Losing fat from around the belly is a common fitness goal. However, a person cannot focus fat loss on a specific area. Overall lifestyle and dietary changes are the best way to get rid of stomach fat.

Manufacturers of many specialty pills, drinks, and supplements claim that their products can lead to quick weight loss, eliminate stomach fat, or both. However, there is a lack of scientific evidence to confirm that these products are safe or effective.

Meanwhile, a person can lose weight and reduce fat through proven natural methods , including changing the diet and getting specific types of exercise. This article looks at some natural ways to lose belly fat.

We also describe the factors that contribute to a buildup of fat in this area, and how this buildup can harm health. Visceral fat — also known as abdominal, stomach, or belly fat — is a potentially harmful type that surrounds organs in the abdomen.

Reducing the amount of abdominal fat can have significant health benefits for some people. Visceral fat releases hormones that can lead to type 2 diabetes , heart conditions, and other health problems. This type of fat is less visible than subcutaneous fat, which sits just below the skin.

However, a tangible increase in waist circumference can indicate can increase in visceral fat. Visceral fat is highly responsive to what a person eats. Making key dietary changes and doing the right kinds of exercise can reduce levels of this type of fat. One of the most effective ways to lose body fat is to eat fewer calories than the body burns.

This leads to fat loss throughout the body, including the abdomen. Eating fewer calories than the body uses up creates a caloric deficit. This can help burn both visceral fat and excess subcutaneous fat. Eating fewer foods that are high in calories and low in nutrition — for example, processed foods, baked goods, and french fries — is a beneficial way to create a caloric deficit and improve health.

Try replacing these foods with nutritious, low calorie options, such as fruits, vegetables, pulses, and whole grain foods. Taking in excess sugar seems to be a main driver of weight gain, especially in the abdominal area. A high sugar intake may increase levels of visceral fat by promoting insulin resistance and spurring inflammation throughout the body.

It can be easy to consume high levels of sugar in drinks without realizing it. Check the sugar contents of beverages such as soda and sweetened tea and coffee. For many people, reducing the amount of sugar in hot drinks and eliminating soda can remove excess sugar from their diets.

Refined carbohydrates are low in nutritional value but high in calories. These carbs are in white bread, refined grains, and sugary foods and drinks.

Research has also linked refined carbs to the development of abdominal fat. Try replacing refined carbohydrates with complex carbohydrates.

These exist in fruits, vegetables, and whole grain foods. Fruits and vegetables can provide complex carbohydrates, which are a healthful, low calorie alternative to refined carbohydrates.

Fruits and vegetables also add fiber to the diet. Research suggests that fiber can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes — a condition linked with visceral fat accumulation and overweight — and help regulate blood sugar. Lean protein sources include nuts, legumes, and lean meats. Adding these to the diet can help encourage feelings of fullness after eating and reduce cravings for sugary snacks.

At the same time, it can help to reduce or eliminate the consumption of fatty meats, including beef and processed meats. Some dietary fat is necessary in a healthful diet, but not all fat sources are equally beneficial.

Saturated fats and trans fats can harm the heart, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. They can also lead to weight gain and are closely linked with the development of visceral fat. Read more about healthful high fat foods here.

It is not possible to reduce fat in certain areas only. This means that targeted exercises — such as crunches and sit-ups — will not necessarily burn abdominal fat better than other exercises. However, these exercises can strengthen and tone the abdominal muscles, making them appear more defined.

Making a point of increasing activity levels throughout the day helps burn calories. Moving more can also strengthen the muscles and elevate the mood. Cardiovascular exercise, or cardio, gets the heart pumping.

It also burns calories, helping reduce body fat and tone muscles. High intensity interval training HIIT pairs bouts of intense exercise with periods of less intense activity to burn calories.

Research from suggests that HIIT may reduce body fat more effectively than other types of exercise. Because of the short periods involved, HIIT may also be a good way to ease into an exercise routine. Strength training can reduce body weight because it focuses on building muscle mass, and muscle burns more calories than fat does.

Strength training can also improve bone and joint health. This is because stronger muscles are better able to support the body, which reduces strain on the bones and joints. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC recommend doing strength training 2 days per week. Pro tip: Learn the handwork before you start the footwork, and decrease rest times between sets.

