Key Takeaways:
- Having too much belly fat can increase your risk of certain health conditions, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer.
- Men looking to lose belly fat should focus on eating healthy foods rich in protein and fiber, moving more regularly, getting enough sleep, managing stress, and reducing alcohol intake.
- To help you determine whether weight loss medications could help you reduce belly fat — and keep it off — connect with your healthcare provider.
Reducing belly fat isn’t just an aesthetic goal. Having excess body fat around the belly can increase your risk of certain chronic health conditions. So reducing belly fat stands to improve your health and wellness in many ways.
But that’s easier said than done.
Below, get intel on how much belly fat is too much and the health risks to know about. Then, learn specific strategies for how to get rid of belly fat in men (and keep it off), including focusing on nutrition, exercise, and other lifestyle factors.
This article was reviewed by Darragh O’Carroll, MD.
What Is Considered Too Much Belly Fat?
There aren’t any official guidelines for what counts as excess belly fat. But according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), men with a waist circumference of more than 40 inches have a higher risk of health problems.
How to Measure Belly Fat
You can get an idea of how much belly fat you have by measuring your waist circumference. To do so, wrap a tape measure around your midsection, just above your hips. Take the waist measurement just after you breathe out.
You can also measure your body fat percentage to get an idea of how much overall body fat you have.
There are several methods for measuring your body fat percentage, like using skinfold calipers, which are an instrument that pinches the skin to measure subcutaneous fat. Or, if your provider deems it necessary, another option is a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan (a scan that measures your body fat, muscle, and bone density).
Both of these measurements can shed light on total body fat and fat distribution.
Health Risks of Having Excess Belly Fat
Why is belly fat so bad? Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is a clinical term for fat that wraps around organs in your abdomen. It’s a hormonally active type of fat, which means it releases hormones and molecules that can harm your health and increase your risk of chronic diseases. Having abdominal obesity and excess VAT is linked to health conditions like:
- Insulin resistance
- Type 2 diabetes
- Cardiovascular disease
- Prostate and colorectal cancer
- High cholesterol (dyslipidemia)
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
Crucially, a study on older adults found an association between abdominal obesity and an increased risk of death compared to those with non-abdominal obesity. The good news is that there are lifestyle shifts that can help men lose belly fat and avoid adverse effects.
Here are 10 tips for men to reduce belly fat.
1. Make Nutritious Swaps
Making a few healthy swaps can help you consume fewer “empty” calories without compromising the nutrition you need to preserve your energy levels. This strategy can help you lose belly fat and overall body fat.
For example, you could swap:
- White bread and pasta for wholewheat bread and chickpea pasta
- Fried chicken for grilled chicken
- Ice cream for Greek yogurt
- Sugary sodas for sparkling water
- Cereal for oatmeal and berries
2. Get Enough Sleep
Insufficient sleep is linked to weight gain — belly fat gain, in particular.
A small 2022 study looked at what happens when participants got 9 hours of sleep compared to just 4 hours of sleep.
When people got four hours of sleep, they:
- Consumed more calories
- Had more fat intake
- Gained more weight, specifically abdominal fat, including subcutaneous (fat that sits below the skin) and VAT
While more research is needed to confirm a connection between sleep deprivation and belly fat, aiming for the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep is a smart idea for your health. You can accomplish this by:
- Keeping a regular sleep schedule, even on weekends
- Avoiding large meals and alcohol close to bedtime
- Making your bedroom dark, cool, comfortable, and quiet
3. Eat More Protein
Protein intake is an important component of weight loss. It can help you feel fuller for longer and, according to research, increase your ability to avoid excess belly fat.
Protein can also help you build and maintain muscle mass. This can, in turn, help keep your metabolism higher, making weight loss and weight maintenance easier to achieve.
Get protein from lean sources like:
- Chicken
- Fish
- Turkey
- Lean beef
- Tofu
- Beens
- Eggs
Obesity medicine physician Craig Primack, MD, and senior vice president of weight management at Hims & Hers, recommends aiming for about 100 grams of protein a day to support weight loss.
4. Eat More Fiber
Fiber is another nutrient that can help you feel fuller for longer, making it easier to stick to nutritious foods and minimize overeating.
Fiber is also linked with having less VAT, making it a smart nutrient to prioritize to decrease belly fat. Here are examples of foods rich in fiber:
- Fruits
- Veggies
- Nuts and seeds
- Legumes, like chickpeas, lentils, and beans
- Whole grains, like brown rice, quinoa, wholemeal pasta, and oatmeal
5. Do More Aerobic Activity
Physical activity can help you burn calories and promote weight loss, including in the abdominal region.
