If you want to know how to lose belly fat you've come to the right place, but despite your desire you can't spot-reduce (target) individual areas of fat, and that includes your belly . No amount of crunches, sit-ups or toes-to-bar will eradicate your spare tyre. Instead, it's lifestyle habits and dietary choices that are going to help you eradicate your unwanted midriff.

1. 1 Inside the New October
Issue of Men's Health 2 Sign Up to The Men's Health
Newsletter Today 3 Shop The Best Fitness
Deals for Black Friday 2021 4 Sign Up to Fuel, Our New
Food Delivery Service 5 31 Home Workouts to Burn
Fat and Build Muscle
We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.
20Scientifically-backedWaystoLoseBellyFat
You don't need to survive on salad or hit the treadmill for hours on end to lose belly fat
 BY
ANNIE HAYES 13/07/2021
SubscribetoMen's
HealthUK
HEARSTMAGAZINES.CO.UK
If you want to know how to lose belly fat you've come to the right place, but despite
your desire you can't spot-reduce (target) individual areas of fat, and that includes
your belly. No amount of crunches, sit-ups or toes-to-bar will eradicate your spare
tyre. Instead, it's lifestyle habits and dietary choices that are going to help you
eradicate your unwanted midriff.
Handily, there are plenty of actionable routes you can take to start eviscerating this
build-up of visceral fat. And it's a good idea to do that because as it surrounds your
liver, stomach and intestines belly fat can increase your risk of cardiovascular
disease and cancer. So sure, bigger arms and a wider chest are more appealing —
but if long-term, holistic health is your goal, then you need to reassess your training
priorities. The war on your belly fat will be a balanced one — comprised of exercise,
diet choices, sleep improvements and, crucially, a better understanding of the roles
calories play.
Right, time to get started.
TheDifferentTypesofBelly
Fat
Not all fat is created equal. Excess timber around the waist
hurts your health in a way that subcutaneous fat – the soft
layer of chub that sits directly under the skin – doesn’t. Belly
fat (a.k.a. visceral fat) is stored in your abdominal cavity,
and shares space with important organs like the liver,
stomach, kidneys and intestines.
MOMO PRODUCTIONS / GETTY IMAGES
 UK
FITNESS MENTALSTRENGTH HEALTH NUTRITION WORKOUTS SUBSCRIBENEWSLETTER

2. SUBSCRIBE
R E L A T E D S T O R Y
5 Ways to Shift Belly Fat
R E L A T E D S T O R Y
Here Is Why Cheat Days Won't
Boost Your Metabolism
Belly fat is metabolically active, which means it’s basically an
organ in itself – but not one you’d want to donate.
It excels at pumping out various inflammatory substances, interfering with
hormones that regulate appetite, weight, mood and brain function and sending
your cortisol levels — responsible for stress — through the roof. No surprise then,
that it’s associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and
certain types of cancer.
So far, so tragic. There is, however,
some good news. Belly fat may be the
most dangerous type of body fat, but
since it’s buried deep within your
body, it’s also the easiest to get rid of.
But before we talk about that, it’s worth identifying the causes of belly fat. After all,
it’s far better to not put the weight on in the first place.
4ScientificReasonsforBellyFat
We all know that eating too much and moving too little is the foundation upon
which flab is built. But there’s more to the belly fat equation than ‘calories in and
calories out’. Certain stressors, for example, will see you scaling your belt notches
with very little effort. Here’s what you should look out for.
1.You'reEatingTransFats
If antioxidants are the good guys of gut health, trans fats are the super-villains.
These sneaky fats actively contribute to your growing waist line – not just by adding
new fat, but by moving fat from other areas of your body to your belly. During a six-
year study at Wake Forest University, monkeys that were fed an 8 per cent trans-fat
diet had 33 per cent more belly fat than monkeys that were fed an 8 per cent
monounsaturated fat diet.
There are currently no legal
requirements for food manufacturers
to label trans fats, according to the
British Dietetic Association, so you
need to check ingredients lists for
hydrogenated fats and hydrogenated vegetable oils. The biggest culprits? Your
‘cheat day’ favourites: cakes, biscuits, ice cream, popcorn, pies, fried food, fast food
and takeaways.

