There are essentially two types of belly fat: subcutaneous and visceral. Subcutaneous fat, found beneath the surface of your skin, is responsible for an expanding waist size and cellulite. Visceral fat, deep inside the abdomen, surrounds major organs and is responsible for producing hormones that can raise blood pressure and cholesterol levels. The best way to lose belly fat, MayoClinic.com suggests, is by eating a healthy diet, controlling portion sizes and exercising. Consult your doctor before beginning any weight-loss plan, and for advice specific to your condition.
Choosing a Diet
The best diet is the one that you will stick with, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Many people stop dieting because they feel too hungry or are not satiated enough. When choosing a diet, find one that appeals to your likes and one that your whole family can adhere to. You're more likely to throw in the towel if you have to make separate meals for several people. If you like protein, you'll have a better shot of reducing your waistline by going on a high-protein diet rather than one that emphasizes carbohydrates. If you enjoy eating vegetables, nuts and monounsaturated fats, try a Mediterranean-style diet.
Types of Diets
In 2011, the Daily Beast website compiled a list of 10 of the most effective diets for weight loss based on recent research. The list included Volumetrics, a meal plan that promotes satiety rather than deprivation and suggests consuming foods with high water content rather than those that are calorie-dense. The Weight Watchers plan is a low-calorie, low-fat diet that encourages controlling portion size and keeping track of calorie intake. A Mediterranean-style diet recommends eating healthy fats, such as those found in olive oil and nuts, along with a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other non-processed foods. The Atkins Diet strictly limits carbohydrate intake.
Design Your Own Diet
You don't necessarily need to buy a book or pre-made, frozen meals to reduce the size of your belly. The Harvard School of Public Health suggests that designing your own diet, based on informed dietary data, may be the best way to effectively lose weight and keep it off. Begin by calculating how many calories you need each day, a number determined by your activity level, gender and age. The American Heart Association reports that moderately active males need 2,200 to 2,800 calories a day and women need 1,800 to 2,200 calories. The more active you are, the more calories your body needs. To lose weight, create a daily 500-calorie deficit from your current eating habits. In seven days, you'll have eaten 3,500 fewer calories, the equivalent of a pound of fat. You can also cut back 250 calories and burn off 250 calories through exercise if you don't want to limit your food intake too much.
Evidence
A study published in 2007 in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found that obese women could effectively reduce their total body weight and control hunger by consuming a low-fat, low-calorie diet high in fruits and vegetables. Diets that fit these criteria include Volumetrics, Weight Watchers and TLC, or the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes Diet, which is endorsed by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Research published in the "New England Journal of Medicine" in 2008 compared three different types of diets: low-carb, Mediterranean and low-fat. Adherence to all three diets was high, with more than 95 percent of participants sticking to their plan after the first year and nearly 85 percent after year two. Mean weight loss for the 272 moderately obese individuals who completed the study was 7.3 lbs. for the low-fat group, 10 lbs. for the Mediterranean group and 12 lbs. for the low-carb group, making all three diets effective ways to reduce belly fat.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Belly Fat in Women: Taking --- and Keeping --- It Off; April 16, 2011
- Harvard School of Public Health; The Best Diet Is the One You'll Follow
- The Daily Beast; Most Effective Diets for 2011; Jan. 2, 2011
- American Heart Association: Know How Many Calories You Should Eat
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Dietary energy density in the treatment of obesity: a year-long trial comparing 2 weight-loss diets; Julia A. Ello-Martin, et al.; June 2007
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes
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