Yes, You Can Get Rid Of Stubborn Belly Fat If You Follow These 4 Steps

One of the most common questions I get as a trainer and weight-loss coach is how to shrink belly fat. This is an especially common question coming from women, most of whom lament over the fact that their belly fat is much more stubborn than their husband's (there's a biological reason for this; more on that later). When I was a Fitness Editor for a popular digital media publication, my team would always find that "how to get rid of belly fat" was one of the most most searched phrases on Google.

There are three important things to understand about belly fat before we talk about the ways to get rid of it. First of all, the number one factor that will determine how easy or difficult it is to chisel your abs is your genetics. Your genes play a huge role in where your body chooses to hold onto fat and how quickly your body chooses to get rid of fat. Of course diet and lifestyle play significant roles, which we'll get into later, but genes are an even more important factor. That's why it's easier for some women to achieve flat abs than it is for others.

Women naturally tend to store more fat around their midsection than men do.

Secondly, women naturally tend to store more fat around their midsection than men do, due to reproductive differences. Because we're designed to carry and give birth to children, our bodies need more fat and water around our belly in order to keep ourselves healthy and provide a strong environment for our babies. So if you and your husband or boyfriend are eating the same thing, and his stomach stays flat and yours just keeps getting bigger, that's because the two of you are physiologically different.

Thirdly, you cannot spot-reduce fat on your body, no matter how hard you try. In other words, you can't choose where you lose fat on the body. You can only engage in activities that will help you lose fat in general, and the way your body sheds fat will depend on your genetics. For example, some women tend to hold fat in their midsection, while others tend to hold more fat in their thighs, while others may hold fat everywhere evenly. You can't choose to just get rid of belly fat; instead, you have to choose to shed fat in general and it will eventually come off your midsection too.

Once you understand these factors, it's much easier to approach the goal of fat loss in a measured, conscious way. These are the four steps I recommend for women who want to lose excess belly fat.

You cannot spot-reduce fat on your body.

Eat a High-Protein Diet in a Caloric Deficit

Nutrition is the single most important thing in any fat-loss journey. Exercising has a significant role, but people tend to place too much of an emphasis on working out when they want to shed fat. The first thing you should think about if you want to lose belly fat is to eat in a high-protein calorie deficit. To figure out how much protein you should be eating a day, take your weight in pounds and multiply it by 0.8. That's how many grams of protein you should eat every day. When I'm working with weight-loss clients, I will generally cap out the protein intake at 180 or 200 grams a day, depending on how much they weigh.

A calorie deficit means you're burning more calories than you're consuming. You can use a variety of macro calculators online to figure out what your daily calorie requirement is. But be sure you're eating your protein goals while also staying in calorie deficit because protein is the only thing you eat that builds muscle, and the more lean muscle you have, the more fat you will burn (which means your belly fat will disappear quicker) and the more calories you'll burn at a resting rate. Don't be afraid of building muscle, ladies! As long as you're not overeating at the same time, you will not get bulky.

The first thing you should think about if you want to lose belly fat is to eat in a high-protein calorie deficit.

Eat Every Couple Hours Throughout the Day

Intermittent fasting is all the rage right now and I know it's easy to get caught up in the trends, but I'll tell you from personal experience and my experience coaching hundreds of women, it's much easier to reach your fat loss goals if you're eating small meals throughout the day and controlling your portions rather than fasting for 16 hours and stuffing all your meals into an eight-hour window.

First of all, it can be really difficult to hit your protein goals in an eight-hour window. You'll end up feeling really full and bloated, and you likely won't hit your protein goals at all. Secondly, it's much better for your blood sugar regulation to eat every couple hours. Lastly, I find that eating smaller meals throughout the day helps prevent bloating and aids in better digestion. You're much more likely to wake up with a flat tummy if you eat a light dinner at 6 p.m. than if you eat a huge meal at 8 p.m. In fact, I find this phrase really helpful: "eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper."

Strength Train Regularly

Again, you need more lean muscle in order to shed belly fat efficiently. That's achieved through a high-protein diet and strength training. Cardio may make you feel like you're burning more calories and thus more body fat, but strength training is actually a much better use of your time when it comes to fat loss. It helps you build the muscle needed to shed fat faster and boost your metabolism, and it helps you burn more calories at a resting rate. If you lift weights in the morning instead of going for a run, you'll burn more calories throughout the rest of the day at a resting rate than if you did cardio.

You need more lean muscle in order to shed belly fat efficiently.

Aim for at least three strength training sessions a week. You can start with simple dumbbell exercises and eventually work your way up to heavier weights, but I strongly advise using weights rather than attempting to do bodyweight strength training, because you need the hypertrophy for healthy muscle development.

Prioritize High-Quality Sleep

Sleep is the unsung hero of fat loss. You won't have any success shedding belly fat if you're not getting high-quality sleep every night. A lack of sleep causes an increase in a hunger hormone called ghrelin and it also causes overstimulation of the amygdala, which is the deep emotional center of your brain. That's a recipe for emotional overeating.

Just because you're in bed for nine hours a night and your eyes are closed doesn't necessarily mean you're sleeping well and achieving deep sleep, which is the phase of sleep that is the most restful and offers the most recovery. Make sure you're reducing the use of electronics at night, adopting the same bedtime and wake-up time every night and morning (regardless of whether it's weekday or weekend), and using a relaxing, restful bedtime routine that is helping your body prepare for high-quality sleep.

Sleep is the unsung hero of fat loss.

Closing Thoughts

It's not impossible to lose belly fat, regardless of your age, size, or genetics. I want you to be realistic, though, with your goals. It will take time, and the older you are, the more difficult it is. That doesn't mean it won't happen. The two most important ingredients that are the hardest to achieve when it comes to losing belly fat are patience and consistency. Don't give up and don't let any day go to waste.