How to Lose Belly Fat
You cannot choose where your body loses fat, so no single exercise, food or drink burns belly fat on its own. Belly fat can reduce with overall weight loss: an energy gap from a healthy diet, regular physical activity, enough sleep and less alcohol, kept up over months.
Everything here is general information, not medical advice. Outcomes vary between individuals, and a GP or accredited practising dietitian can tailor a plan to your health.
Key Points
Spot reduction is a myth: working your stomach muscles does not burn the fat that sits over them.
Belly fat comes in two main kinds: fat under the skin, which you can see and feel, and visceral fat, stored around the organs inside.
Losing weight is the best way to reduce internal belly fat, and regular exercise helps with it in particular.
Australian clinical guidelines build eating plans for adults who are overweight around an energy gap of about 2,500 kJ (about 600 calories) a day.
Sugary drinks and alcohol add energy with little or no nutrition.
A tape measure around your waist is a better guide to belly fat than the scale alone.
Genes shape where you store fat and where it comes off first, so results vary between individuals.
Can You Target Belly Fat?
No. Spot reduction, the idea that working one area burns the fat in that area, is a weight loss myth. Your muscles cannot draw directly on the fat stored next to them. Stored fat is broken down and carried to the muscles in the bloodstream, so the fat used for energy comes from all over the body, not just from the area you are working (University of Sydney, Charles Perkins Centre).
The research points the same way. In a randomised 12-week trial, people who added an abdominal resistance program to a diet lost no more belly fat than people who changed their diet alone. A 2021 analysis of 13 studies, with more than 1,100 people in total, found that training one muscle group had no effect on the fat over it.
Where your body stores fat, and where it loses it first, is largely outside your control. Genes can account for 60% of where fat is distributed, and age and sex play a part too.
Sit-ups and other abdominal exercises still have a place. They count as muscle-strengthening activity, which Australia's physical activity guidelines recommend on at least two days a week. They just do not remove the fat on top.
Two Types of Belly Fat
Not all belly fat is the same.
Fat under the skin. Most body fat is stored just under the skin. This is the fat you can see and feel.
Visceral fat. This fat is stored deeper, around internal organs such as the heart, liver and intestines. A small amount protects the organs. Too much makes more harmful substances than fat under the skin, and it can lead to health problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and some cancers (healthdirect).
Fat under the skin sits between the skin and the muscle wall.
Visceral fat sits deeper, around the internal organs.
Measuring your waist is the main way to check for too much internal fat. The body draws on both kinds for energy, so both can reduce with overall weight loss, and results vary.
What Makes Belly Fat Build Up?
Internal belly fat builds up when you take in more energy than you use and do not move enough. The chance of storing extra energy as internal fat is greater for older males, females after menopause, people with a family tendency to it, and people who drink too much alcohol.
Many women gain weight around the belly in midlife. Falling oestrogen can shift fat storage from the hips and thighs to the waist, although the weight gain itself is more likely due to ageing and lifestyle changes than to menopause (Better Health Channel, Victorian Government). For more on this stage of life, see our guide to weight changes after menopause.
Belly Fat Myths and What the Evidence Says
Plenty of products and plans promise a flat stomach. This is what Australian health sources say about the common claims:
| Claim | What the evidence says |
|---|---|
| Sit-ups burn belly fat | Training one area does not burn fat there |
| Some foods burn belly fat | There are no magic fat-burning foods |
| A special drink burns belly fat | Most drinks add kJ; water has none |
| Supplements target belly fat | Trials found no meaningful weight loss |
| Skipping meals flattens the stomach | Skipping meals will not make you lose weight |
| A crash diet shifts it for good | The weight most likely returns within 5 years |
Grapefruit, celery and kelp are often said to burn fat or speed up metabolism, and none of them does. The supplement finding comes from two University of Sydney studies of more than 120 placebo-controlled trials of herbal and dietary supplements, none of which gave a clinically meaningful drop in body weight. The sit-ups and supplement rows come from the University of Sydney; the other rows come from the Better Health Channel's guide to weight loss myths.
How to Lose Belly Fat: Five Steps
Create an energy gap with a healthy diet.
Move more, and add strength training.
Cut back on sugary drinks and alcohol.
Look after sleep and stress.
Track your waist, not just the scale.
Step 1: Create an Energy Gap With a Healthy Diet
When you use more energy than you take in, the body draws on stored energy, mostly fat, from stores all over the body. How much comes off, and from where, varies between individuals.
The national clinical guidelines (NHMRC, 2013) set a daily energy deficit of 2,500 kJ as the aim of eating plans for adults who are overweight or obese. For a daily target, enter your ideal body weight, a weight in the healthy range, into the Eat for Health daily energy requirements calculator and use the result with nothing further taken off. The 2,500 kJ is the gap against what you use now, not a second cut from that target. Keep your daily intake at 5,000 kJ (about 1,200 calories) or more: a good weight management service advises against eating less than that.
