What Diet Sheds Belly Fat?

Medical professionals refer to the bulge around your middle section as subcutaneous belly fat. When subcutaneous belly fat causes your waistline to exceed 35 inches for women or 40 inches for men, you have an increased risk for heart disease, according to UAB Health System. Spot reduction of belly fat does not work. Only a diet that helps reduce overall body fat is effective for decreasing belly fat.

No Processed Foods

A diet to shed belly fat eliminates processed and refined foods. Food processing removes nutrients from foods and often adds sugar, salt and other chemicals to improve the food's taste and keep the food fresh. The added sugar causes spikes in your blood glucose levels, which your body combats by producing more insulin, warns Janet Bond Brill, author and director of nutrition for Fitness Together personal training studios worldwide. Increased insulin results in feelings of hunger, cravings and the storage of calories as fat. Avoid as many canned or packaged foods as possible, such as granola bars, soda, pasta sauces, cookies, cakes, candy, chips and canned soups.

Complex Carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates, such as those found in whole grains and most fruits and vegetables, help control your blood sugar and promote a lower-calorie intake for belly fat loss. Whole grains may also help prevent visceral fat from accumulating around the organs in your abdomen, according to a study published in the November 2010 issue of "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." Replace foods made from refined grains -- such as white bread, white rice and white pasta -- with complex carbs, such as wild rice, oatmeal, whole-wheat bread or quinoa.

Fruits and Vegetables

Nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables help fill you up with very few calories. Fruits and vegetables have fewer calories than processed foods, proteins or pastas. Your body needs these extra nutrients to maintain a proper balance of hormones, which help burn belly fat by controlling your hunger and metabolism, explains Brill. The dietary fiber in fruits and vegetables also help control your blood-sugar levels, limiting your temptations for overeating or high-calorie foods.

Limited Saturated Fat

When you cook using fats, the fats replace the water content of the foods, greatly increasing the calorie content of the foods and limiting belly fat loss, explains Barbara Mendez, a nutritional consultant and registered pharmacist in New York City. Saturated fats and trans fats are the worst. If you use fat while cooking, use just 1 or 2 tbsp. of canola oil, rapeseed oil or safflower oil, Mendez advises. Further limit your intake of fat calories by selecting lean proteins such as seeds, nuts, skinless poultry and fish.

Considerations

Belly fat loss requires more than a diet that helps you make better food choices. Limit your intake of calories by limiting your portion sizes, only eating one serving of a food item during each meal and eating regularly throughout the day. The amount of activity you get each day plays a vital role in your ability to burn extra calories and enhance your weight loss. Increase your activity level by parking farther away from your destination, walking your dog each day or joining an exercise program.