Belly fat, or visceral fat, is fat stored in and around the abdominal organs. Belly fat can increase the risk of cancer, high blood pressure, stroke, dementia, heart disease and diabetes. You can't lose a lot of weight or excess body fat in one week-especially visceral fat or belly fat. To reduce harmful belly fat and improve your overall health, you will need to change your diet, exercise and lifestyle over a longer period of time. However, within a week, you can start making lifestyle changes that will benefit your health.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Adding Useful Foods to Reduce Belly Fat
Step 1. Eat the right kind of fat
Studies show that eating the right types of fat, such as monounsaturated fat, can help reduce belly fat or visceral fat by up to 20% when compared to a low-fat diet.
- Monounsaturated fat is a type of fatty acid that has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, improved diabetes, and improved blood vessel function.
- While monounsaturated fats are considered healthy, they are still very calorie-dense. Don't eat it as an addition to an unhealthy diet or as an addition to other unhealthy sources of fat. Monounsaturated fats should replace unhealthy fat sources such as trans fat or saturated fat.
- Monounsaturated fats are found in a variety of foods such as olive oil, olives, nuts, seeds, peanut butter, avocado, and canola oil.
- Some ideas to try include replacing butter or lard with olive oil, grapeseed oil, or avocado oil.
Step 2. Eat lean protein
Sources of lean protein will help keep you full longer throughout the day and help promote weight loss.
- Make sure you get a source of lean protein at every meal. Measure out 85–115 grams of protein to stay within your calorie limit.
- Replace all high-fat proteins such as cheese, red meat, and sausages that are high in fat with low-fat meats such as chicken, turkey, fish, beans/lentils, eggs, and low-fat dairy products.
Step 3. Add fresh fruit and vegetables to every meal
Make sure half of your plate is filled with fresh fruit and vegetables. These low-calorie foods are high in nutrients and can help you lose weight and reduce belly fat.
- The best way to reduce belly fat is through calorie reduction. When half your plate contains fruit or vegetables, the low-calorie nature of these foods helps reduce the calorie content you consume.
- Measure out 1 cup of vegetables, 2 cups of green leafy vegetables, or cup of fruit. Include 1-2 servings at each meal.
Step 4. Choose whole grains
When you are trying to reduce belly fat and get rid of harmful visceral fat, you should choose 100% whole grains for bread, rice, or pasta.
- 100% whole grains contain much higher fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals than processed cereals. 100% whole grains are a much more nutritious option.
- Processed cereals are cereals that have been through a lot of processing and whose essential nutrients have been lost. White bread, white rice, plain pasta or crackers should be limited.
- Include one or two servings of 100% whole grains each day. Measure out about 85 grams or cup of quinoa, brown rice, whole grain pasta, whole wheat bread or millet.
Step 5. Drink adequate amounts of water
Help your body feel fuller and more hydrated by drinking adequate amounts of water and other clear fluids each day.
- Usually the recommended minimum water consumption is 8 glasses a day. However, sometimes up to 13 glasses per day is recommended.
- Water is important to hydrate the body. Water plays a vital role in regulating body temperature and blood pressure.
- In addition, the need for adequate fluids helps control appetite. Plus, drinking a glass of water right before a meal can help reduce overall food intake and support weight loss.
Method 2 of 3: Stop Eating Problem Foods to Reduce Belly Fat
Step 1. Stop consuming sugar and white flour
Studies show that one of the biggest causes of visceral fat is sugary drinks, sweets, and foods made from white flour. Limit or stop consuming the following foods and drinks to help reduce belly fat:
- Sugary drinks such as soda, packaged fruit juices and sports drinks, as well as candy, desserts, or cakes can increase visceral fat. In addition, foods made from white flour or carbohydrates that go through many processes such as chips, crackers, white bread, plain pasta, or white rice are also responsible for the formation of belly fat.
- If you like sweets, try replacing your favorite snack with something more nutritious, such as low-fat Greek yogurt or fruit.
Step 2. Stop drinking alcoholic beverages
Many studies have shown that an increase in alcohol consumption is associated with an increase in the amount of visceral fat. Limit or stop drinking alcoholic beverages to help reduce belly fat.
