Even if you eat well and exercise regularly, pesky belly fat can seem to hang on to your frame for months. While it is possible to get rid of that pooch of belly fat, it's not easy to do. For the best chance of success, follow a calorie-cutting diet plan that won't leave you hungry and supplement it with frequent cardiovascular and strength-training exercises.
Low-Calorie Diet
A low-calorie diet may be the most straightforward eating plan for fat loss. To get rid of fat from your belly or anywhere else, you'll need to consume fewer calories than you burn. Slashing 500 calories per day from your eating plan, for example, will help you lose 4 pounds per month; cut double that amount and lose 8 pounds per month. There is work involved in cutting calories, however. First, you must determine how many calories you normally eat by keeping a food journal or looking up what you eat with an online calorie counter. To form balanced meals and snacks that are low-calorie but filling, take a cue from ChooseMyPlate.gov and try to fill at least 50 percent of your plate with fruits or veggies every time you eat.
High-Protein Diet
A high-protein diet may not be healthy in the long term, but it can help you lose belly fat when you follow it for just a few months. Protein-rich foods tend to be more naturally satiating than high-fat or high-carbohydrate foods, so adding more of them to your diet can help you stay full on fewer net calories, leading to gradual fat loss. In fact, a 2003 article published in "Nutrition Journal" detailed a study in which a team of obesity researchers found that people who replaced one meal per day with a high-protein shake lost more weight over 40 weeks than people who followed a low-calorie diet.
Plant-Based Diet
If you currently eat meat, switching to a plant-based eating plan may help you cut calories and slim down your midsection. Using a portobello mushroom in place of a grilled burger patty, for instance, can save more than 100 calories and several grams of fat. As registered dietitian Katherine Zeratsky notes, vegetarians and vegans, who do not eat dairy or any other animal products, tend to have lower body weights and consume fewer net calories and fat grams than nonvegetarians.
Considerations
Adopting a specific eating plan may help you drop some belly weight within a month, but it can only do so much. To really get a toned, slim midsection, says American Council on Exercise scientist Jessica Matthews, M.S., E-R.Y.T., you must also strength train, do cardio exercises and work on core-strengthening activities, since eating low-calorie foods can't tighten your abdominal muscles. Furthermore, you'll need to keep up a healthy and balanced eating plan for longer than just four weeks to maintain any positive results you do notice. For specific nutritional guidance, speak with your doctor or a registered dietitian.
References
- ChooseMyPlate.gov: USDA's MyPlate
- "Nutrition Journal"; Results of Soy-Based Meal Replacement Formula; Kevin R. Fontaine, et al.; 2003
- MayoClinic.com: Vegetarian Diet - Will It Help Me Lose Weight?; Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.; April 9, 2009
- ACEFitness.org: How Can I Get Rid of Belly Fat?; Jessica Matthews, M.S.; April 14, 2011
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