiber may help you lose weight by making you feel full, which makes you eat less.

Also, soluble fiber might help get rid of belly fat.

An older study with more than 1,100 adults found that over 5 years, belly fat gain reduced by 3.7% for every 10 grams (g) increase in soluble fiber intake.

Excellent sources of soluble fiber include :

fruits
vegetables
legumes
oats
barley

2. Avoid foods that contain trans fats

Trans fats are made by adding hydrogen to neutral fats like soybean oil.

They used to be in some margarines and spreads and were often added to packaged foods, but now most food companies don't use them.

Different types of studies, both on people and animals, have linked these fats to inflammation, heart disease, insulin resistance, and belly fat gain.

A 6-year study found that monkeys who ate a lot of trans fat got 33% more belly fat than monkeys who ate a lot of monounsaturated fat.

To get rid of belly fat, carefully read the labels and stay away from foods that have trans fats. A lot of the time, these are called partly hydrogenated fats.

3. Moderate your alcohol intake

Alcohol can be good for you in small amounts, but too much of it can be bad for you.

According to some studies, drinking too much booze can make you gain belly fat.

Observational studies show that people who drink a lot of booze have a much higher chance of gaining fat around the waist.

Cutting back on booze might help you lose weight around your waist. You don't have to stop drinking all together, but cutting back on how much you drink each day can help.

More than 2,000 people took part in a study about drinking. The people who drank alcohol every day but only had one drink on average had less belly fat than the people who drank less often but more on the days they did drink.

According to the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans, men should drink no more than two drinks per day and women should drink no more than one drink per day.

4. Eat a high protein diet

Protein is a very important food for keeping your weight in check.

The fullness hormone peptide YY is released more when you eat a lot of protein. This makes you feel full and reduces your hunger.

Protein also speeds up your metabolism and helps you keep muscle strength while you lose weight.

A lot of survey studies have shown that people who eat more protein tend to have less belly fat than people who eat less protein.

At every meal, make sure you eat something high in protein, like

meat
fish
eggs
dairy
whey protein
beans

5. Reduce your stress levels

The adrenal glands make cortisol, which is also known as the "stress hormone," which can make you gain belly fat.

High amounts of cortisol make people hungrier and make them store fat around their middle.

Also, women who already have a big waist tend to make more cortisol when they are stressed. Having more cortisol makes you gain fat around the middle even more.

Do things that make you feel good to help get rid of belly fat.Getting regular exercise or meditating can help.

6. Don’t eat a lot of sugary foods

Fructose, which is found in some sugars, is linked to a number of long-term diseases when eaten in large amounts.

Heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and fatty liver disease are a few of these.

Observational studies have found a link between eating a lot of sugar and having more belly fat.

You should know that more than just refined sugar can make you gain belly fat. You shouldn't use too much of any sugar, even natural ones like honey.

7. Do aerobic exercise (cardio)

Cardio, or aerobic exercise, is a good way to burn calories and improve your health.

Many studies have also shown that this type of exercise can help get rid of belly fat. But the results aren't clear on whether mild or intense exercise is better for you.

In any case, how often and for how long you work out can also be very important.

According to one study, women who had gone through menopause lost more fat all over when they did physical exercise for 300 minutes a week compared to 150 minutes a week.

But the researchers also found that changes in abdominal belly fat were not very different between the two groups.

8. Cut back on carbs — especially refined carbs

In order to lose fat, especially belly fat, cutting back on carbs can be very helpful.

People who are overweight, at risk for type 2 diabetes, or who have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may lose belly fat on low-carb diets.

You don't have to stick to a strict low-carb plan. Some study shows that switching from refined carbs to unprocessed starchy carbs may help your metabolism work better and lower your belly fat.

People who ate the most whole grains were 17% less likely to have extra belly fat than people who ate a lot of processed grains, according to the Framingham Heart Study.

9. Perform resistance training (lift weights)

Resistance training, which is also called weightlifting or strength training, is important for building and keeping muscle mass.

Research with people who have pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and fatty liver disease suggests that strength training may also help you lose belly fat.

In fact, one study with overweight teens found that the best way to reduce abdominal fat was to do both strength training and aerobic exercise together.

Before you start lifting weights, you should talk to your doctor and a qualified personal trainer.

10. Limit sugar-sweetened beverages

There are a lot of extra sugars in sugary drinks, like fructose, which can make you gain belly fat.

Researchers looked at people with type 2 diabetes and found that drinking at least one serving of sugary drinks a week was linked to more belly fat than drinking less than one serving a week.

It's also possible to eat too many calories later on and store them as fat because your brain doesn't handle liquid calories the same way it does solid ones.

To lose belly fat, it’s best to stop your intake of sugar-sweetened beverages such as:

soda
punch
sweet tea
alcohol mixers containing sugar

11. Get plenty of restful sleep

Getting enough sleep is good for your health in many ways, including your weight. Studies show that some groups may be more likely to be overweight and have more belly fat if they don't get enough sleep.

More than 68,000 women took part in a 16-year study that showed women who slept less than 5 hours a night were much more likely to gain weight than women who slept 7 hours or more a night.

Sleep apnea, a disease in which breathing stops and starts during the night, has also been linked to having too much visceral fat.

In addition to making sure you get at least 7 hours of sleep every night, make sure you also get enough good sleep.

If you think you might have sleep apnea or another sleep problem, you might want to talk to a doctor about how to treat it.

12. Track your food intake and exercise

There are many ways to lose weight and belly fat, but the most important thing is to eat fewer calories than your body needs to stay the same weight.

You can keep track of the calories you eat by writing down what you eat or using an online food record or an app. It has been shown that this plan can help you lose weight.

