Diet For Abdominal Fat Loss

More than two-thirds of adults in the Unites States are overweight or obese, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey reported in 2008. Abdominal fat, also known as visceral fat, is different than ordinary body fat, Harvard Health Publications explain. Abdominal fat refers to the fat that surrounds vital internal organs. Because visceral fat is in the abdominal cavity, under the muscles, its much more difficult to drop or burn off with diet and exercise.

Diet

To lose abdominal fat, it's important to be aware of the amount of food you take in, Harvard Health Publications report. Your diet should emphasize lean protein and complex carbohydrates. Examples of lean protein listed by MyPyramid, a program developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help people eat healthier, are lean cuts of beef like round steaks and roasts, pork loin and ham; extra lean ground beef; skinless chicken and turkey cutlets. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are examples of complex carbohydrates. Avoid simple carbs like white bread, pasta made from refined grains and beverages with added high-fructose corn syrup, including fruit juice and colas.

Cooking Suggestions

Your weight can be affected by how you cook your food. MyPyramid suggests trimming away all visible fat from meat and poultry before you cook it. Instead of frying fish and poultry, broil, grill, roast, poach or boil. Drain fat produced during cooking. Limit the use of breadcrumbs on meat, poultry and fish, because they add fat and calories and will let the food soak up more fat.

Drinking

The Mayo Clinic reports that drinking beer and liquor can boost your chances for developing visceral fat. In 2007, the journal "Obesity" published a study by Swedish researchers Ulf Riserus and Erik Ingelsson indicating that people who consume large amounts of alcohol are more likely to gain visceral weight. The Mayo Clinic suggests either drinking alcohol in moderation, which for a male amounts to two alcoholic beverages a day and for a female one beverage a day, or avoiding it altogether. When it comes to wine, however, the jury is still out. In a study published in 2003 in the "International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders," lead researcher Eva Vadstrup indicates that moderate to high wine consumption may have the opposite effect to beer and spirits on waist circumference.

Warnings

Harvard Health Publications reminds that you should not drastically cut your calorie intake. The National Institutes of Health explains that to lose weight, you need to use more calories than you take in. Additionally, by creating a 500-calorie deficit every day, you can drop up to 2 pounds a week. Restricting your calorie intake to fewer than 1,600 calories for men and 1,200 calories for women can backfire and cause your body to store fat and slow the pace of your metabolism. Consult your doctor before beginning any new diet.

Considerations

No diet is fully complete without exercise. A 2009 study by exercise physiologist Gary Hunter at the University of Alabama-Birmingham found that just 80 minutes of aerobic or resistance training a week prevents visceral fat for one year after losing the weight. Harvard Health Publications suggests exercising between 30 and 60 minutes a day just to control your weight. It's also suggested that you strength train one hour twice a week. A study published in 2009 in the journal "Archives of Internal Medicine" by Dr. Lance E. Davidson found that the combination of resistance and aerobic training was the best way to reduce visceral fat. Consult your doctor before beginning any new exercise regimen.