Are you searching for the best ways to burn stomach fat? Do you feel that the weight loss methods you have relied on have not provided the needed results? Is a flat belly something you think will never happen for you?

If the answers to the above-mentioned questions are a “yes”, you have come to the right place. In today’s article, our focus will be on presenting the top 15 tips to burn fat on your stomach and have the slim figure you want.

We will also teach you practical tips about improving your lifestyle and health and thus, lose weight in the healthiest way possible and reduce the surplus fat from the abdominal area.

No matter why you want to get rid of belly fat, whether for health reasons or because your favorite T-shirt no longer fits you, believe us, you can do it! Thanks to our effective strategies, you will be closer to the healthy and slim body you have always wanted.

This article will help you learn how to:

Shed belly fat
Learn how to eat healthy
Do the right exercises for a slim body

Have you decided to start losing abdominal fat and feel more confident and healthier? If yes, stay with us. Start introducing the tips today and finally get the flat belly you deserve!

15 Methods to Lose Belly Fat

1. Follow a healthy diet

Without doubt, a healthy diet plays a major role in how much weight you will lose and how much belly fat you will burn. Why does a healthy diet matter for a slim belly? Because healthy foods will help you speed up your metabolism and burn fat and also lower bloating.

When aiming for weight loss and a flat tummy, make sure you lower your calorie intake, but not too much. When you eat only a few calories, you may slow down the metabolism permanently. Make sure you reduce only the needed amount that will help you lose weight gradually.

A good approach if you want to shed 1 to 2 pounds per week is to decrease your daily calorie intake by 500 to 1000 calories. Moreover, if you want to ensure weight loss through your diet, you need to supply your body with soluble fiber.

This type of fiber absorbs water and slows down the passing of foods through the digestive tract and thus, keeps you sated longer. Plus, it may minimize the depositing of fat around the organs and lower the waist circumference.

Whether you get it from Brussels sprouts and avocados or blueberries and oats, soluble fiber is definitely a necessary weight loss tool.

Facts about healthy diet:

Aids weight loss
Improves the overall health
Essential to burn fat on the stomach

Pros:

Helps lower the intake of calories
Speeds up the metabolism
Prolongs the satiety

Cons:

May be expensive
Some healthy foods are not readily available

2. Ditch bad carbs

In order to burn fat stomach, you do not just need to eat healthy foods, but you also need to stop eating the bad stuff, especially bad carbs that have been linked with abdominal fat. And, you need not follow a strict low-carb nutrition- you can benefit from switching from refined carbs onto unprocessed complex carbs to boost your metabolism and minimize belly fat.

The best way to acquire healthy carbs is through foods like legumes, veggies, and whole grains. How do simple carbs contribute to weight gain? It is important to note that carbs themselves do not immediately cause weight gain, but as the refined ones are mostly rich in calories and sugar, they can cause weight gain if consumed excessively.

However, as they are a pivotal source of energy for the body, you must not avoid them entirely. The key is to find the right balance and stick to it. USDA advises us to get 45 to 65 percent of our calories from carbs and the rest from fat and protein.

Facts about carbs:

Important source of energy
Of two types, simple and complex
Easily digested and absorbed

Pros:

Fuel the brain, kidneys, heart muscles, and central nervous system
Prevent nausea and constipation
Healthy carbs maintain the satiety

Cons:

Simple carbs may contain a lot of sugar and calories
Can lead to weight gain if excessively consumed
May contribute to surplus body fat

3. Avoid refined sugar

If you intend to burn fat stomach and look slimmer and be healthier, you need to be cautious about your intake of added sugar. This simple carb is abundant in calories, i.e. a gram of sugar has around 4 calories.

Hence, you can easily consume too many calories if you constantly eat and drink products that contain added sugar. Unfortunately, nowadays, it has become very challenging to follow a diet low in added sugar because it is literally all around us.

Hiding under different names, sugar today is known as corn syrup, dextrose, glucose, lactose, etc. Consuming too many calories and not being able to burn them causes the surplus amounts to store in your body in the form of fat, especially in the abdominal section.

