Body fat is your body’s way of storing extra energy. When you eat more than your body needs, that extra energy is stored in fat cells. This fat can build up in different parts of your body, like your belly.
Where your body stores fat can affect your health. If you have a lot of fat around your belly, you might have a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes compared to people who have fat in other areas, like their legs.
“Belly fat is dangerous because it’s related to the release of proteins and hormones that cause inflammation,” said Evelina Grayver, MD, a cardiologist at Northwell Health in Manhasset, New York. “This inflammation can damage your arteries, enter your liver, and affect how your body breaks down sugars and fats.”
Women often gain belly fat after they go through menopause. “Hormonal changes in the body can lead to extra energy turning into internal fat,” said Jessica Cutler, MD. She’s a bariatric surgeon at Maryland Bariatric Center at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore.
No pill or potion has been shown to get rid of belly fat. But there are things you can do to lose weight overall and trim down. Here are nine things to try.
Stay away from foods with added sugar or refined grains. These foods can spike your blood sugar (glucose) level.4 When your body has more glucose than it needs, it turns the extra sugar into fat.1
Added sugars are sugars that aren’t naturally found in foods.5 They get broken down quickly and enter the bloodstream rapidly after eating or drinking.5
Examples of foods to stay away from:
“The Mediterranean diet may help lower central obesity or belly fat, according to some studies,” said Patricia Araujo, a registered dietitian at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, Illinois.
The Mediterranean diet may help you lose belly fat. It focuses on fresh foods and plants, and it includes fewer meats and fats.
Include these foods in your diet:
Pay attention to how much you’re eating. Try to eat smaller amounts of refined grains. Plus food with lots of added sugars and foods that have a lot of saturated or high-fat. Try to eat more things like veggies and beans.
Watching the amount of food you eat (called portion size) helps you eat the right amount of food. It also helps you stay mindful of calories. Remember, when you regularly eat more calories than your body uses, your body will store that excess energy as fat.1
Some fats are better for you than others. Saturated fats, found in foods like red meat, butter, and full-fat dairy, can be bad for your heart.7
Instead, choose healthier fats like omega-3s, which may help you lose belly fat. Omega-3s are found in fish and some plants.8,9
Fish that have healthy fats:
“Having 2 to 3 servings of fatty fish per week can significantly lower liver and abdominal fat,” said Dr. Grayver.
Plant-based foods that have healthy fats:
Exercise may help lower belly fat. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults should try to do at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise, 5 days a week.10
Try things like:
Tip: Pick a cardio activity you like to do. You’ll be more motivated to get moving.
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High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a type of exercise where you do short bursts of intense activity followed by rest. HIIT-style workouts can help you lose weight and get in shape, which may help you lose belly fat.11
“Research shows that HIIT exercises for belly fat can help control weight and improve your overall physical condition,” said Dr. Grayver.
Strength training may also help fight belly fat.
Strength training helps build and strengthen your muscles, which burn more calories even when you’re not exercising.
You can use hand weights or resistance bands at home, or you can do exercises that use your body weight to build muscle. Good exercises to try include pushups, squats and planks.
One note: Some spot exercises, such as situps, can tighten your abdominal muscles. But they won’t banish belly fat on their own.
Bright, colorful fruits, vegetables, and leafy greens can help you stay healthy. “They may also help turn off fat-storage genes,” said Dr. Grayver.
Colorful fruits and veggies typically have a lot of phytonutrients, which are natural plant compounds that may help your body store less fat.15
Foods to add to your diet include:
Stay away from sugary drinks such as sodas and fruit juices.
Not only do these beverages have added sugars that can spike your blood sugar and promote fat storage, but they also add empty calories without the feeling of “being full” from eating.16
The brain doesn’t register calories from drinks in the same way as from solids, says Dr. Grayver. So, when you drink sugary beverages, you still feel hungry. This can cause you to eat more because you don’t feel full.
You should also limit how much alcohol you drink. Alcohol adds empty calories and may stop fat from being burned efficiently.17
If your belly fat is sticking around, talk with your doctor or a registered dietitian. They can help you create a diet and exercise plan that works for you.
While there’s no magic wand when it comes to how to lose belly fat fast, there are many things you can do to improve your health over time. These include exercising often, eating good fat high in omega-3s and limiting things like sugar and refined grains.
Remember, you don’t have to go on your weight loss journey alone. Your doctor can help you make a plan to lose belly fat safely.