{"id":44274,"date":"2018-02-16T07:15:23","date_gmt":"2018-02-16T12:15:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=44274"},"modified":"2018-03-16T12:25:22","modified_gmt":"2018-03-16T16:25:22","slug":"how-to-lose-belly-fat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/how-to-lose-belly-fat\/","title":{"rendered":"The Truth About How to Lose Belly Fat"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The
Photo: Twenty20<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You\u2019ve tried them all in your pursuit of flat abs: crunches<\/a>, reverse crunches, planks<\/a>, bicycles and even the ab roller. After all, it seems logical. To increase muscular definition and lose fat, you should workout your stomach muscles more. But will that really lead to a trim belly?<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>7 Surprising Ways You’re Sabotaging Your Metabolism<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cYou can do 50,000 crunches a day, but it will still only be toned muscles under your belly fat,\u201d says Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN and owner of Nutrition Starring You<\/a>. \u201cThe truth is, unless the weight comes off, you\u2019re not going to get a six-pack.\u201d<\/p>\n

So how do<\/em> you get rid of the stubborn cushion around your midsection? Read on to get the real scoop on how to lose belly fat<\/a>.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong>\u00a05 Pilates Exercises to Strengthen Your Deep Abs<\/a><\/p>\n

Stomach Fat 101<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cYou exercise for 30 minutes compared to the 23-and-a-half hours that you don\u2019t exercise.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

First things first, everyone has fat<\/a>, both the layer of subcutaneous fat just under our skin that helps insulate the body and the deeper visceral fat that surrounds and protects the organs. That\u2019s right: You\u2019re supposed<\/em> to have belly fat. But just how much fat you have and how it\u2019s distributed has more to do with genetics than your core workout<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Men and women squirrel away fat differently, according to Harris-Pincus. On average, women have six to 11 percent<\/a> more body fat than men. That extra fat typically gathers lower on the body (especially before they hit menopause) around the hips and thighs, creating a pear-shape. Men, on the other hand, tend to accumulate fat around the belly (hence, the beer gut).<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Hate Crunches? 6 Better Core Exercises<\/a><\/p>\n

Thanks to the hormone estrogen, the female body likes to hold on to fat, too. A study in Obesity Reviews<\/em> shows that women store fat<\/a> more efficiently than men in an effort to prepare the body for pregnancy<\/a>. But while it seems like women may have drawn the short-end of the stick, the stereotypical pear-shape is actually considered healthier than boasting a beer gut, because belly\u00a0fat is a red flag when it comes to your health. \u201cVisceral fat is associated with increased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome,\u201d says Harris-Pincus.<\/p>\n

\"How
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How to Lose Belly Fat and Keep It Off<\/h2>\n

Doing ab workouts<\/a> might strengthen your core, but it won\u2019t actually decrease fat or shrink those love handles \u2014\u00a0and that\u2019s why you need to eat healthy. \u201cYou exercise for 30 minutes compared to the 23-and-a-half hours that you don\u2019t exercise. You need to eat the right things,\u201d says Harris-Pincus.<\/p>\n

RELATED:\u00a0<\/strong>6 Reasons Why You Can’t Out-Exercise a Bad Diet<\/a><\/p>\n

Repeat after us: It\u2019s time to start eating clean<\/a>. She recommends a combination of veggies, fruit, whole grains<\/a>, nuts, seeds, beans, low-fat dairy and lean protein like poultry, eggs and fish for a dose of omega-3 fatty acids. And\u00a0drop the added sugar<\/a> while you\u2019re at it. \u201cStudies show that when you have a diet rich in whole grains \u2014 and calorie-controlled \u2014\u00a0that you can reduce the belly fat,\u201d she says. But remember to watch your portions<\/a>, too. \u201cA lot of people eat very healthy and don\u2019t eat junk, but their portions are too large.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re smart about the foods you choose<\/a> and limit your intake, eventually you\u2019ll start to lose body fat and drop pants sizes. But sorry: There\u2019s no way to get it to disappear from only <\/em>your belly \u2014 you’ll likely reduce your overall body fat percentage and lose it in your face, hips, butt and chest, too.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong>\u00a0The Pros and Cons of 6 Popular Weight Loss Diets<\/a><\/p>\n

Luckily, exercise can help spur things along when it comes to that pesky stomach fat. \u201cVisceral fat responds well when\u2026 [you] start exercising and watching your calories and what you eat,\u201d Harris-Pincus says. And while endless crunches aren\u2019t your ticket to a flat stomach, it is still important to train your ab muscles. \u201cEverything radiates from the center of your body \u2013 your balance, your posture, your functional movement<\/a>,\u201d says Joe Ardito, founder of Fit Crush NYC<\/a>. \u201cYou can perform better when you have a strong core.\u201d<\/p>\n

Research<\/a> also shows that workouts involving high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can\u00a0help reduce excess fat around your middle. Besides working your core, try\u00a0incorporating a day or two of more vigorous exercise into your weekly schedule. (You can start with these three beginner routines<\/a>.) Keep in mind that\u00a0you can lower\u00a0your total body fat percentage even by moving around more\u00a0at work<\/a>, according to another study<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Bottom Line<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There isn\u2019t one magic trick or quick fix that will melt the fat around your midsection and give you those coveted abs we all see on the newsstands. Decreasing belly fat \u2014 and all body fat for that matter \u2014 is about making changes over the long-term.<\/p>\n

Originally published October 2015. Updated February 2018.<\/em><\/p>\n

Read More<\/strong>
\n12 Things Nobody Told Me About Losing Weight<\/a>
\nThe 10 Biggest Diet Mistakes, According to Experts<\/a>
\nHere’s Why Your Ab Workouts Aren’t Working<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve all longed to lose that stubborn cushion around our belly at one point or another. Here\u2019s what you need to know about how to lose belly fat, for good.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,24,6,7,18],"tags":[136,41,217,192,281,341,352,285],"class_list":["post-44274","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-diet-nutrition","category-exercise","category-fitness","category-health","category-weight-loss","tag-abs","tag-diets","tag-disease","tag-metabolism","tag-strength-training","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2weight-loss","tag-weight-loss"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44274","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44274"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44274\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44274"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44274"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44274"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}