When you start to decrease your sugar consumption, it is important to go gradually as prolonged consumption of sugar-rich foods and drinks has similar effects as drug addiction.

Facts about added sugar:

Rich in calories
Refined sugar is usually absent of nutrients
Commonly present in refined and processed foods

Pros:

Increases your energy short-term
Natural sugars from honey and fruit are good for the brain

Cons:

Added sugar adds to your calorie intake
It may cause weight gain if consumed too much
It is linked to serious health problems like obesity and heart disease

4. Eat fatty fish weekly

Many of you have probably heard and read a lot about the advantages of omega-3s in preventing premature aging and fighting off degenerative illnesses; however, what you may not have known is that fatty fish is the key to burn fat on your stomach.

Adding omega-3s to your already healthy diet and beneficial workout plan can be an effective way to break down the dangerous fat that has been bugging you. Make sure fish like herring and mackerel are on your menu twice or thrice per week. Moreover, fish will supply you with protein that will prolong your satiety and prevent you from overconsumption of calories.

In addition to getting your omega-3s from fish, you can also acquire them from other healthy food sources like flaxseed and walnuts.

Facts about fatty fish:

Known as oily fish
Rich in good fats
They do not contain bad saturated fat like meat

Pros:

Help break down fat deposits
Supply you with protein too
Better your overall health too

Cons:

Not a viable option for vegetarians and vegans
Concerns about potential toxins in fish
Some people generally dislike the taste of fish

5 Manage your stress

Did you know that a Yale study discovered that women who are overweight are more prone to experiencing surplus belly fat due to high levels of stress? With this in mind, you cannot expect to burn stomach fat if you do not find adequate ways to decrease the cortisol levels in your body.

How is cortisol messing with your weight loss? Namely, it is known to influence the distribution of fat and store it primarily around the organs. Moreover, it can elevate the amount of visceral fat, that is, the fat surrounding our organs. This is why people with depression linked to overexposure to cortisol may have surplus visceral fat.

Even though other factors like lifestyle, age, and genetics are also contributing to your body shape, stress exposure needs to be addressed too. An effective way to fight off stress and burn fat on your stomach is to follow a healthy lifestyle, get sufficient sleep and rest, work out regularly, and relax.

Yoga, meditation, and breathing techniques are particularly praised for their ability to lower cortisol secretion.

Facts about stress:

Bad for the overall health
Associated with visceral fat

Pros:

Some stress is good for us
Right amount of it boosts the health and performance

Cons:

Long-term stress can lead to anxiety and health problems
It may be the reason why you cannot shed stomach fat
Increases the visceral fat which is the most difficult to lose

6. Avoid trans fats

According to a research done by the Wake Forest University, trans fats contribute to how much fat will be stored in the abdominal area. They do not just cause this by adding to the fat amount, but also by transporting fat from other areas into the belly section.

Trans fats are absorbed and digested like other fats. When they are not used up, they are stored in the body as fat. And, the more trans fats you eat, the more body fat will you have. The issue with these bad fats is that they can elevate the bad and reduce the good cholesterol which puts you at a higher risk of diabetes and heart disease.

According to the American Heart Association, we need to consume less than a percent of the daily calories from trans fats. That is, if you follow a 2000-calorie diet, only 20 calories should come from naturally-occurring fats present in dairy and meats.

In order to stay away from these harmful fats and burn fat stomach, avoid consuming commercial pie crusts, pizzas, cookies, crackers, French fries, fast food, premade sauces and dressings, pastries, and margarine.

If you are at a restaurant, make sure you ask which ingredients were used for the preparation of the food to ensure it is free of trans fats. But, do not immediately panic if you accidentally eat some trans fats- just go back to your healthy, regular diet.

