How To Shrink Belly Fat Using Green Tea

Green tea has been a commonly used beverage for thousands of years and it is known for its many health benefits. According to the Mayo Clinic, ingredients in green tea may help you lose weight -- including belly fat. In addition, green tea contains substances that may relieve anxiety, arthritis and some cancers. Drinking green tea can help you shrink belly fat, as long as your lifestyle includes a healthy diet and physical activity.

Step 1

Avoid beverages that have added sugar and replace them with at least three 8 oz. cups of green tea every day. According to the University of Maryland, green tea contains caffeine which can boost your metabolism, helping your body burn fat -- it's the polyphenols and catechins in green tea that might be responsible for green tea's fat-burning capabilities.

Step 2

Drink 8 oz. of green tea 10 to 15 minutes before every meal. Drinking green tea before each meal will help fill your stomach, making you eat less calories. A 2008 research study cited in Discovery News found that individuals who drank two cups of water before breakfast ate 13 percent less of the meal. According to Discovery News, research also suggests that drinking water increases your metabolism, helping you burn more calories.

Step 3

Engage in moderate physical activity 45 minutes three days a week. According to a 2008 study published in The Journal of Nutrition, individuals who consumed green tea lost more belly fat with moderate exercise than those who didn't drink green tea. The researchers speculate that the catechins in the green tea -- combined with caffeine -- may have an effect on where excess weight comes off from the body. Moderate physical activity can be performed by brisk walking, cycling or swimming.

Step 4

Reduce your daily caloric intake by 10 percent. Calculate your current daily caloric intake and multiply the result by .10. Note which foods you regularly eat and provide the least nutrition -- and eliminate those foods in an amount equal to 10 percent of your daily calories. For some people, this can equate to eliminating a single snack food or sugar-laden beverage, but the effect on weight is significant. According to Harvard University, eliminating highly processed, sugar foods has a significant effect on reducing belly fat. It appears that these foods are more easily stored by the body in the abdominal area.

Step 5

Drink an 8 oz. cup of green tea if you have the urge to snack. This will decrease the likelihood you will eat something impulsively, because the tea will fill your stomach, signaling satiety. If you still feel the urge to snack choose a healthier, nutrient-dense food such as fresh fruit. You'll likely still eat less calories, because you'll be consuming a fiber-rich food. According to the Mayo Clinic, fiber makes your food stay in your digestive tract longer, keeping you feeling full for longer and eating less.