8 Healthy Ways to Lose Belly Fat

Maintaining a trim midsection does more than just make you look good; it can also help you live longer. Larger waistlines are associated with an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer. Losing weight, especially belly fat, improves blood vessel function and sleep quality.

1. Try limiting carbs rather than fats.

When Johns Hopkins researchers compared the effects on the heart of losing weight on a low-carbohydrate diet versus a low-fat diet for six months (both containing the same number of calories), those on the low-carb diet lost an average of 10 pounds more than those on the low-fat diet—28.9 pounds versus 18.7 pounds. Another advantage of the low-carb diet is that it produces higher quality weight loss. Weight loss reduces fat, but it also causes a loss of lean tissue (muscle), which is undesirable. the low-carbohydrate diet.

2. Consider an eating plan rather than a diet.

Finally, you must choose a healthy eating plan that you can stick to. The advantage of a low-carb approach is that it only requires learning better food choices—no calorie counting is required. In general, a low-carb diet shifts your consumption away from problem foods—those high in carbs and sugar and low in fiber, such as bread, bagels, and sodas—and toward high-fiber or high-protein options, such as vegetables, beans, and lean meats.

3. Continue to move.

Physical activity aids in the reduction of abdominal fat. One of the most significant advantages of exercise is that you get a lot of bang for your buck in terms of body composition. Exercise appears to help burn belly fat in particular because it lowers circulating insulin levels, which would otherwise signal the body to store fat, and causes the liver to use up fatty acids, particularly those near visceral fat deposits.

The amount of exercise required for weight loss is determined by your goals. This can mean 30 to 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise nearly every day for most people.

4. Lift weights.

Even moderate strength training combined with aerobic exercise helps build lean muscle mass, causing you to burn more calories throughout the day, both at rest and during exercise.

5. Learn to read labels.

Brands should be compared and contrasted. Some yogurts, for example, claim to be low in fat while being high in carbs and added sugars. Gravy, mayonnaise, sauces, and salad dressings are examples of foods that are high in fat and calories.

6. Avoid eating processed foods.

The ingredients in packaged goods and snack foods are frequently high in trans fats, added sugar, and added salt or sodium—three things that make losing weight difficult.

7. Rather than reading a scale, pay attention to how your clothes fit.

The reading on your bathroom scale may not change much as you gain muscle mass and lose fat, but your pants will be looser. That's a better indicator of progress. To reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes, your waistline should be less than 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men.

8. Spend time with health-conscious friends.

According to research, if your friends and family are doing the same, you are more likely to eat better and exercise more.

Losing Weight Improves Heart Health

According to a 2012 study by Johns Hopkins researchers, a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet can improve artery function. Those on the low-carb diet lost more weight and at a faster rate after six months. However, when weight was lost in both groups—especially when belly fat shrank—the arteries were able to expand more, allowing blood to flow more freely. The study found that you don't have to eliminate all dietary fat to lose belly fat. Simply losing weight and exercising appears to be important for heart health.