Tools for keeping track of your food also show you how much protein, carbs, fiber, and vitamins you're eating. A lot of them also let you keep track of your workouts and other physical activities.

This page has a list of free apps and websites that can help you keep track of the calories and nutrients you eat.

13. Eat fatty fish every week

Fatty fish can be a healthy part of a well-balanced diet.

They have a lot of good protein and omega-3 fats, which may help protect against long-term illness.

There is some proof that these omega-3 fats may also help get rid of visceral fat.

Omega-3 pills may help people with fatty liver disease lose a lot of fat in their liver and stomach, according to studies that have been done on adults and children.

Fatty fish should be eaten two to three times a week. Some good options are:

salmon
herring
sardines
mackerel
anchovies

There are also plant-based omega-3 pills made from sources like algae for vegans, vegetarians, and people who don't eat fish very often.

14. Limit consumption of fruit juice

Fruit juice has minerals and vitamins, but it often has the same amount of sugar as pop and other sweet drinks.

For instance, an 8-ounce (248-milliliter) glass of pure apple juice has 24 grams of sugar, with more than half of that being fructose.

Some research shows that drinking a lot of fruit juice might make you gain weight because it has a lot of calories and not because it contains fructose.

To help get rid of extra belly fat, you should still limit your intake and drink other drinks with less sugar, like water, unsweetened iced tea, or fizzy water with a lemon or lime wedge.

15. Eat probiotic foods or take a probiotic supplement

Probiotics are good bacteria that you can find in some foods and pills. They might be good for your health because they can help your gut stay healthy and boost your defense system.

Researchers have found that different kinds of bacteria help control weight and that the right mix of these bacteria can help people lose weight, even belly fat.

Members of the Lactobacillus family, like Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus amylovorus, and Lactobacillus gasseri, have been shown to help get rid of belly fat.

Probiotics may help you lose weight, but more study is needed to be sure. Because the Food and Drug Administration doesn't control all probiotics, you should talk to your doctor before starting to take them or any other vitamins.

16. Consider intermittent fasting

As of late, intermittent fasting has become a very common way to lose weight.

It's a way of eating that goes back and forth between eating and not eating.

One common way is to fast for 24 hours once or twice a week. One more involves going without food for 16 hours a day and eating everything in 8 hours.

In one study, people who did both intermittent fasting and protein pacing—eating nutrient-dense meals spread out evenly throughout the day—lost more body weight, total fat, and abdominal fat than people who only restricted calories.

Keep in mind that past research suggests that intermittent fasting may make it harder for women to control their blood sugar but not for men.

Even though some reduced forms of intermittent fasting seem like better choices, you should stop fasting right away if it makes you feel bad.

Also, before you try intermittent fasting or make any other changes to your food, talk to your doctor.

17. Drink green tea

Green tea is one of the healthiest drinks you can drink.

It has caffeine and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), an antioxidant that seems to speed up the metabolism.

It is a catechin, and some studies show that it may help you lose belly fat. If you drink green tea and work out at the same time, the effect might be stronger.

It's interesting that one study found that drinking less than 500 milligrams of green tea every day for 12 weeks could help people lose weight.

Another study found that drinking green tea regularly might help people lose weight and shrink their waistlines.

We do need more high-quality studies, though.

18. Change your lifestyle and combine different methods

One of the things on this list might not make a big difference by itself.

Combining different approaches might work better for the best results.

In an interesting twist, many of these techniques are linked to good eating and living in general.

So, the best way to lose belly fat and keep it off is to make long-term changes to the way you live.

Fat loss usually happens on its own when you stick to healthy habits, stay busy, and eat less ultra-processed foods.

Questions people often ask

What burns the most belly fat?

Studies show that fasting every so often might be one of the best ways to lose weight and belly fat.

How can I get rid of my stomach in seven days?

Try to lose weight in your stomach in 7 days. It's probably not possible or good to do so. There are good ways to lose weight, but it probably won't happen in 7 days.

Here are five foods that may help you lose belly fat:

Fruits, veggies, and legumes are all good sources of soluble fiber.
Fatty fish like tuna and salmon are high in protein. Yogurt, kefir, cabbage, and kimchi are high in probiotics. Green tea is a good source of both.

Lesson Summary

Having too much belly fat can lead to various long-term health problems. Here are some effective tips to lose belly fat:

• Eat plenty of soluble fiber from fruits, vegetables, legumes, oats, and barley.
• Avoid foods with trans fats by checking labels for partly hydrogenated fats.
• Moderate your alcohol intake to help reduce belly fat.
• Include high-protein foods like meat, fish, eggs, dairy, and beans in your diet.
• Reduce stress levels to lower cortisol and prevent fat accumulation around the waist.
• Limit sugary foods and drinks to prevent weight gain and belly fat.
• Engage in aerobic exercise to burn calories and lose belly fat.
• Reduce carb intake, especially refined carbs, to aid fat loss.
• Perform resistance training to build muscle mass and reduce abdominal fat.
• Avoid sugar-sweetened beverages to prevent excess calorie intake.
• Get enough restful sleep to support weight management and reduce belly fat.
• Track your food intake and exercise to monitor calorie consumption.
• Include fatty fish like salmon and mackerel in your diet for omega-3 fats.
• Limited consumption of fruit juice due to high sugar content.
• Eat probiotic foods or take supplements to support gut health.
• Consider intermittent fasting for weight loss, under medical supervision.
• Drink green tea to boost metabolism and potentially aid in losing belly fat.
• Combine different methods and make lifestyle changes for sustainable fat loss.

Remember, a combination of approaches may yield better results than relying on a single method. Consistency in healthy habits is key to successful belly fat loss and maintaining overall health.