‘How to lose belly fat’, ‘how to lose stomach fat’ and ‘the best exercises to lose belly fat’ are among Google’s most-searched health terms. This in itself is proof that stubborn belly fat (aka belly pooch or lower stomach fat) is a source of insecurity for many people, but besides that, 43% of UK women surveyed* by Women's Health openly told us that an undefined stomach is their biggest insecurity when naked in front of a partner.
The problem is, when we want to lose this kind of weight we often set arbitrary timelines. For example, trying to mine the internet for the answers to how to lose belly fat fast (we’re going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you mean ‘as efficiently and as safely as possible’ 👀), the quickest way to lose belly fat, or how to lose belly fat in a week.
To achieve said goals sounds appealing, we know, but the reality is that these kinds of approaches mean you’re probably less likely to get rid of stomach fat, and even less likely to keep it off if you do manage to lose some. Plus, following so-called ‘quick-fix’ solutions could have an extremely detrimental impact on your health – both physical and mental. The best way to lose belly fat, if that’s a goal of yours, is to adopt healthy life-long habits.
That being said, consider this your full guide to learn how to lose belly fat safely and sustainably. Here are 11 questions you may have about how to lose stomach fat – answered
A quick caveat: This guide will absolutely not answer the question of ‘how can I lose belly fat fast’ or 'how can I lose belly fat in a week'. Sustainable weight loss, underpinned by healthy habits and lifestyle change, is the key to long-term results. Not crash dieting which often ends in renewed weight gain and an emotional rollercoaster that could take months or years to recover from.
First things first. Before we talk about how to lose stomach fat or the best way to lose belly fat, it’s important to know exactly what belly fat is.
‘Belly fat or abdominal fat is the subcutaneous (under the skin) fat that sits around the waist and provides a store of energy, and also protection and heat, for the organs,’ says Tarik Belalij, personal trainer and nutritionist at Everyone Active Becontree Leisure Centre.
‘Small amounts of fat below the skin is normal and healthy, it is the visceral fat, which surrounds the organs that can be the most dangerous type of fat – leading to heart attacks and diabetes.’
How do you know if you’ve got this type of fat situation going on? ‘Excessive visceral fat is what causes the "beer gut" (also known as belly pooch), pushing the stomach out from the inside,’ Belalij says. So, to reiterate, we’re not talking about bloating, which comes and goes, we’re talking about actual belly fat tissue.
The way in which women could and should lose belly fat is different to that of men. Women need some belly fat to function – fat cells store oestrogen, so having too little can cause your whole hormonal function to go out of whack, causing serious health issues such as irregular periods and even infertility.
To that end, striving to lose fat from your stomach with the aim of getting a six-pack, for most females, wouldn’t be healthy. Instead, aim to sit within the 21-30% body fat category. This is what's considered a healthy body fat percentage range for women.
As mentioned, anyone wondering how to lose belly fat fast isn’t alone, but this isn’t always realistic, and almost always not sustainable. It plays out differently for every single person. Our genetics, age, lifestyle, stress and sleep all play a role in how fast we lose belly fat – the same goes for all body fat actually.
It’s not about trying to lose belly fat in a week or lose stomach fat fast – it’s about sticking to a pace that keeps you trucking on. For most people, the best way to lose belly fat looks like an 80/20 split between healthy habits and ones that are, perhaps, more fun than functional.
Before you ask about the best exercises for a flat stomach, let’s get clear on why crunches and sit-ups alone not going to be the thing to help you lose belly fat. ‘While crunches will help strengthen your abdominals and core muscles, they’re not enough in isolation to burn calories,’ Luke Hughes, Origym PT says.
Instead, Hughes recommends a rounded bodyweight or free weights workout routine done at a higher intensity as the best exercise to lose belly fat. These sessions will help to burn calories and increase muscle mass, which will, in turn, tap into your body fat stores – even within a limited time period.
Do note though, that too much HIIT can elevate cortisol (the stress hormone) in your body, which could hinder how effectively you lose stomach fat (more on this below). Aim for three to four sessions per week and make sure you're allowing your body plenty of time and space to recover.
‘Burning calories through cardio exercise like this helps to burn belly fat, particularly when we operate at a calorie deficit,’ says Hughes. ‘Try adding star jumps and mountain climbers into your workouts.’
‘The key to continually improving and losing belly fat is to scale up your workouts every week. Incrementally increase the intensity and load of your workouts, and you will soon see improvements to your fitness,’ says Hughes.
We’ve been conditioned to think that super hard exercise (and isolation stomach exercises) are going to be the things to help us get results, especially when we’re trying to lose lower belly fat. In fact – surprise, surprise – it’s much more holistic than that and is about keeping your nutrition, exercise and general movement in check concurrently.
