Best Way to Lose Belly Fat Fast: The Complete Guide of What to Do and What NOT to Do

Belly fat is the most dangerous type of fat on your body. An excess amount has been linked to health problems like diabetes, heart disease, and even some cancers.

While there’s no way to target belly fat directly, certain changes can help you can reduce the overall fat on your body and improve problems related to excess belly fat.

The Dangers of Belly Fat for Your Health and Hormones

Belly fat is also known as visceral fat, which is the type of fat deep in your abdomen. There are several reasons this type of fat can be problem:

Research has shown visceral (belly) fat is biologically active, meaning it can disrupt hormones make other substances that affect health.
This fat also releases cytokines, immune system chemicals that can increase cardiovascular disease risk. They may also negatively affect blood pressure, insulin, and blood clotting, according to Harvard Health.
Visceral fat is also linked to lower HDL (good) cholesterol, higher total cholesterol, and insulin resistance, which increases diabetes risk.

Thankfully, you can reduce this fat on your body with some simple lifestyle changes. And the best way to lose belly fat begins with what you put in your body.

#1 Best Way to Lose Belly Fat: Clean Up Your Diet

Diet has a huge impact on health, weight loss, and fat loss. That’s why the first place to start is with making these better dietary changes—eating more fat-burning foods.

Make Healthy Fats and Proteins Your Best Friends

Don’t fear fat! The health community used to blame dietary fat for weight gain and poor health, but we know better now.

Even though fat is the most calorically dense nutrient, it provides satiety so you actually eat less over time. Plus, fats like omega-3s from fatty fish or fish oil can not only help reduce belly fat but also protect you from inflammation and disease [1,2].

Healthy fat sources include:

Fatty fish like salmon, sardines, herring, anchovies, or mackerel (aim for 2-3 servings per week)
Nuts and seeds (including nut butters and seed butters without adding sugar or hydrogenated oils)
Grass-fed butters
Unprocessed oils like coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil

Protein is also a very important nutrient for reducing belly fat [3]. Getting plenty of protein helps release peptide YY (PYY), the hormone that tells your body it’s full and decreases appetite [*].

Eating protein can also help maintain lean muscle as you get rid of belly fat.

Aim to include a high-quality protein in every meal or snack. Examples include:

Meats (preferably grass-fed)
Eggs (preferably free-range and organic)
Dairy products (preferably grass-fed, with raw, non-homogenized being the healthiest)
High-quality protein powders
Nuts and seeds

Stock Up on High-Fiber Produce

Fiber is not only good for digestion, it helps you maintain a healthy weight.

Soluble fiber absorbs water in your gut and form a gel to slow down digested food and provide bulk, which is good for digestive health. This also helps you feel full sooner so you naturally eat less and are satisfied with less.

Your body also doesn’t absorb fiber, so eating plenty can decrease the amount of calories your body takes in from the food.

Make sure your diet includes plenty of high-fiber foods, including:

Leafy green vegetables like spinach, kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and Swiss chard
Other dark-colored veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes, and beets
Legumes and beans
Nuts and seeds like almonds and flax seeds
Low-sugar/high-fiber fruits like avocados, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries

You’ll be amazed at how great you feel (and look) after a few weeks of eating these high-fiber, whole foods!

Don’t Touch Trans Fats with a Ten-Foot Pole

A lot of health advice changes over time, but here’s one that still remains valid: Trans fats are terrible for your health.

Trans fats are man-made fats. They’re known as “hydrogenated” fats because scientists add hydrogen to unsaturated fats to make them more shelf-stable. They’ve been linked to everything from belly fat gain and inflammation to heart disease and insulin resistance [4,5].

Trans fats are found in:

Many packaged and processed foods like cookies and crackers
Some margarines and other buttery spreads
Fast food

Always check labels and avoid anything with the term “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated.”

And if you are going to snack, choose healthier, more responsibly made options like these.

Steer Clear of Sugars and Refined Carbs

Our world eats way too much sugar. And excess sugar has been linked to obesity—including too much belly fat—heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and more.

The simple truth is that any type of refined sugar is empty calories that spike your insulin and promote inflammation in your body.

Say goodbye to obvious forms of refined sugars, such as desserts, sugary drinks, and sweetened packaged foods.

Replace your sugar fix with fruit and sweet vegetables, and use healthy sugar substitutes in place of regular sugar.

Don’t Trust “Fat Free” Labels

The fat-free fad is dying, but there are still products out there that will claim low- or no-fat foods are best.

Keep in mind that “fat free” does not mean low-calorie or healthy. Packaged foods with this label usually include twice the sugar to make up for the lack of fat—and these types of products are good for losing belly fat anyway.

Replace Soda with More Wholesome Drinks

Sugary sodas are one of the worst foods for belly fat gain. Thankfully, there are some great alternatives available today:

Zevia sodas (which come in many flavors, including ..._
Herbal teas or green tea
Plain black coffee or black coffee with heavy cream and stevia

Of course, there’s nothing better than replacing your soda with plain water! And if that seems too boring, add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice or drink a natural flavored water.