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

3. R E L A T E D S T O R Y
6 Signs That You're Seriously
Stressed Out
LUIS ALVAREZ / GETTY IMAGES
2.You'reSeriouslyStressed
When your cortisol levels are through the roof, it triggers the release of insulin, and
this is where things go awry. Initially, the ‘fight-or-flight’ response shuts down your
digestive system so you can deal with the “threat”, like a very hungry lion or, more
realistically, a presentation at work. Once the danger has passed, your body seeks to
replenish the hundreds of calories you burned fighting to the death/sweating at the
thought of speaking in front of your colleagues and makes you ravenously hungry.
Since your blood sugar levels are now
super low (thanks insulin) and your
reward centres are blinkered (thanks
cortisol) you wind up face-planting
the biscuit tin rather than the fruit
bowl. To make matters worse, cortisol helps to release myostatin, a protein that
breaks down muscle.
3.You'reDrinkingTooMuchAlcohol
Can one too many pints really earn you a beer belly? Well, yes. As you gulp down
your drink, your body turns the alcohol into acetate, which your body can’t store. It
becomes your primary energy source, and the proteins, carbs and fats swirling
around your digestive system are converted to fat by default.
Factor in the excess calories from your drinks (around seven per gram) – with the
gut-busting kebab you pick up on the way home (‘drunk hunger’ is a real, proven
thing) and suddenly you’re looking at excess fat storage.
Not only does a night on the sauce send your cortisol levels through the roof, it saps
your testosterone, which means you’ll find it more difficult to build lean muscle and
burn fat as fuel.

4. 4.You'veGotTooMuchoftheWrongGutBacteria
Most of the bacteria that dwell in your gut are pretty useful. They produce
hormones, regulate your immune system, digest food, extract nutrients, control your
mood, manage your appetite and much more besides.
Now, two groups of beneficial bacteria are dominant in the human gut, the
bacteroidetes and the firmicutes. However, the number of bacteroidetes is decreased
in obese people when compared with lean people, according to research.
In another study, scientists took stool samples from 1300 twins and found that the
less diverse your gut bacteria, the more likely you are to have belly fat. Grow your
gut community to shed serious timber.
20Scientifically-backedWaystoLose
BellyFat
If you’re serious about banishing your 'belly fat' and improving your health,
surviving on salad and hitting the treadmill for hours on end is a miserable (and
highly inefficient) way to go about it.
Here's twenty scientifically-backed ways to shift belly fat.
SKYNESHER / GETTY IMAGES
1.HikeupYourMetabolism
Your ultimate goal is to hike up your metabolism, but it's important to know that
your diet, how much muscle you have, how well you manage stress, and your
quality of sleep all play a part in this.

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

5. R E L A T E D S T O R Y
Top 10 Foods for Lean Muscle
R E L A T E D S T O R Y
11 of the Most Common Protein
Shake Mistakes
“A faster metabolism helps burn fat,” explains Marcus Reddy, consultant
laparoscopic, upper GI and bariatric surgeon at Spire St Anthony’s Hospital. While
your metabolism is predetermined by your body size, sex and age, he says,
“increasing lean body mass, avoiding long periods of hunger, and intense periods of
physical activity can aid burning”.
2.EatMoreProtein
Prioritise lean protein like beef, turkey, eggs, fish, chicken, and tofu. University of
Missouri researchers compared the benefits of consuming a normal-protein
breakfast to a high-protein breakfast and found the high-protein breakfast, which
contained 35 grams of protein, prevented weight gain, reduced daily food intake
and feelings of hunger and stabilised glucose levels among overweight teens who
would normally skip breakfast.
Don’t know your steak from your salmon when it comes to deciphering protein, fats,
and carbs? You need our ultimate guide to tracking your macros.
3.EatFewerRefinedCarbohydrates
Limit foods high in refined carbohydrates and refined sugar (white bread, white
pasta, white rice), and replace them with high fibre ‘complex carbs’ – think: whole
grains, brown rice, sweet potato, oats, beans and pulses. Fill your boots with as
many vegetables as possible – they’re low calorie, high in micronutrients, and the
fibre in them will keep you full.
Snack on portion-controlled fruit,
seeds and nuts. One study found that
snacking on 42g of almonds per day
(instead of munching on something
high-carb with equal calories) helped
to reduce belly fat and improved cholesterol levels. “The high levels of fibre are
proven to combat excess calorie consumption later in the day,” says registered
dietitian Lucy Jones.
4.GoMediterranean
A 2019 review of evidence on the Mediterranean diet concluded that it "is
associated with numerous health benefits and has been demonstrated to exert a
preventive effect towards numerous pathologies, including obesity". Better yet, the
diet boosts the number of healthy bacteria in your gut – a study published in the
journal Frontiers in Nutrition saw levels rise by up to seven per cent, compared with
a western diet.
5.EatRegularly
It’s also important to make sure
you’re eating regularly. Avoid very
low-calorie diets or ‘crash diets’,
advises Reddy. “Periods of starvation can lower your metabolism and prevent you
losing weight.”
Our beginner’s guide to meal prep won’t leave you hungry.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

