14 Tips for Getting Rid of Belly Fat

WHILE GLP-1 INHIBITORS like Ozempic have taken over the weight loss conversation, they’re not right for everyone—there are side effects and issues with cost and adherence. There are other ways to lose belly fat, which are worth investigating. Belly fat can be especially stubborn, but having too much of it can be detrimental to your health.

Belly fat, technically known as visceral fat, is “concerning,” says Yoshua Quinones, M.D., an internist at Medical Offices of Manhattan and a contributor to LabFinder. “It’s linked to chronic health conditions, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes, and can negatively impact testosterone levels, and, in certain patients, cause liver dysfunction.”

Visceral fat is abdominal fat that is located inside the abdominal cavity, as opposed to subcutaneous fat, which is the fat just below your skin, explains Meghan Garcia-Webb, M.D., who specializes in obesity medicine. For most people, subcutaneous fat makes up about 9src percent of body fat, and visceral fat, about 1src percent, according to Harvard Medical School.

Even though visceral fat makes up a smaller proportion of body fat, Dr. Garcia-Webb says, “It’s especially dangerous because it is located close to vital organs.” This is why it’s linked to serious health conditions.

So losing that belly fat is important—and it’s also not actually impossible. Here are some expert tips on exactly how to take off stubborn belly fat.

How to Measure Belly Fat—And How Much Is Too Much?

THERE ARE A few ways to measure your visceral fat. Since this type of fat generally comprises about 1src percent of your body fat, you can calculate your total body fat percentage and then take 1src percent of that, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Or, you can try the tape-measure method: Wrap a tape measure around your waist, just above your hip bones. While it doesn’t give you specifics on belly fat, it’s helpful in understanding the risks of what’s there. Guys who have a waist circumference greater than 4src inches (no matter how tall you are) are at a higher risk of diabetes and heart disease, according to the National Institutes of Health.

There are also more precise ways to measure your belly fat. You can use a bioelectrical impedance analysis scale, which measures body composition (they’re available at many gyms, and there are at-home versions), or get a commercially available DEXA scan, Dr. Garcia-Webb says.

“Both of these methods will give you information about your body composition, including the proportion of visceral fat in your body,” she explains. Just note that how much visceral fat you have can be significantly impacted by your age, hormones, and genetics.

14 Ways to Lose Stubborn Belly Fat

MAKING SOME LIFESTYLE tweaks can help you trim down your belly fat and improve your health overall. Here are some tips:

Reduce Calories the Smart Way

YOU CAN’T FORCE fat reduction in only one area of your body, says W. Scott Butsch, M.D., director of obesity medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Bariatric and Metabolic Institute. Instead, focus on reducing overall calories. “Weight loss, in general, should lead to a decrease in belly fat,” he says.

Instead of following some draconian calorie-slashing program, simply work on increasing the proportion of nutritious, low-calorie foods that fill your plate and decreasing foods that contain lots of calories and less nutrition. In other words: Pile on more fresh fruits and veggies (especially green, non-starchy ones), as well as lean protein and good fats, like chicken, fish, beans, and legumes. This will help you feel satisfied.

Try GLP-1s

GLP-1 MEDICATIONS, LIKE semaglutide, liraglutide, or tirzepatide, can help people with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar and some of these are also approved to treat obesity. Research suggests these drugs can also “significantly reduce” visceral fat.

“The way it works is by regulating your appetite, slowing down your gastric emptying, and improving insulin sensitivity,” Dr. Quinones says. “This medication will improve your glucose and cholesterol levels as well. However, they’re most effective with diet and exercise.”

He suggests talking to your doctor if you’re interested in taking GLP-1s. The drugs can bring side effects, like nausea, vomiting, or abdominal discomfort (check out more on the positive and negative side effects of GLP-1s here). “This is a long-term commitment that requires close monitoring in order to avoid ugly side effects,” he adds.

Eat More Protein

PROTEIN INCREASES HORMONES that make you feel satiated, so you feel fuller for longer periods of time than you might with other foods. That means you’ll go back to the fridge less frequently, and your stubborn belly fat will start melting.

Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

THEY’RE NUTRIENT-DENSE and provide plenty of fiber to promote good gastrointestinal health, says Zayd Nashaat, M.D., an internal medicine physician at Austin Regional Clinic in Austin, Texas. You’ll also get full on fewer calories.

Try loading up half your plate with vegetables, or begin every meal with a salad. (Keep it interesting with all kinds of colors and textures, like roasted peppers, artichokes, olives, carrots, sliced grapes, and the like. The options are limitless.)

