How to Lose Lower Belly Fat for Good

SANO Editorial

With today marking the first day of August, we want to make sure you look your best self in your swimsuit "out east". Not only do we want you looking good for the balance of Summer (and beyond), but we also want to decrease your risk for diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. For this reason, losing tummy fat has massive benefits for your health and can help you live longer.  If you want to trim some excess love handles around your waistline, then you should take some steps to get rid of it even if you're not very heavy overall. Thankfully, there are a few proven scientific strategies that have been shown to target the fat in the tummy area. Implementing these effective strategies will have you looking like your best self for your next picture on the 'gram.  Here are five evidence-based ways to help you slim down showing noticeable results in just a few days.  

Avoiding Sugar and Sugar-Based Beverages. Added sugar—which is made up of half glucose and half sucrose--is very unhealthy.  Studies have proven that sugar has uniquely harmful effects on metabolic health. When you eat added sugar, the liver gets overloaded with fructose and is forced to turn it into fat. Numerous studies have shown that excess sugar, mostly due to the large amounts of fructose, can lead to increased accumulation of fat in the belly and liver. Some experts believe that this is the primary mechanism behind sugar's harmful effects on health. Liquid sugars are even worse since liquid calories aren't "categorized" by the brain in the same fashion as solid calories.  Said differently, when you drink sugar-sweetened beverages you end up eating more total calories increasing the risk of obesity. Make a commitment to minimize the amount of sugar in your diet, and consider completely eliminating sugary drinks, including sodas, fruit juices, high-sugar sport drinks and alcoholic drinks that contain sugary syrups. This is not to be confused with whole fruit, which are extremely healthy and provide an abundance of fiber that mitigates the negative effects of fructose.  Being mindful to the amount of excess sugar consumption can decrease the amount of excess fat in the belly. 

Cut the Carbs. Restricting carbs from your diet is a proven by numerous studies to be an effective way to lose belly fat. It’s very simple, when carbs are cut in our diets, our appetite and weight goes down. Low-carb diets also lead to quick reductions in water weight, which gives people near instant results if they have an upcoming beach vacation or a best friend’s wedding.  By avoiding the deadly refined carbs (sugar, candy, white bread, etc.) results can be noticed in just 1-2 days, especially if you keep your protein intake high. If you need to lose weight fast, then consider dropping your carbs down to 50 grams per day putting your body into a state of ketosis. This will stave off your appetite and making your body start burning primarily fats for fuel.

Consume More Protein. Protein is the most important macro-nutrient when it comes to burning fat and losing weight. If weight loss is your primary goal, then adding protein is possibly the single most effective change you can make to your diet. Not only will it help you lose weight, it also mitigates regaining weight if you ever decide to abandon your weight loss strategy.

One study showed that the amount and quality of protein consumed was inversely related to fat in the belly. Said differently, people who consumed more and cleaner lean proteins had much less belly fat. This study also showed that refined carbs and oils were linked to increased amounts of belly fat, while fruits and vegetables are linked to reduced amounts of fat. Many of the studies indicate protein to be effective had protein at 25–30% of calories, which should be your macro-nutrients goal.  Therefore, you should make an effort to increase your intake of high-protein foods like legumes, nuts, fruits, vegetables, spirulina, quinoa, nut butters, oats and oatmeal. These are the best vegan protein sources in the diet. If you struggle with getting enough protein in your diet, then a premium protein supplement (like organic plant-based protein powders) is a healthy and convenient way to boost your total intake.  Increasing your amount of consuming quality proteins can boost your metabolism and reduce hunger levels, making it a very effective way to lose weight.

Eat High-Fiber Superfoods. Dietary fiber is mostly indigestible plant matter. Many studies have shown that eating plenty of fiber can help with weight loss, but it's important to keep in mind that not all fiber is created equal. Soluble and viscous fibers--fibers that bind water and form a thick gel that lays in the gut--have an effect on your weight. This gel can dramatically slow the movement of food through your digestive system and slow down the digestion and absorption of nutrients. The end result is a prolonged feeling of fullness and reduced appetite and the reduction of harmful belly fat. The best way to get more fiber is to eat a lot of plant foods like vegetables and fruit. Legumes are also a good source, as well as oatmeal and oats.

Implement an Exercise Regimen. Exercise is important for various reasons, especially if you want to live a long, healthy life and avoid disease. Aside from all the amazing benefits that exercise provides, it is also very effective at reducing belly fat.  One of the biggest misconceptions is that if you want to lose tummy fat, that you need to do abs exercises--this could not be further from reality. Reducing fat in one spot of the body is not possible, therefore doing countless ab exercises will not assist in you losing those love handles any faster. Other types of aerobic exercises--like walking, running, swimming--have been shown to cause major reductions in stomach fat in numerous studies. Another study found that exercise completely prevented people from re-gaining abdominal fat after weight loss, suggesting that exercise is particularly important to keep the weight off after bikini season.

On everyone's vacation "to do" list is a flatter tummy. Although it's exceedingly unfortunate, fat loss doesn't come in the latest swimsuit collection of Emilio Pucci. You have to work for it, exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet. In short, to burn lower belly fat, reduce your calorie intake, cut out sugary and carb-heavy foods and drinks, eat more quality proteins and fiber, strength train and get regular cardiovascular.