6. ELNARIZ / GETTY IMAGES
6.UptheIntensityofYourWorkout
Focus on increasing physical activity and building muscle to burn belly fat,
recommends Reddy. “Mild activity such as walking is poor at burning fat due to its
low energy consumption whilst intense cardio training will consume energy and
increase metabolic rate after exercise,” he says.
When scientists from Canada’s Laval University compared a 15-week HIIT
programme and a 20-week endurance-training programme, they found the former
was far more effective at stoking up the body’s metabolism, which resulted in
greater fat loss.
7.LiftWeightstoo
Of course upping the intensity of your workouts will have a great affect on your
body fat percentage, but balance your high-intensity workouts with weight lifting
sessions and you’re onto a winner. Researchers at Harvard University followed more
than 10,500 men over a 12 year period, and found that those who added 20
minutes of weight training to their regular cardio workout gained less age-related
belly fat than those who pounded the treadmill.
Focus on compound moves like deadlifts, squats, kettlebell swings, lunges, chest
presses, shoulder presses — compound exercises that work your entire body rather
than isolating muscles. Like we've already said, you can't 'spot-reduce' fat so endless
crunches will do little for getting rid of your belly. For best results split your sessions
over different days.
Not sure where to start? Our beginner’s guide to lifting weights will have you
pumping iron like a pro before you know it.
RAPIDEYE / GETTY IMAGES
7.LearnHowtoManageStress
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

7. R E L A T E D S T O R Y
4 Steps to Make Stress Work for
You
R E L A T E D S T O R Y
How to Get Better Sleep
You don’t have to take a three-month sabbatical in Bali or enrol on a ‘breathing
class’ in a Scandi Yogi retreat to find inner calm. You don’t even have to meditate
(though it’ll almost certainly help). If a few minutes of deep-belly breathing in a
quiet spot doesn’t chill you out, try a bodyweight workout or taking a walk around
the block. Exercise boosts your circulation, transporting cortisol to your kidneys,
which flush it out.
8.SlowDownYourEating
Eating slowly will also help cinch
your waist, too. Inhaling croissants
while run-walking to work will do
little to satiate you – not that you’ll do much digesting anyway, with all that cortisol
flooding your system. Instead, by making time to eat and focusing on your food
(that also means not scrolling through Instagram), you’ll wind up eating less and
you’ll feel fuller for longer.
MAURO FERMARIELLO/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / GETTY IMAGES
9.GetQualitySleep
Multiple studies have shown an association between short sleep and weight gain.
When you’re low on Zzz’s, activity in the brain’s frontal lobe (the sensible decision-
making part) is impaired. At the same time, the more ‘primal’ parts of your brain
that deal with things like desire and motivation are lit up like the Blackpool
Illuminations.
Inadequate sleep also wreaks havoc
on your metabolism. When the body
doesn’t get enough rest, it conserves
energy by slowing down basic
functions. The combination of
untameable cravings, little willpower and inefficient processing is an open invitation
for fat storage. Follow our advice to improve your sleep tonight.
10.EatNaturally
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