Bonus burn: Try an instructor-led spin class to guarantee you'll hit those intervals hard. If cycling alone, alternate between one minute of high-intensity effort and 30 seconds at a calmer pace.

One major reason running is such an effective weight loss exercise? In addition to working the large muscles in your legs, it's high-impact.

If you're just getting started or if running at a steady pace bothers your ankles or knees , opt for intervals of runs, alternating with intervals of light jogging or walking. Or, give yourself the goal of running a half-marathon or full marathon to make those miles really count.

Haven't hopped on the KB train yet? Yep, working with kettlebells consistently has been shown to both improve overall strength and boost your metabolism, according to findings published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Personal trainer Noam Tamir, CSCS, recommends alternating between upper- and lower-body movements so you can keep going for longer before fatiguing.

Want to really work your abs? Check out these kettlebell moves:. If you've never done a kettlebell complex before, try this: Perform a kettlebell deadlift to squat clean , then a kettlebell push press , and repeat.

You can also pick and choose some other moves from the best kettlebell exercises. Bonus burn: Perform your kettlebell magic HIIT-style, working for one minute, resting for 30 seconds, and repeating. Since it lights up all of your muscles, rowing gets your heart pumping and supports muscle-building.

The result: Rowing can help you shed body fat and rev your metabolism, according to research published in the Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine.

Of course, proper form is key and easy to miss : As you start each pull, "your legs push back first, then your torso leans back to about 45 degrees, and then your arms pull into your chest," Berkow says.

To reverse the movement, your arms reach forward past your knees, then you hinge your torso forward, and then your legs return to the starting position.

Bonus burn: For maximum torching power, alternate super-fast, one-minute rowing intervals with to second active rest periods of squats , pushups, and planks. Kettlebell carries are a total-body move and can help build serious strength, especially if you keep upping your weights over time.

Bonus burn: Try Miranda's 3-in-1 carry burner by walking as far as you can with weights extended up overhead, then as far as you can with weights on shoulders, and then as far as you can with weights down at sides. Rest for a minute, then repeat. If sprinting up stairs just doesn't appeal or sounds like a banged shin just waiting to happen , you can walk your way up and still burn the calories necessary to support weight loss.

In addition to promoting fat loss, stair-climbing can help lower cholesterol and boost your anaerobic fitness, according to research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Bonus burn: To up the ante, hold light dumbbells in each hand to get your upper body fired up, too. Or, start taking two steps at a time.

The number one way to burn more calories is to keep moving, says Jacobs. How long and hard you work plays an important role in torching calories, whether that be cardio or strength training, she explains.

Think about it this way. The more time you spend exercising and the higher the intensity, the more calories you burn during the session.

Activity beyond your 30, 60, or more minutes in the gym actually matters more. Focus on training efficiently and adding movement into other parts of your day, Jacobs adds. Take a walk after lunch, use the stairs instead of the elevator, or add yoga to your morning routine.

When it comes to caloric burn, non-exercise activity thermogenesis the energy expended for everything we do that is not sleeping, eating, or sports-like exercise accounts for 10 to 20 percent of your daily energy expenditure, and your basal metabolic rate the amount of calories your body burns while performing basic life-sustaining functions like breathing, growing hair, and digesting food accounts for 60 to 70 percent, she explains.

The food you eat fuels your activities. After a meal, your bod gets to work breaking it down into the basic components fats, carbohydrates, and protein. And, the following factors impact how many calories your workout actually burns:.

Andi Breitowich is a Chicago-based writer and graduate student at Northwestern Medill. As a former collegiate pole vaulter, she has a love for all things fitness and is currently obsessed with Peloton Tread workouts and hot yoga.

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TRY a spinning interval routine: Warm up on the bike for 10 minutes. Go as hard as you can for 30 seconds; pedal easy for 60 seconds. Repeat four times except after the fourth work interval, pedal easy for four minutes. Repeat the whole cycle three more times for a total of 37 minutes of exercise.

HIIT workouts are, by far, some of the most effective ways to burn calories and hike up your metabolism. Research has shown that HIIT can help burn belly fat. Throughout, form is key. TRY a minute HIIT workout to rev up your metabolism. Contrary to what most people think, the power of rowing mostly comes from your legs—not your arms.

Engaging your quads and glutes, you drive your legs back to pull the handle toward your chest. Because many people have desk jobs, our backs tend to be rounded.

