How to lose belly fat

Belly fat is the fat stored around your midsection, including your waist and abdomen. While some fat is normal and necessary for energy storage and hormone regulation, excess belly fat can contribute to serious health risks.

Belly fat accumulates due to factors like:

• energy imbalance (consuming more calories than you burn)
• genetics
• hormonal changes
• stress
• ageing

There are two main types of belly fat:

1. Visceral fat – this surrounds your organs deep inside the abdomen
2. Subcutaneous fat – this lies just beneath the skin

While subcutaneous fat is more visible, visceral fat is especially harmful, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other metabolic conditions.

Health risks associated with excess belly fat

Research shows that people with higher levels of visceral fat – fat surrounding your organs – have a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and heart disease-related death. A large analysis of over 800,000 participants found that higher visceral fat levels were linked to a 55% higher risk of cardiovascular disease. This makes visceral fat not just a cosmetic concern but a serious health risk.

Your waist circumference is a simple indicator of belly fat, including fat stored around the organs, which is linked to higher risks of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

According to studies, larger waist measurements are associated with increased all-cause mortality, meaning people with higher abdominal fat have a higher risk of dying from any cause over time.

“Spot reduction” is the idea that you can target fat loss in a specific area of your body – for example, doing hundreds of sit-ups to lose belly fat. While it sounds logical, research shows that this approach does not work. Fat loss occurs throughout the body in response to overall energy balance, not in the specific muscles you exercise.

Scientific studies have confirmed this. For example, a 2013 study found that localised muscle training did not result in fat loss in the trained area, even after several weeks of focused exercise. This demonstrates that exercises targeting a specific body part cannot selectively reduce fat in that area.

Most experts recommend focusing on overall fat loss through sustainable lifestyle changes, including a balanced diet, regular aerobic and strength activity, and healthy habits – rather than attempting to reduce fat in one spot. By reducing overall body fat, the body naturally decreases fat in areas like the abdomen over time.

The most effective way to reduce belly fat is through overall weight loss. You can achieve this by consistently following a healthy, balanced diet and engaging in regular physical activity.

How to eat healthily

Eating healthily is key to losing belly fat. Focus on a balanced diet that includes whole grains, lean proteins, vegetables and fruits. At the same time, limit added sugars, processed foods and saturated fats.

Weight loss ultimately comes down to calorie balance: consuming fewer calories than your body uses creates a calorie deficit. This prompts your body to use stored fat for energy instead. You can estimate your daily needs and track a safe calorie deficit using tools like our calorie deficit calculator.

By combining nutritious foods with controlled portion sizes, you can support overall fat loss, including belly fat, while maintaining energy and health.

Foods to prioritise vs foods to limit

To support belly fat loss, focus on foods that keep you full and satisfied. High-fibre foods like vegetables, fruits and whole grains, along with lean proteins such as chicken, fish, eggs or legumes, help control hunger and reduce overeating.

At the same time, you should also limit sugary drinks and snacks as well as high-salt, processed foods, which can add excess calories and contribute to fat gain.

For meal inspiration, use our healthy, high-fibre and high-protein dinner recipes that make it easier to stick to a nutritious diet.

Alongside a healthy diet, regular exercise helps create a calorie deficit, which is essential for overall fat loss – including belly fat. However, it’s important to remember that resistance exercises targeting a specific body part will not selectively reduce fat in that area. Fat loss occurs across the body as a result of overall energy balance.

Aerobic activity

Aerobic exercise, also called cardiovascular exercise (cardio), helps burn calories and supports healthy weight loss. You should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week. Examples of moderate-intensity activities include brisk walking, cycling, and swimming. Regular aerobic activity contributes to overall fat reduction, including in the abdominal area, when combined with a balanced diet.

Strength training

Strength training builds muscle mass, which in turn increases your resting calorie burn and helps with long-term fat loss. Research has found that regular resistance exercise boosts energy expenditure and supports weight management. On the other hand, studies show that core-focused exercises, such as sit-ups or planks, strengthen abdominal muscles, but do not reduce belly fat directly.

Strength training should be part of a full-body programme to maximise overall fat loss.

High‑intensity interval training (HIIT)

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) alternates short bursts of intense activity with recovery periods. Some studies indicate that when HIIT is combined with a healthy diet and regular physical activity, it can help reduce abdominal fat. HIIT is also a time-efficient strategy to decrease fat.

Beyond diet and exercise, several everyday lifestyle factors can influence belly fat and overall health.

Sleep

Getting enough quality sleep is essential for weight management. Insufficient sleep can disrupt appetite-regulating hormones, such as ghrelin and leptin, leading to increased hunger and calorie intake. Studies have shown that short sleep duration is linked with higher body fat and abdominal obesity.

Aim for 7–9 hours of quality sleep per night to support overall health and metabolic function.

Stress management

Chronic stress activates your body’s stress response, releasing cortisol, a hormone that helps manage metabolism and energy use. If stress continues over time, cortisol levels can remain high. It has been found in clinical studies that higher cortisol levels in response to stress are linked to increased abdominal fat, suggesting a connection between stress and belly fat.

While managing stress will not directly reduce belly fat, it can support healthier habits and ease the strain that stress puts on your body. Stress-reduction techniques that may lower stress levels include:

✓ mindfulness

✓ breathing exercises

✓ gentle yoga

✓ regular physical activity

✓ spending time with loved ones

However, these methods work best when combined with a balanced diet and exercise, rather than as a standalone solution for weight loss.

Alcohol and belly fat

Drinking too much alcohol can contribute to the build-up of belly fat. Alcohol is high in calories, and when consumed in excess, it can lead to weight gain – particularly around the abdominal area. It also affects your body’s ability to burn fat efficiently.

To help manage belly fat, it’s best to drink alcohol in moderation or avoid it altogether. Moderation means no more than 14 units of alcohol per week, spread across several days.

For some people, lifestyle changes alone may not be enough to support safe and effective weight loss. Weight loss treatments like Wegovy or Mounjaro may be appropriate if:

• your body mass index (BMI) is 30 or above
• your BMI is 27 or above and you have obesity-related health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure
• you have already made changes to your diet and activity levels but still struggle to reach weight loss goals safely

A doctor can assess your health, discuss suitable options, and provide ongoing guidance and monitoring. This helps make sure any treatment supports your overall health, not just weight loss.

You can find out more about available medical support through Asda Online Doctor – find out when weight loss treatments may be suitable and how they are used alongside lifestyle changes.