8. R E L A T E D S T O R Y
16 Exercises to Help You Lose
Belly Fat
This doesn't mean you need to eat the entirety of the fruit and veg aisle, but instead
to eat foods that are higher in fibre. Think fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole
grains — these can reduce your risk of inflammation and offset future metabolic
issues. In a study published in Obesity, a 10g increase in fibre intake was linked to a
3.7 decrease in the risk of gaining visceral 'belly fat'..
11.ManageYourCravings
Can't stop snacking? It's these habits that could be leading you to gain weight
without you knowing it. A high-protein diet, for example, can help nix these hunger
pangs — as the macronutrient decreases activity in the area of the brain that's
responsible for cravings.
12.AvoidTransFats
If you've been paying attention then
you'll know it's best to avoid trans
fats, but as well as a way of getting
rid of your gut, avoiding trans fats also lowered the risk of inflammation, heart
disease, insulin resistance and abdominal fat gain in both observational and animal
studies.
13.CurbYourDrinking
They don't call it a beer belly for no reason, so if you want to lose some size around
your gut you can do worse than watching how much you drink. A study published
in the European Journal of Nutrition found that "alcohol consumption in elevated
amounts was associated with risk of abdominal obesity in men".
14.StopDrinkingSugaryDrinks
If there's a hierarchy of sugary goods, then sugary drugs would sit even higher than
sugary foods. However, even a small change to your habits here can make a big
difference. That was proved in a study by researchers at Virginia Tech, which looked
at the benefits of replacing just one sugary drink with water.
"We found that among US adults who consume one serving of sugar-sweetened
beverages per day, replacing that drink with water lowered the percent of calories
coming from drinks from 17 to 11%," said study author Kiyah J. Duffey. "Even those
who consumed more sugary drinks per day could still benefit from water
replacement, dropping the amount of calories coming from beverages to less than
25% of their daily caloric intake."
LACAOSA / GETTY IMAGES
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

9. 15.TryIntermittentFasting
We're not here to suggest that any fad diet will deliver the slim waist you crave, and
ultimately the best diet is one you can stick to, but if you're looking for a way to
structure your eating then intermittent fasting may be the answer.
A study by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago found that dieters who
only ate between 10am and 6pm consumed around 350 fewer calories a day and
lost about 3% of their body weight over a 12-week period.
16.Don'tLetDietsTakeOver
If you find every spare second is given over to thinking about calories, plans and
cutting, then maybe the best thing you can do is to take a break from dieting.
Research by the University of Tasmania revealed that people who broke from their
diet every two weeks and aimed to just keep their weight stable during that period
lost more weight and gained less back when their diets had finished.
17.SetTargets
If you're looking to lose belly fat, it's important to know where you've come from and
where you want to get to, so there's nothing wrong with setting yourself a target,
even if it's ambitious. In fact, a study published in the Journal of Human Nutrition
and Dietetics found setting targets increased the likelihood of achieving "clinically
significant weight loss" and, for some, setting ‘unrealistic’ targets improved their
results.
18.LoseWeightwithFriends
If you struggle to lose weight on your own, consider making it a team effort.
According to a study published in the journal Obesity during a 12-week, team-based
weight loss competition, getting encouragement from teammate increased the odds
of achieving clinically significant weight loss by 20%.
"In our study, weight loss clearly clustered within teams, which suggests that
teammates influenced each other, perhaps by providing accountability, setting
expectations of weight loss and providing encouragement and support."
19.CelebrateLittleWins
Although you're ultimate goal may be to go from loose to lean, you don't have to
wait until you've achieved that to start celebrating. A study by the University of
Alabama at Birmingham found that people who break their goals down and
celebrate smaller achievements were more successful at gradually losing weight and
were able to keep it off in the long run.
20.CombineAlloftheAbove
No one method is going to get rid of your belly for you, so if you want to see results
you're going to have to take heed of the above advice and make changes to your diet, training and lifestyle as a whole

10. Ancient Japanese Tonic Melts 54 LBS Of Fat
(Drink Daily Before 10am)
Watch the video below to know more