Research shows that each extra 30-minute aerobic exercise session is linked to more:
- Weight loss
- Visceral fat loss
- Subcutaneous fat loss
- Waist circumference reduction
In total, aim for 150 to 300 minutes of aerobic exercise a week. That can include:
- Brisk walking
- Jogging
- Cycling
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Team sports, like soccer or basketball
6. Strength Train
Strength training focuses on activities that build muscle, and doing these exercises can help you avoid the muscle loss that can come with fat loss. This can, in turn, help you to keep your metabolism higher.
Strength training can also help reduce body fat, including visceral fat.
Aim for two or more strength training sessions a week — and don’t neglect cardio, either. Combining aerobic exercise with strength training supports more fat loss than doing one type of exercise alone. Here are some examples of strength training exercises:
- Doing bodyweight exercises
- Lifting weights or using resistance bands
- Using resistance machines
7. Cut Back on Alcohol
There may be some truth to the term “beer belly”: Research holds that men who binge drink every day experience higher odds of having abdominal obesity. But it’s not just binge-drinking. People who drink more alcohol per occasion have higher odds of abdominal obesity than those who consume fewer than two drinks per occasion.
So, limiting alcohol can be among the best ways for men to lose belly fat. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, men should drink two drinks or fewer a day.
To cut back, try:
- Drinking smaller servings
- Alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages
- Specifying several nights per week as “alcohol-free”
- Saving alcohol for special occasions
8. Lower Stress Levels
Stress can spike your appetite, trigger emotional eating, and increase cravings for sugary and fatty foods. Plus, high levels of the stress hormone cortisol can promote fat deposition, particularly in the belly region.
Reducing stress isn’t always easy, but there are strategies you can use to help manage it:
- Practicing meditation, yoga, or deep-breathing exercises
- Spending time in nature
- Spending time with friends and family
- Exercising regularly
- Connecting with a therapist
9. Drink More Water
Water can keep you hydrated, regulate your appetite, and help you practice portion control, especially when you drink up before meals.
A small study on people with type 2 diabetes found drinking about 35 ounces of water before meals for eight weeks led to:
- A reduced waist circumference
- A lower body mass index (BMI)
- Eating fewer calories
- More weight loss
If you struggle to drink enough water:
- Set reminders to go off on your phone throughout the day
- Infuse your water with fruit or herbs
- Take a reusable water bottle with you everywhere — and keep it in sight
10. Consider Weight Loss Medication
For some, lifestyle changes aren’t enough to promote belly fat loss. In this case, weight loss medications can be the missing piece of the puzzle.
For example, semaglutide (Ozempic®, Wegovy®) is a once-weekly injection that can promote weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
Research supports that once-weekly semaglutide injections support waist circumference reductions of more than 5 inches over 68 weeks.
Weight loss medications include injections like:
- Semaglutide
- Tirzepatide (Mounjaro®, Zepbound®)
- Liraglutide (Victoza®, Saxenda®)
And oral weight loss medications like:
- Naltrexone
- Metformin
- Topiramate
- Bupropion
The Bottom Line: Getting Rid of Belly Fat for Men
Having too much belly fat can increase your odds of many health issues. Luckily, there are many steps you can take to shed body fat from around your middle:
- Eat more nutritious foods. Prioritize protein and fiber, aim for a calorie deficit, and make healthy swaps in your diet.
- Move your body more. Try to do more aerobic exercise and strength training. Start slow and gradually build up your activity level as your fitness improves.
- Don’t forget about sleep and stress. Get enough sleep and work to lower stress. While these tasks are easier said than done, they are key to belly fat loss and overall health.
Finally, don’t be afraid to reach out for expert advice. A weight loss specialist, dietitian, or personal trainer can give you personalized guidance and accountability.
FAQs
How do men get rid of belly fat fast?
Men can work to get rid of belly fat by eating more protein and fiber, getting enough sleep, doing aerobic and strength training exercises, and lowering stress levels.
What burns the most belly fat?
There’s no single strategy to burn belly fat. A combination approach of making healthy lifestyle changes can help. This includes eating more nutritious foods, moving more, getting enough sleep, and lowering stress levels.
How do you keep stubborn belly fat off?
You can keep stubborn belly fat off with the same healthy habits that helped you lose belly fat in the first place: nutritious foods, regular movement, getting enough sleep, and keeping stress in check.
What causes belly fat in men?
Eating too many calories, drinking too much alcohol, not exercising, not sleeping enough, and having high levels of stress are all potential causes of belly fat in men. The location where you gain body fat and how susceptible you are to obesity are also partially a matter of genetics.
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This article originally appeared on Hims.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
