Introduction
If you’re looking to reduce your visceral fat, you’re in luck. Eating habits that work to reduce visceral fat are not only easy to implement, but they can also be delicious and satisfying. Dietitians have identified five eating habits that can help you reduce your visceral fat and improve your overall health. These habits include eating more fiber-rich foods, avoiding processed foods, eating more plant-based proteins, limiting added sugars, and eating more healthy fats. By incorporating these habits into your diet, you can reduce your visceral fat and improve your overall health.
5 Eating Habits for Visceral Fat That Really Work, Say Dietitians — Eat This Not That
If you’re looking to reduce your visceral fat, dietitians say there are certain eating habits that can help. Visceral fat is the type of fat that accumulates around your organs and can lead to serious health issues. Here are five eating habits that dietitians recommend to reduce visceral fat.
1. Eat More Fiber
Fiber is an important part of any healthy diet, and it can help reduce visceral fat. Eating foods that are high in fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, can help you feel fuller for longer and reduce your overall calorie intake. This can help you lose weight and reduce your visceral fat.
2. Avoid Processed Foods
Processed foods are often high in calories and low in nutrients, which can lead to weight gain and an increase in visceral fat. Try to limit your intake of processed foods and opt for whole, unprocessed foods instead. This will help you get the nutrients you need while avoiding excess calories.
3. Eat More Protein
Protein is an important part of any diet, and it can help reduce visceral fat. Eating foods that are high in protein, such as lean meats, fish, eggs, and legumes, can help you feel fuller for longer and reduce your overall calorie intake. This can help you lose weight and reduce your visceral fat.
4. Limit Sugar and Refined Carbs
Sugar and refined carbs can lead to weight gain and an increase in visceral fat. Try to limit your intake of sugary foods and refined carbs, such as white bread and pasta, and opt for whole grain alternatives instead. This will help you get the nutrients you need while avoiding excess calories.
5. Eat More Healthy Fats
Healthy fats, such as those found in nuts, seeds, avocados, and olive oil, can help reduce visceral fat. Eating foods that are high in healthy fats can help you feel fuller for longer and reduce your overall calorie intake. This can help you lose weight and reduce your visceral fat.
By following these five eating habits, you can reduce your visceral fat and improve your overall health. Remember to speak to your doctor or dietitian if you have any questions or concerns about your diet.
Most of us are likely tired of constantly being bombarded with advertisements for fad diets to try. These fast, trendy diets are tempting because of how easy they seem, but they aren’t sustainable and are oftentimes very unhealthy. If losing visceral fat is your goal specifically, fad diets won’t work nearly as well as gradually changing your daily eating habits.
To learn more about belly fat loss, we talked with two expert dietitians to get their advice on some of the habit changes that actually work for long-term, healthy, sustainable weight loss. Here’s what they had to say, and for more healthy weight loss tips, check out 30 Essential Spring Superfoods for Weight Loss.
There’s value in the specific foods you choose to eat on your weight loss journey, but sometimes it’s also about making sure you balance out the types of food you eat as well.
“Many people carry extra weight around their midsection because they are eating too many calories, which can leading to fat storage,” says Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD author of The Sports Nutrition Playbook and member of our medical expert board. “To help keep your body well-nourished and manage your calorie intake at meals, follow The Plate Rule. Make 1/4 of your plate a high-fiber carbohydrate like brown rice, whole grain bread, or quinoa, make 1/4 of your plate a lean protein like beef, fish, or chicken, and then fill half your plate with colorful vegetables. Veggies provide water and fiber content to help with feeling full faster for very few calories. Then, wait 15 minutes before you decide if you need more food, and if you do, go back for more veggies.”
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Eating a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of fiber is important for losing visceral fat.
“Fiber helps slow down digestion, meaning it helps get you full faster and stay full longer,” says Goodson. “Consuming high-fiber food like whole grains, fruit with edible skin, or even nuts and seeds at meals and snacks might help you eat less, ultimately leading to losing some weight around your midsection. Some ideas include oatmeal with seeds and berries in the morning, adding nuts to a snack and choosing a whole grain to fill one-fourth of your plate at lunch and dinner.”
Another very important nutrient to make sure you get enough of during your weight loss journey is protein.
“Protein slows down digestion and helps you get full faster and stay full longer, just like fiber does. It also helps to stabilize blood sugar and energy levels,” says Goodson. “Eating adequate protein at all meals and snacks can help you stay more satiated throughout the day, ultimately helping you eat less and decrease your calorie intake. Consuming a deficit of calories on a regular basis can help with losing weight and ideally decreasing visceral fat.”
“I have my clients follow a personalized macro plan, and, to be very simple, I advise them to match protein in grams with their current weight (pounds),” says Courtney D’Angelo, MS, RD, author at Go Wellness. “Finding foods that are high in protein is the key to accomplishing your daily protein goals, and protein powder is also something we can add in there.”
People often assume that losing visceral fat means you have to give up carbs, but this isn’t true at all. Carbohydrates are a necessary for giving your body the nutrients and energy it needs, and incorporating healthy ones into your daily diet can help you reach your health goals.
“If we want to change our body composition and lose visceral fat, or any fat, we must put the work in with our exercise,” says D’Angelo. “I generally recommend 45 minutes of cardio per day, and, in order to do that, you’ll need a sufficient amount of energy. One of the best ways we can get that energy is by eating carbohydrates. Find good carbohydrates such as whole grains, vegetables, whole fruits, nuts, or beans and incorporate them into your diet.”
Along with protein and carbs, fat is another key nutrient that your body needs for weight loss. However, not all fat is created equal.
“Fat is another specific type of nutrient that your body needs to absorb vitamins, produce energy, and protect your brain and heart health,” says D’Angelo. “But, there’s a difference between ‘good’ fats and ‘bad’ fats. The ‘good’ fats help manage your weight, keep you mentally focused, fight fatigue, and manage your moods—all vitally important for getting rid of visceral fat. The ‘good’ fats are unsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids, so find those types of foods and add them into your daily diet as well.”