Watch Your Alcohol Intake

You’ve probably heard about the benefits of a little alcohol per day. But too much alcohol promotes belly fat gain.

For some people, one drink can easily turn into several—especially if you drink socially.

Watch your intake and know that saving it all for the weekend isn’t better. One study found that out of 2000 people, those who drank regularly had had an average of less than one drink per day had less belly fat than others who drank less often but had more alcohol when they did drink [*].

Increase Your MCT Intake

Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) are a unique type of saturated fat. MCTs are absorb by your body more quickly than other forms of fat, making them an easily digestible energy source.

Some human and animal studies have shown MCTs may impact satiety more rapidly than other fatty acids [6]. They might also help you burn extra calories and experience more belly fat loss compared to other fats.

For these reasons, MCTs are commonly used alongside weight loss efforts and low-carb lifestyles like the ketogenic diet.

Sources of MCTs include:

Raw coconut, coconut oil, and coconut butter
MCT oil powders or MCT oils
Palm kernel oil
Dairy products like butter, milk, cheese, and yogurt

Replace other cooking oils or fats you normally eat with some coconut oil daily to start reaping the benefits.

Incorporate Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting (IF) involves eating within a certain window of time each day. For example, you might only consume calories between the hours of 12pm and 8pm or 12pm and 6pm. Outside of those hours, you’re fasting by not eating anything.

This is beneficial for weight and fat loss because it limits the amounts of time you’re eating. The shorter timespan often naturally reduces the amount of calories you eat per day and eliminates unnecessary snacking at night.

If you’re new to IF, start with an eight-hour window. After you get used to that, you can shorten the window if you like. While it’s still important to eat healthy within your eating window, IF can be a game-changer for those seeking the best way to lose belly fat.

Lifestyle Changes that Help Reduce Belly Fat

Besides eating healthy food, the following lifestyle shifts can have a big impact on belly fat loss.

Take Steps to Reduce Stress Where You Can

Being stressed can trigger your body to make more cortisol, the “stress hormone” that can increase appetite and belly fat storage. Plus, if you already have excess belly fat, your body might make more cortisol in response to stress.

Take measures to reduce the stress in your life, even if it’s a little at a time. Some ideas include:

Trying meditation or yoga
Talking with a loved one, therapist, or pastor about your worries
Writing about your feelings
Finding creative outlets outside of work or life responsibilities
Reducing your workload and/or making more time for vacation

Get More Active and Lift Weights (But Don’t Stress About It)

Exercise is another great way to reduce stress. Plus, it helps burn more calories to reduce body fat.

The body exercise plan involves both cardio—like walking, biking, or swimming—and resistance exercises—like weight lifting and bodyweight strength training:

Cardio exercises help you burn calories, feel better emotionally and physically, and keep weight off.
Strength training helps build lean muscle mass that burns more calories and reduces fat over time.

If you’re new to exercise or don’t generally like it, don’t stress about doing it “right” or perfectly. Start small, maybe with a walk around your block in the morning or during your lunch break. Add some weight-based exercises like squats, lunges, or push-ups. Then, work up from there.

You might also consider hiring a personal trainer to help you create workout plan and ensure you’re doing the exercises correctly and efficiently

Make Sleep a Priority in Your Life

Sleep is so important for maintaining a healthy weight. In fact, people (especially women) who don’t sleep enough tend to gain more weight and belly fat [7,8].

If you don’t currently get enough sleep, try going to bed 15-30 minutes earlier tonight. Do that for a few days, then try going to bed 15-30 minutes early than that. Continue making your sleep time earlier until you reach at least seven hours of sleep for the night.

Another option is to fit in time for napping during the day.

Eat Meals at Home During the Week

Eating out often is a sure-fire way to take in too many calories and increase your risk of gaining belly fat.

For example, one study found young adults who eat fast food more than twice a week [*]:

Have higher increase in insulin resistance and gain more weight once they reach middle age
Weighed any extra 10 pounds and doubled their risk for developing type 2 diabetes 15 years later

The easiest way to eat better is by making your own meals. Find 2-3 healthy recipes (that focus on the foods mentioned above) and make them on a day off from work. Eat these meals throughout the week instead of eating out.

You’ll be happy with how much better you feel—and your waistline will thank you too!

Consider Tracking What You Eat

Some people do much better by writing down everything they eat each day and tracking calories.

Consider trying out an online tracker or phone app, such as MyFitnessPal, that lets you enter what you eat for the day. It might help keep you on track and make sure you’re getting adequate nutrition for a healthy body.

Don’t Give Up on Your Health Journey: Accept Mistakes and Keep Going!

You don’t have to do everything perfectly to get healthier and lose fat. The best way to lose belly fat is by being consistent with a healthy lifestyle and not giving up if it feel hard at first. It also means not letting little slip-ups or mistakes along the way hold you back.

Keep moving forward with healthy choices for your body, mind, and soul.

For products that help support a healthier lifestyle, shop our selection of all-natural products at Nature’s Ideal.

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Disclaimer: Statements made have not been evaluated by the FDA. Products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Jun 17th 2018 Nature's Ideal