Facts about trans fats:

Digested and absorbed like other fats
Surplus amounts of it transform into body fat
Linked with abdominal fat

Pros:

Natural trans fats may actually be good for us
Natural fat in dairy and beef can decrease risk of some diseases

Cons:

Eating too much trans fats leads to belly fat
Trans fats have been linked with weight gain
Increase bad and lower good cholesterol

7. Get sufficient sleep

According to a study published in the Sleep Journal, the participants who slept less than five hours per night had more belly fat in a period of five years than the people who got more than 6 hours of sleep every night, averagely.

Moreover, short sleepers experienced a 32 percent increase in visceral fat unlike the 13 percent in those who got 6 or 7 hours, but a 22 percent higher risk was noted in those who got at least 8 hours of sleep per night.

With this in mind, people who sleep too little (less than 6 hours) or too much (8 or more hours per night) are at a greater likelihood of gaining weight in the abdominal region. During sleep, our body works to restore and rejuvenate itself and numerous other pivotal processes take place, including the weight regulation and the fat accumulation.

Facts about sleep:

Important for the overall health
Participates in weight regulation
Lack of it (or too much of it) is problematic

Pros:

Allows your body to rejuvenate and restore itself
Elevates the energy levels
Reduces fatigue and anxiety

Cons:

Chronic lack of sleep leads to bigger belly
Too much sleep can also lead to belly fat

8. Breathe properly

Surplus belly fat is not just worsening your appearance, but it also puts you at a higher risk of serious health issues like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart attack.

Moreover, burning fat on the stomach is not easy and straightforward and it is a process which requires dedication, persistence, and effort. In addition to eating healthy foods and doing the right exercises, you should also practice deep breathing.

This is a type of technique comprised of deep breathing exercises and are practiced by many to remove excess belly fat. What’s more, they are not just good for shedding belly fat, but for your overall health and longevity and can also better your digestion by making your abs stronger.

To improve your weight loss journey and burn fat on your stomach, try out breathing exercises like diaphragm breathing, deep breathing (pranayama exercises which are also practiced during yoga), belly breathing, flying stomach lock, etc.

Facts about proper breathing:

Deep breathing is a beneficial method of relaxation
Reduces the heart rate
Effective for weight management

Pros:

Great exercise for losing belly fat
Helps better the oxygen intake
Increases the burning of calories

Cons:

Requires practice to be done properly
Correct breathing is not as simple as you may think
Not recommendable for people with hernia

9. Eat a nutritious breakfast

If a flat belly is on your to-do list, make sure you do not avoid breakfast. According to research, people who eat breakfast are slimmer and are more successful in weight loss and weight management. Why is breakfast such an important meal, especially for dieters?

Namely, our body uses energy for everything we do, including eating, storing food in the stomach, transportation, absorption, and digestion. This process is known as diet-induced thermogenesis and it determines the calorie intake. And, when you burn more calories than the ones you eat, weight loss is inevitable.

Breakfast is known to activate this important process and thus, enhances your metabolic rate. And, studies indicate that a morning meal betters it more than any other meal in the day. Remember, avoiding breakfast may also contribute to more belly fat because you may overeat during the day because you feel hungrier.

Moreover, the hormone known as ghrelin which regulate hunger and fullness is the highest in the morning so it is in our advantage to “use” it properly.

Facts about breakfast:

The most important meal in the day
People who eat breakfast are slimmer
Plays a role in weight loss

Pros:

Healthy breakfast speeds up the metabolism
Prevents unhealthy snacking
Prolongs the satiety

Cons:

Unhealthy breakfast can actually lead to weight gain
It may take time to prepare
It may be expensive

10. Do resistance training

Resistance training is a type of workout that is known to better the muscular strength and endurance. As it very name implies, during this workout, the limbs are being moved against resistance which you provide by gravity, bands, dumbbells, etc.

And, the advantages of this training are numerous- the body will be tighter, leaner, and stronger and the muscles will work more efficiently. So, if you want your weight loss to be successful, make sure you implement this training to your workout plan.

Though weight training may elevate your weight a bit, this is more muscle than fat and the more muscles you have, the better will your metabolism and burning of calories work.