- In addition, many of these alcoholic beverages are mixed with other sweetened beverages. The combination of sugar and alcohol will further increase the risk of visceral fat.
- In general, women should not drink more than 1 drink of alcohol a day and men should limit their alcohol consumption to 2 drinks a day.
Step 3. Limit high-fat foods
In addition to choosing healthy fat sources to include in your diet, you should also limit or avoid certain types of fat that can increase belly fat and related chronic conditions.
- Avoid all trans fats. Trans fats are artificial fats and can cause hardening of the arteries, an increase in LDL (bad cholesterol) and a decrease in HDL (good cholesterol). Avoid all products that contain hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. Trans fats are found in fried foods, processed foods and processed meats.
- Eat saturated fat in moderation. There has been a lot of research going back and forth concluding whether saturated fat is really unhealthy. Since saturated fat is generally higher in calories, and you're trying to lose weight and body fat, limit this type of fat. Saturated fat is found in products such as butter, fatty cheeses, red meat, and lard.
- Make sure you limit fatty cuts of meat, fast food, fried foods, and processed meats, as these are the highest sources of unhealthy fats.
Method 3 of 3: Increase Exercise and Activity
Step 1. Do interval training 2-3 days this week
Higher-intensity interval training is becoming increasingly popular. This exercise is known to burn more calories, but specifically burns more body fat than regular cardio.
- A study conducted at the University of Virginia found that people who did cardio exercise 3 out of 5 sessions per week at intervals burned more belly fat, even though they technically burned the same calories during exercise.
- Most exercise machines already have an interval program. You can do interval programs with a treadmill, stationary bike, and elliptical machine.
- You can build your own high-intensity interval program by alternating short bursts of very high-intensity exercise with longer periods of moderate-intensity exercise. For example, you can alternate between 1 minute of sprinting and 5 minutes of jogging.
Step 2. Make a commitment to cardio for at least 30 minutes 5 days a week
In addition to interval training, studies show that 30 minutes of cardio exercise each week is just as important to help reduce belly fat.
- To reduce visceral fat or belly fat specifically, some health experts even recommend up to 60 minutes of aerobic activity a day for a more significant effect.
- Try walking, biking, swimming, hiking, running, exercising on an elliptical or rowing machine.
- Try to do the above exercise at a moderate speed. While here it is usually described as being able to carry on a conversation, even if it is difficult, while doing the activity.
Step 3. Increase your daily activity level
Lifestyle activities are a fun way to add to your daily exercise. Being more active on a daily basis has been shown to be as beneficial as 150 minutes of deliberate cardio exercise each week.
- Pick a time when you're not doing anything, like watching TV, taking a break at work, or being on the road for transportation, and incorporate physical activity into it. Think of ways to move around more or take more steps.
- For example, do sit-ups, push-ups, and plunks during commercial breaks. Stretch when stuck in traffic, and walk around the office during breaks.
- You can also consider purchasing a pedometer or downloading a step counter app on your smartphone. This tool will help track how active you are during the day and is a great way to see how much your activity level has increased.
Step 4. Do strength training 1-3 times this week
Lifting weights builds lean muscle mass, which can help increase your metabolism and your ability to burn calories at rest.
- In addition, resistance training helps increase bone density and reduces the risk of diseases such as osteoporosis.
- Include bodyweight exercises, such as push-ups, planks, squats, or lunges. This is a great toning exercise and also increases the heart rate.
- Learn to use free weights or a weight machine. Start with popular exercises like the bicep curl, incline chest press, calf raise, tricep raise, and ab machine.
- You may want to consider paying for a personal trainer if you've never lifted weights before. A personal trainer can show you how to lift weights correctly and provide an appropriate weightlifting program.
Tips
- Always talk to your doctor before starting a weight loss plan. Your doctor will be able to tell if weight loss is safe and appropriate for you.
- Remember, even if your goal is to reduce excess belly fat, it's important to know that you can't just target one area of your body. You should lose overall weight and reduce total body fat.
- Instead of weighing yourself at the beginning and end of the week, try measuring your waist circumference. This is the best way to determine if your belly fat has been reduced. People whose waist circumference is more than 90 cm should continue a fat reduction program to reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
