Surefire Ways to Shrink Abdominal Fat — Eat This Not That

By Ghuman

Introduction

If you’re looking for surefire ways to shrink abdominal fat, you’ve come to the right place. Eating the right foods and avoiding the wrong ones is key to reducing belly fat. In this article, we’ll discuss the best foods to eat and the worst foods to avoid in order to shrink abdominal fat. We’ll also provide tips on how to make healthy eating a part of your lifestyle. So, if you’re ready to get started, let’s dive in and learn how to shrink abdominal fat with Eat This Not That.

Surefire Ways to Shrink Abdominal Fat — Eat This Not That

If you’re looking to shrink abdominal fat, you’re not alone. Many people struggle with stubborn belly fat that just won’t seem to go away. Fortunately, there are some surefire ways to reduce abdominal fat and get the flat stomach you’ve been dreaming of.

Eat More Protein

Protein is essential for weight loss and reducing abdominal fat. Eating more protein can help you feel fuller for longer, which can help you eat fewer calories throughout the day. Protein also helps to build muscle, which can help you burn more calories and reduce fat. Aim to get at least 20-30 grams of protein at each meal.

Cut Out Refined Carbs

Refined carbs like white bread, white rice, and sugary snacks can cause your blood sugar to spike, leading to increased fat storage in the abdominal area. Instead, opt for complex carbs like whole grains, legumes, and vegetables. These foods are packed with fiber and other nutrients that can help you feel fuller for longer and reduce abdominal fat.

Increase Your Fiber Intake

Fiber is essential for weight loss and reducing abdominal fat. Eating more fiber can help you feel fuller for longer, which can help you eat fewer calories throughout the day. Fiber also helps to slow down digestion, which can help you absorb more nutrients from the foods you eat. Aim to get at least 25-30 grams of fiber each day.

Drink More Water

Drinking more water can help you stay hydrated and reduce abdominal fat. Water helps to flush out toxins and can help you feel fuller for longer. Aim to drink at least 8 glasses of water each day to stay hydrated and reduce abdominal fat.

Get More Sleep

Getting enough sleep is essential for reducing abdominal fat. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body produces more of the hormone cortisol, which can lead to increased fat storage in the abdominal area. Aim to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night to reduce abdominal fat.

Exercise Regularly

Exercise is essential for reducing abdominal fat. Aim to get at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. This can include walking, running, biking, swimming, or any other type of physical activity. Exercise can help you burn calories and build muscle, which can help you reduce abdominal fat.

Conclusion

Reducing abdominal fat can be a challenge, but it’s not impossible. By following these surefire ways to shrink abdominal fat, you can get the flat stomach you’ve been dreaming of. Eat more protein, cut out refined carbs, increase your fiber intake, drink more water, get more sleep, and exercise regularly to reduce abdominal fat.

An expanding waistline is more unhealthy than you think. Most people have a little belly fat and that’s normal, but when you go up a pants size or two, that’s an indication you have visceral fat, which is hidden deep in your abdomen and wraps around your vital organs. It’s been linked to major health issues like cancer, stroke, fatty liver, type 2 diabetes and more. Eat This, Not That! Health spoke with experts who share tips on how to get rid of belly fat and how to measure visceral fat. Read on—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure Signs You’ve Already Had COVID.

Woman sitting at the gym with pink pilates ball.
iStock

Jakob Roze, personal trainer, CSCS and founder of RozeFit, a high-end concierge personal training practice says, “Abdominal fat is unhealthy because of its adverse effect on metabolic health. The type of fat around the abdominal region is called visceral fat which is strongly associated with insulin resistance and dyslipidemia. The latter of which is the primary requisite for cardiovascular disease and the former of which is the primary requisite for type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, abdominal obesity is a high predictor of all cause mortality.”

Nutritionist inspecting a woman's waist using a meter tape
iStock

Dr. Nicholas Jones, MD, FACS Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon explains, “An easy way to tell if you have visceral fat is to suck your stomach in, if your stomach is still bulging out, you more than likely have visceral fat.  Another easy test is to measure your waist size.  If the circumference is over 35″ (women) or 40″ (men) you probably have a significant amount of visceral fat.  There really isn’t a good way of measuring the amount of visceral fat without a imaging study (i.e. – CT scan or MRI).”  

man sleeps peacefully in comfy sheets
Shutterstock

Lack of sleep can cause serious health issues like heart attack, diabetes, high blood pressure and more. Not getting 7-9 hours of good quality sleep at night can also cause visceral fat. Dr. Jones states, “Studies have shown that a lack of sleep increases your fat gain.  So by going to bed early and getting enough sleep can lower your visceral fat levels.”

leafy greens
Shutterstock

Dr. Jones says, “Eat cleaner and healthier.  Get rid of the sodas, sweets, and salt.  Drink plenty of water, eat green vegetables, fruit, and cut back on the late night snacks, pasta, bread, alcohol, candy, and processed foods.  By doing so, you will take in cleaner calories and your body will be less likely to store the unused calories as fat!”

woman tying sneakers at gym
Shutterstock

According to Roze, “Strength training helps you lose body fat by increasing your lean muscle tissue. Lean muscle tissue requires a lot of energy and therefore helps you burn more calories which ultimately helps you lose fat.”

Kent Probst, personal trainer, kinesiotherapist and bodybuilder with Long Healthy Life adds, “Not only will resistance training build muscle and improve your physique, other benefits of strength training include:

  • Increased walking speed
  • Improved cognitive function
  • Better balance
  • Improved stair climbing ability
  • Improved mood
  • Increased bone density
  • Improved weight management
  • Increased grip strength”
women take workout selfie in mirror
Shutterstock

Roze shares, “Zone 2 training is a type of low intensity steady state cardio that improves the functioning of your mitochondria. When your mitochondrial function is improved, you will burn fat more efficiently as fuel and thus liberate your fat stores. Furthermore, zone 2 training improves insulin sensitivity which helps with nutrient partitioning and thus decreases the likelihood that the fat you consume from food will be stored in your fat cells. You should be able to hold a conversation throughout the duration of your cardio session. This is how you approximate zone 2. Perform for 30 minutes – 1 hour 3x per week.”

woman choosing healthy apple instead of junk dessert as a food swap to cut calories
Shutterstock

“Your body must burn more energy than you intake in order to lose body fat,” Roze says. “Thus, you must be in a calorie deficit of approximately 500kcal per day in order to lose 1lb of fat per week. You can adjust this deficit number to meet the needs of your fat loss goals (i.e. greater deficit = faster fat loss, lesser deficit = slower fat loss).” 

person counting calories and keeping track in notepad
Shutterstock

Roze explains, “In order to sustain a calorie deficit you will need to keep track of the energy contents of your food. Therefore, a calorie tracking app helps you log this information. These calorie tracking apps will calculate your deficit number and then allow you to input all of the food you consume throughout the day. Simply consume the amount of calories they recommend per day (your deficit number) and you will lose body fat at a predetermined rate.” 

Heather Newgen

Heather Newgen has two decades of experience reporting and writing about health, fitness, entertainment and travel. Heather currently freelances for several publications. Read more