Remember, muscle burns more calories than fat so building more muscle is pivotal to remove fat from your stomach. How to begin weight training? You can start your own program at home, go to the gym or hire a personal trainer.

Make sure you go gradually to avoid injury and burnout. Begin lifting less weight and pay attention to your posture and alignment and gradually increase the weights to ensure best results.

Facts about resistance training:

Beneficial type of workout
Helps build muscle
Makes the body leaner and stronger

Pros:

Weight training targeting the belly helps shed fat
Speeds up the burning of calories
Improves the posture

Cons:

May lead to poor breathing
Requires a normal heart and blood pressure to be practiced

11. Don’t forget about cardio

In a similar fashion as strength training, cardio is also a pivotal workout for people who want to burn fat stomach. In fact, studies point out that regular cardio workout in combination with a healthy diet is one of the most efficient ways to shed belly fat.

What kind of exercise is cardio? – This aerobic exercise is any exercise which elevates the heart rate and causes you to breathe heavily. It is one of the best ways to boost the metabolic rate, improve the burning of calories, and strengthen the lungs and heart.

This being said, the right amount of resistance and cardio training with a nutritious diet can help you burn excessive body fat. Cardio workouts like cycling, swimming, walking, etc. will aid the body’s ability to burn more fat, but as you will start to lose muscle mass, it is important to counteract this with the help of resistance training that helps build muscle.

Facts about cardio:

Most beneficial workout
Increases the heart rate
Strengthens the lungs and heart

Pros:

Speeds up the metabolic rate
Enhances the burning of calories
Helps remove surplus body fat

Cons:

Can lead to muscle loss
May put pressure on the joints
Some people find it too challenging

12. Cook with coconut oil

If your goal is to burn fat on your stomach, you need coconut oil. This amazing natural ingredient has numerous health advantages, including the ability to enhance the metabolic race, minimize the storing of fat, increase your energy, reduce the appetite, balance the hormones, and boost your digestion. Pretty amazing, right?

Therefore, if weight loss is on your mind, ditch those unhealthy cooking oils and start using coconut oil. Though it is abundant in fat and calories, its benefits outweigh its potential negative effects. Namely, this is because the medium-chain fatty acids in this oil are highly beneficial and unlike the long-chain ones, they easily enter the cells and easily get digested.

And, what is great about them is that they are not stored as fat, but go directly into the liver where they are converted into energy. These fatty acids are also able to improve your body’s capacity of burning fat, which means less abdominal fat.

They are also able to suppress your appetite and thus, minimize the amount of calories you consume. This is pivotal if we know that a successful weight loss requires reduction in the calorie intake.

Facts about coconut oil:

Healthy cooking oil
Good for the overall health
Rich in medium-chain fatty acids

Pros:

Speeds up the metabolism
Assists the body in losing fat
Suppresses the appetite

Cons:

It can elevate the bad cholesterol
A tbsp of coconut oil has 120 calories
If consumed excessively, it could lead to weight gain

13. Add supplements

When you are on the right track in terms of diet and exercise for your weight loss, you can also benefit from adding quality supplements. Besides relying on healthy foods to nourish our body with the needed substances, you can also up your nutrient game by taking weight loss supplements.

They come in various forms and are of different types. Some prefer supplements in powder form, others in pill form. Some take supplements to help burn more fat, others use them to help build more muscle. If your goal is a slimmer belly and low percentage of body fat, choose supplements known as fat burners.

They are made with ingredients that help speed up and improve the body’s capacity of burning fat and removing it from problematic areas like the belly and hips. However, take into account that supplements are not FDA regulated.

Therefore, opt only for supplements by reputable manufacturers and supplements which are “recognized” by dieters as effective.

Facts about supplements:

Created to help with weight loss
Beneficial for dedicated dieters
Convenient and easy-to-use

Pros:

Boost the metabolism
Help burn more fat
Suppress the appetite

Cons:

Not FDA regulated
Lack of research on effects
May be expensive

14. Eat flat-belly friendly foods

One thing is for sure- you cannot expect to have a flat tummy if you constantly eat foods that are bad for it. Whether they cause it to bloat or contribute accumulation of abdominal fat, they need to be excluded from your diet so that you can ensure a healthy weight loss.