Vegetables that are high in water content, such as cucumbers, celery, bok choy, and zucchini, can all help fill you up, too.

Drink Less Alcohol

ANOTHER WAY TO reduce belly fat: rethink how much alcohol you’re consuming. Beer, wine, and other booze are basically empty calories, which can contribute to weight gain and visceral fat accumulation. Alcohol is also known to lower inhibitions, which might make you reach for not-so-healthy foods.

Get More Exercise

EVEN BEING ACTIVE in daily life—all that stuff about getting up from your chair more frequently, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking the car far away from the store—can help burn calories. To really shed fat, recent research suggests that 3srcsrc minutes a week of moderate activity (that’s activity that gets your heart rate up a little bit) may help with weight loss. That’s twice as much as the standard 15src minutes a week that’s recommended by the CDC.

Dr. Nashaat recommends exercising every day. Even 3src minutes a day can be helpful for your health. “This can be split into smaller segments, such as a 15-minute walk in the morning and a 15-minute in the evening,” he says. “Studies have shown that 15src minutes of moderate exercise every week is essential to improve overall health, and there is no question that a sedentary lifestyle (lots of sitting behind a desk) leads to higher rates of obesity.”

Also, consider incorporating HIIT training, which focuses on bouts of high-intensity work, followed by brief rest, to get that heart rate up fast and to blast calories in a shorter amount of time.

Start Strength Training

LIFTING IS GOOD for you in many ways. And clinically, Dr. Butsch says, many of his patients notice a decrease in belly fat when they incorporate strength training. In fact, obese adolescents who incorporated both aerobic and strength training into their workouts lost the highest amounts of visceral fat, according to a 2src14 study published in the Journal of Sports Sciences.

Limit Sugary Drinks

SUGAR FROM JUICE and sodas is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, which spikes insulin. Frequently drinking sugary beverages—the leading source of sugar in the American diet—is linked to weight gain, obesity, and type 2 diabetes, according to the CDC. Instead, focus on staying hydrated and drinking more water to replace sodas, even diet ones, Dr. Nashaat adds.

Get Your Sugar from Whole Foods

EATING AN APPLE is different from drinking a glass of apple juice, Dr. Nashaat explains. That’s because you consume more nutrients like fiber when you consume the food in its natural form, he says.

Plus, the process of chewing and consuming the food more slowly can help keep you full. “When you eat an apple, you eat slower,” Dr. Nashaat says. “Your body has more time to digest it.”

Avoid Ultra-Processed Foods

CRACKERS, CHIPS, AND frozen dinners tend to have higher rates of saturated fats, sugar, and sodium, Dr. Nashaat says. Foods with saturated fats and high sodium content also increase your chances of having higher blood pressure, and foods that are too high in sodium can increase bloating and fluid retention, which also won’t help minimize the appearance of stubborn belly fat.

Add in Healthy Fats

“HEALTHIER FATS SUCH as those found in nuts and avocados are found to produce a response that reduces inflammation (typically caused by saturated fats) and promotes healthier cardiovascular and immune systems,” adds Dr. Nashaat.

Eat More Probiotic-Rich Foods

REGISTERED DIETITIAN Vandana Sheth, R.D.N., says that enhancing your gut health can be a solid strategy to help reduce belly fat.

“Probiotics, the good bacteria found in fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut, can help balance your gut microbiome,” she says. A healthy gut microbiome has been linked to decreased inflammation and improved metabolism, which help with weight management.

“Studies suggest that probiotics may help reduce belly fat by regulating your appetite and fat storage,” Sheth says.

Limit Stress

CORTISOL, KNOWN AS the stress hormone, is linked to a higher percentage of belly fat and weight gain. In fact, people who have high levels of cortisol for long periods of time are more likely to develop abdominal obesity, according to a 2src18 review of studies published in Current Obesity Reports.

Dr. Butsch says simple activities like yoga or meditation can help keep your waistline (and your mental health) in check.

Focus on Sleep

IF YOU’RE NOT getting enough sleep, it’s time to put the focus back on your ZZZs.

Making sure you are getting appropriate sleep is critical for a healthy body composition, says Dr. Garcia-Webb. A good goal is seven to eight hours of sleep per night.

“Too far in either direction may have health consequences—one small study found that for subjects under 4src, sleeping less than five hours or more than eight hours was linked to a higher BMI, as well as increased visceral fat,” she explains.

The Bottom Line

TO LOSE BELLY FAT, a multi-faceted approach is useful, Dr. Quinones emphasizes. Embracing one of these tips alone might not give you the results you need.

Exercise can help burn calories—but combining it with a diet high in fiber and lean protein is most effective for overall weight loss, he explain