Rowing helps correct this by opening your spine, hips, and shoulders, Ryan says. TRY a minute rowing routine : Start with a 5-minute warm-up, rowing at a slow, consistent pace. Then move up to a moderate pace about 22 strokes per minute for 5 minutes. End the workout with a 5-minute cooldown.

If you can perform high-intensity exercises and jump , then burpees are a great movement to add to your routine.

To perform a burpee, begin by standing upright with your hands above your head. Next, jump up with your hands still above you. TRY a work and rest routine. White recommends performing repetitions for three to four sets, with a small rest in between sets to catch your breath.

It might look like an easy machine, casually spinning your legs while watching TV or reading a magazine. Be sure to stand up straight to lengthen your abs and engage your upper-body muscles.

Making use of the handles and swinging your arms will help you burn more calories. TRY working out like Jennifer Aniston : As reported by Vogue in , the Friends star likes to hit the elliptical for 20 or more minutes.

Climbing up a flight of stairs requires work. TRY a HIIT StairMaster workout: Work your way from a comfortable, moderate pace to an all-out effort.

Battle ropes are an excellent, no-fuss way to get a full-body strength training and cardio workout. Working at a high intensity, battle ropes will increase your heart rate in seconds. To use them properly: Hold one end of the rope with each hand and stand with your feet shoulder-distance apart.

Bend your knees slightly and keep your chest up as you alternate whipping your arms to send waves down to the rope anchor. Experiment with different tempos and movement, whipping faster with one arm while slamming the rope hard with the other.

TRY this minute routine: S tart with making alternating waves with each arm. For the next 5 minutes, try to maintain these waves. Just try to endure. Try this for another 2 rounds. Rest 1 minute in between rounds. Water adds an element of resistance, forcing you to recruit more muscles to move efficiently and use oxygen wisely.

Need more motivation to hit the pool? Yoga is an ideal low-impact exercise for weight loss. High cortisol levels can lead to weight gain, and research shows that yoga can help decrease stress. Plus, yoga increases flexibility, strength, and coordination. Pilates is similar to yoga but focuses more on strength.

TRY these simple pilates exercises or a hot pilates class to get your sweat on. Working out in intervals is one way to reap the benefits of cardio and strength while maximizing your calorie burn in a short amount of time.

The intensity resets your metabolism to a higher rate during your workout, so it takes hours for your body to cool down again. LISS , according to a study from the European Journal of Applied Physiology. As you progress, you can increase your time to 45 seconds of activity and 15 seconds of rest.

Remember, you want to be working at your maximum—leaving you out of breath by the end of that interval.

When you begin your weight loss journey, you might be wondering how much weight you can expect to realistically lose in the first few weeks or months.

However, the amount of weight one can lose will vary from person to person, and there are lots of factors that contribute to weight loss rate. According to White, some of these factors may include:. Realistically, after the initial drop, the loss ranges from a half a pound to one and half pounds per week.

Over the course of an initial day period a realistic weight loss could range from eight to 27 pounds. This would include any initial water weight lost in the first week or two. Weight loss is not linear; what works for someone may not for another.

Shannen Zitz is an Assistant Editor at Prevention, where she covers all things lifestyle, wellness, beauty, and relationships. Previously the Editorial Assistant at Prevention, she graduated from the State University of New York at Cortland with a bachelor's degree in English.

Rekha Kumar, M. is recognized as an international leader in the field of obesity medicine. She is a practicing endocrinologist in New York City and served as the former medical director of the American Board of Obesity Medicine.

Kumar has lectured internationally on the topic of the medical assessment and treatment of obesity. She has published several papers and textbook chapters in her field and serves as an associate editor of the journal Obesity. She is frequently quoted in the media on topics ranging from the diabetes epidemic in the United States to discussing fad diets, exercise trends, and the complications of Covid in patients with obesity.

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wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U. and international copyright laws. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc. Drinking cups a day may increase the fat your body burns. Green tea is loaded with antioxidants that are good for your health in general, but it also contains a compound called EGCG, which can help reduce fat absorption from your diet.

Green tea can also help increase the fat that your body burns. Ditch the coffee and reach for the green tea if you need a little pick-me-up.