The two major enemies of a flat belly are foods rich in refined sugar and overconsumption of alcohol. Refined carbs and fatty foods are also a no-go for dieters because of their low nutritional value and high calorie and fat levels.

On the other hand, boosting your consumption of veggies, fruits, lean protein, and complex carbs are paving your way to success and help you shed abdominal fat.

Facts about flat-belly friendly foods:

Boost the overall health
Supply you with the needed nutrients
Help burn fat

Pros:

Support your weight loss goals
Increase your vitamin and mineral levels
Can help you remove surplus belly fat

Cons:

May be expensive
Not good if consumed excessively

15. Choose healthy snacks

When it comes to weight loss, unhealthy snacking is your enemy. Products like ice cream, chips or pretzels are definitely not good for you and if they are your to-go snacks, you may need to rethink your snacking habits, especially if you want a slim belly.

Of course, snacking is a common habit which helps us to reduce hunger in between meals and spend the time. However, one can only reap the benefits of snacking if they choose healthy snacks.

When you choose a fruit, nut or a piece of dark chocolate as a snack, you will suppress hunger, fight off cravings, increase your intake of calories, keep your weight in control, and speed up the metabolism.

If your ultimate goal is to have a fat-free belly, make sure your snacking is free of sodas, potato chips, fried foods, baked goods, added sugar, processed carbs, and alcoholic drinks.

Facts about unhealthy snacks:

Weight loss enemies
Full of fat and calories
Not good for the overall health

Pros:

Convenient
Inexpensive

Cons:

Cause weight gain
Prevent loss of belly fat
Impede weight loss

Final Thoughts

If you want to burn belly fat and have a slimmer belly, you should definitely follow our 15-step ultimate guide. Making these lifestyle improvements and changes will boost your body’s ability to burn fat and encourage weight loss.

When you follow them step by step, you will not just notice a reduction in your weight, but improvement in your health and well-being too.

The first step towards a belly free of fat is improving your diet and introducing regular physical activity. Remove the unhealthy foods and drinks and boost the intake of good stuff.

And, add cardio and strength training to your workout regime for optimal weight loss. Remember to have a healthy breakfast every morning and use quality fat-burning supplements. Minimize trans-fats, refined carbs, and bad fats and see your belly become flatter!

Many successful dieters also swear by the advantages of breathing exercises, coconut oil, and stress management for loss of abdominal fat, so why not try and see if they help you as well!

15 Methods to Lose Belly Fat

1. Follow a healthy diet

Facts about healthy diet:

Pros:

Cons:

2. Ditch bad carbs

Facts about carbs:

Pros:

Cons:

3. Avoid refined sugar

Facts about added sugar:

Pros:

Cons:

4. Eat fatty fish weekly

Facts about fatty fish:

Pros:

Cons:

5 Manage your stress

Facts about stress:

Pros:

Cons:

6. Avoid trans fats

Facts about trans fats:

Pros:

Cons:

7. Get sufficient sleep

Facts about sleep:

Pros:

Cons:

8. Breathe properly

Facts about proper breathing:

Pros:

Cons:

9. Eat a nutritious breakfast

Facts about breakfast:

Pros:

Cons:

10. Do resistance training

Facts about resistance training:

Pros:

Cons:

11. Don’t forget about cardio

Facts about cardio:

Pros:

Cons:

12. Cook with coconut oil

Facts about coconut oil:

Pros:

Cons:

13. Add supplements

Facts about supplements:

Pros:

Cons:

14. Eat flat-belly friendly foods

Facts about flat-belly friendly foods:

Pros:

Cons:

15. Choose healthy snacks

Facts about unhealthy snacks:

Pros:

Cons:

Final Thoughts

Reference sites:

Related Posts