Outside of gym workouts (and home workouts), the movement you’re doing walking to the shops, making a cup of tea or taking your pooch out to stretch their legs can actually contribute more to hitting your healthy fat loss goals. This type of movement is known as NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) and is a cornerstone of healthy body composition.
‘NEAT simply refers to the energy used carrying out any daily activity that isn't formal exercise (e.g. running or resistance training) or sleeping,’ says Elliott Upton, personal trainer at Ultimate Performance and Head of LiveUP Online Coaching.
NEAT plays a major role in how much energy you expend per day (aka how many calories you burn) and increasing your metabolic rate. It also helps control your blood sugar, aid muscle recovery, lower stress levels and improve cardiovascular health.
You can increase your NEAT by walking instead of taking public transport, opting for the stairs over the elevator or doing household chores. Whichever you choose, they'll all contribute to the process in which you lose stomach fat.
Learn everything you need to know about NEAT exercise with this full explainer.
Let’s clear something up: there is no way to spot-reduce fat. So, frustrating as it may feel, there isn't any one exercise that burns the most abdominal fat.
Fat loss occurs when there's a calorie deficit (so when you consume less calories than your body utilises). When you consume less than your body requires it recruits fuel from energy stores within the body, but not from one specific location. Areas that you lose – and gain – fat from first ultimately depend on your genetic makeup.
So, basically, the exercise that burns the most abdominal fat is really just exercise that contributes towards a calorie deficit – and it’s, ideally, a type of exercise that you genuinely enjoy doing, since you're more likely to be consistent with movement when it feels fun.
You can’t out-exercise a bad diet. Fact. To lose belly fat (and this goes for all body fat), you need to be in a calorie deficit.
‘When it comes to knowing how to lose belly fat, the best way to start is to watch what you eat,’ Belalij says. ‘When you digest large amounts of calories, your body allocates some of these to functional systems which work to keep you alive (think the brain, muscles and organs),’ says Belalij. ‘It also uses it to fill up energy stores. Any excess is then stored in fat cells around the body – typically being those of the belly.’
But like we’ve said, learning how to get rid of belly fat shouldn’t come at the expense of your health, so you want to make sure you’re not cutting back too much. To calculate your ideal (and healthy) calorie deficit, check out our handy guide below. It’ll help you work out how many calories you need to eat a day to hit your goals, without going too far. (We’ll get onto what foods to focus on shortly!)
Worried about the price of healthy eating? Stock up on cheap healthy snacks. By having healthier food in the house you're less likely to face-plant the sugary stuff when hunger strikes.
It’s not all about eating less. Music to our ears, we’re sure you’ll agree. Rather than simply cutting down on kcals, you need to consider the kind of food you’re consuming, too. (In most cases, you actually have to eat a lot more nutrient-dense food to hit the same calorie count as processed ones.)
Belalij suggests building meals around lots of nutrient-rich vegetables, a source of protein and some healthy, unprocessed carbs. ‘Start with leafy greens such as spinach, kale and collard greens, then add carrots, broccoli and peas.’
‘Lean meats, including turkey and chicken, are ideal as they are lower in fat and therefore calories, or, if you are vegetarian/vegan, add in tofu or a handful of nuts such as pine, cashew or almonds and a sprinkling of seeds (sunflower, sesame, pumpkin). When it comes to carbohydrates, rice, quinoa and potatoes are perfect.’
Your best course of action is to make small, manageable changes, and figure out what’s most sustainable for you. Remember: we’re after long-term change, not short-lived tweaks. Cutting down on processed foods will also likely help with water retention which, while it’s not an approach we’d recommend, can be helpful for anyone searching ‘how to lose belly fat in a week’.
Can we be honest? No foods can help to burn belly fat. That’s just not how it works.
There are, however, nutrient-dense foods that you can incorporate into your diet to help you load up on goodness whilst you're aiming for a calorie deficit. They include, but aren't limited to:
It’s also important to remember that food is to be enjoyed, so the key to a sustainable diet is creating one that's full of produce you look forward to eating and with meals that leave you feeling satisfied and not craving more due to restriction. ‘While the number of calories in food affects satiety [the feeling of fullness], it’s much more complex than that,’ explains Dr Barbara Rolls, professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State University. ‘Satiety – and how long that feeling is sustained – depends on numerous factors, including portion size, how long it takes to eat a food, its texture and how filling you expect it to be.’
Notice we said reduce, though, not remove. It’s really important to avoid unnecessarily cutting out entire food groups. ‘This will lead to a restrictive diet that is unsustainable and likely cause a yo-yo effect with weight loss and regaining,’ explains Catherine Rabess, dietitian and NHS dietetic manager. ‘Don’t demonise your food or view meals like good or bad or cheat days or treats as this could develop into an unhealthy relationship with food.’