Take a vitamin D supplement. Studies suggest it can help you lose weight. Take a daily vitamin D supplement to give your body a boost and make sure you have enough.

National Institutes of Health Go to source Many health experts recommend taking 1, IU of vitamin D every day. Exercise for at least 20 minutes times a week.

Life can get hectic! Between work, cooking, cleaning, and managing your household, it can feel almost impossible to squeeze in time to exercise. Start small and make it a priority to get at least minutes of physical activity times a week. For instance, if you have a little bit of free time after you drop the kids off at school, get some exercise!

You can also try to start early in the morning or right after work—whatever is most convenient for you. Go for a nice walk for a simple exercise. Take a walk around your neighborhood or find a scenic place such as a park to get out and stretch your legs.

Do HIIT to put your body in a fat-burning phase. High-intensity interval training HIIT burns fat and builds muscle. HIIT workouts alternate between short bursts of intense exercise and brief periods of rest.

You can do HIIT workouts at home with little to no equipment. HIIT actually triggers your body to burn more stored fat and activate muscle-building hormones at the same time. Do as many as you can for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, and then repeat the exercise for rounds before moving to a different exercise.

Build more muscle by lifting weights. Use muscle-building exercises to help boost lipolysis. Lifting weights builds muscle which means your body will burn more fat to fuel your muscles. Get yourself some free weights and mix in muscle-building workouts a week.

Work with a trainer or an experienced partner to make sure you use the right form when you do them. Switch up your workout routine regularly. Keep your exercise interesting and keep your body from adapting.

Shake things up after a few weeks and swap out different exercises in your workouts. Change up your weight lifting exercises, too. For example, try switching from flat bench press to incline bench press to keep challenging your muscles. Make gradual, healthy dietary changes. Reduce your calories slowly to avoid slowing down your metabolism.

Instead, make slow, gradual changes and try to cut about calories a day. Follow a low-carb diet. A healthy diet can help you burn fat and keep muscle.

Get started on a low-carb diet by cutting out refined sugars and switching from simple carbs like white bread, white rice, and potatoes to whole grains such as brown rice and oatmeal.

You can also try swapping out carb sources such as rice and pasta with low-carb alternatives like cauliflower rice and zucchini noodles. As you reduce your carb intake, your body will burn stored fat as energy.

Focus on getting more protein in your diet. Protein will help you feel more full and satisfied. Plus, protein helps build and maintain muscle, which can help prevent you from losing muscle mass as you lose weight.

Focus on lean protein sources such as chicken, tofu, lean ground beef, and egg whites. Eat 6 smaller meals throughout the day. Avoid eating large meals to keep your metabolism up.

Spread out your daily food into 6 smaller meals spaced out throughout your day. Avoid eating processed foods. Snack foods are often loaded in fat, sugar, and added salt. Try to steer clear of them entirely and swap them out with healthy alternatives such as fruit or nuts. Your body will thank you for it.

Try to chew each bite at least 40 times. It can aid in digestion and make you feel more full. But chewing is super important! It helps break down the food so your body is better able to digest it, plus it slows you down while you eat, which can help you feel fuller faster.

Take your time and chew each bite well. Foods to Eat to Burn Fat. Foods to Avoid to Burn Fat. Simple Exercises to Burn Fat. Shira Tsvi.

It depends on the person, but you should start seeing and feeling results within 2 weeks or so. We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more.

Claim Your Gift If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. Support wikiHow Yes No. Not Helpful 0 Helpful 2. Michele Dolan Certified Fitness Trainer. Michele Dolan. It would be very unhealthy to try and lose that much weight.

Not Helpful 0 Helpful I suggest revising your goal to Kg per month which is much safer, healthier, and more likely to stay off. Not Helpful 2 Helpful Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. Instead, pay attention to how your clothes are fitting you as you start burning fat and losing weight to see the real changes you want.

Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0. Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Many dietary products that claim to burn fat may be more hype than substance. Some of them could be harmful for you. Check with your doctor before you start using any weight loss products or supplements, especially if you have an underlying medical condition such as diabetes or heart disease.

Reach out to a counselor, therapist, or doctor for help. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0. You Might Also Like. How to. How to Treat Tech Neck: Your Top Questions Answered. Proven Workouts and Exercises to Increase Your Athletic Speed. HIIT Workouts at Home: Proven Ways to Get Fit Fast.

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