A healthy diet for less belly fat looks like a healthy diet for weight loss in general:
build meals on the five food groups: vegetables and legumes, fruit, wholegrains, lean protein such as fish, eggs and tofu, and reduced-fat dairy
fill up on vegetables, fruit, wholegrains and legumes, which give a feeling of fullness with few kilojoules
include some protein at meals, since it can help you feel fuller for longer
keep an eye on portions: the bigger the serve, the more energy it holds
limit foods high in saturated fat, added sugar and salt, such as biscuits, cakes, pastries, fried foods and potato chips (Australian Dietary Guidelines)
If you prefer to plan by protein, carbohydrate and fat, see working out your macros for weight loss.
Step 2: Move More, and Add Strength Training
Regular exercise stands out for reducing internal body fat and helping to stop it coming back (healthdirect). Australia's physical activity guidelines for adults recommend 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity a week, or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity, or a mix, plus muscle-strengthening activity on at least two days.
For weight loss, the national clinical guidelines go further: about 300 minutes of moderate activity, or 150 minutes of vigorous activity, each week, together with eating less. Physical activity on its own has little effect on weight unless it is combined with changes to what you eat.
Strength training matters too. Squats, lunges, push-ups, weights and resistance bands build muscle, and when combined with a healthy diet, strength training can help you lose weight and avoid weight gain. If you have a medical condition, are overweight, are over 40, or have not exercised regularly for a long time, see your doctor for a check-up before you start a new exercise program.
Any physical activity is better than none, and everyday movement counts: take the stairs, walk part of your trip, or get off public transport a stop early. For more ideas, see our guide to everyday habits that support weight loss.
Step 3: Cut Back on Sugary Drinks and Alcohol
Drinks are an easy place to find an energy gap. Water is the best choice for hydration and has no kilojoules. Soft drinks, sports drinks, flavoured milks and coffees with flavoured syrup add energy, usually from added sugar, and energy from drinks that the body does not use is stored as fat. Sugary drinks are also easy to overdo because they do not make you feel full.
Alcohol has almost as much energy as fat, and one standard drink holds about 290 kJ, not counting any mixer. Drinking too much alcohol raises the chance of storing extra energy as internal belly fat, and it lowers inhibitions, which makes less healthy food more tempting.
Step 4: Look After Sleep and Stress
Getting enough sleep plays a part in controlling appetite and weight, and most adults need about 7 to 9 hours each night. A lack of sleep increases appetite, especially for kilojoule-dense foods, and the daytime tiredness that follows can sap the motivation to exercise.
Stress can lead to comfort eating. If stress, low mood or poor sleep keeps getting in the way, a GP can help, and so can a counsellor or psychologist.
Step 5: Track Your Waist, Not Just the Scale
Rather than going by the number on the scales, be guided by your waist measurement. A good weight management service focuses on decreasing body fat, for example waist measurement, not just total body weight. To measure your waist:
Place the tape directly on your skin, or over one layer of light clothing at most.
Find the point halfway between your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone, roughly in line with your belly button.
Breathe out normally.
Pull the tape snug, without squeezing the skin, and read it.
Measure the same way each time. For adults, the chance of health problems rises from a waist of 80 cm for women and 94 cm for men, although these figures do not apply to everyone.
To track weight change as a share of your starting weight, use our guide on how to calculate your weight loss percentage.
How Long Does It Take to Lose Belly Fat?
There is no set timeline, because rates of weight loss vary widely between individuals. As a reference point, a good weight management service recommends a gradual loss of around 1 to 4 kg a month to begin with. For the weekly and monthly detail, see how much weight you can realistically lose in a month.
If your weight or your waist has not changed after 3 months of steady changes, Australia's clinical guidelines suggest reviewing your habits and the possible causes of weight gain, ideally with a GP.
Focus on changing habits and improving your health, not only on a number. For people living with overweight or obesity, losing as little as 5% of body weight can bring health benefits, such as a lower risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
When to Talk to a Doctor
If you are concerned that you may carry an unhealthy amount of internal body fat, talk to your doctor. A GP can check your waist, blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol, look at medicines or conditions that affect weight, and refer you to a dietitian, exercise physiologist or psychologist.
Medical Weight Loss Options
For some adults, changes to diet and physical activity may not bring enough weight loss for their health. Some people need a more intensive approach, such as a very low energy diet or weight loss medication, and some people living with obesity may need bariatric surgery (healthdirect).
Weight loss medication is used together with a healthy diet and physical activity, not instead of them. It has side effects and is not suitable for everyone. Any medical treatment is a decision for a registered healthcare practitioner after an individual assessment, and outcomes vary between individuals. To learn more:
Frequently Asked Questions
What burns belly fat the most?
No single food, drink or exercise burns belly fat on its own, because the body draws on fat from all over, not from one spot. What reduces belly fat is overall weight loss: an energy gap from a healthy diet, plus regular physical activity. Results vary between individuals.
Can you lose belly fat in 7 days?
No. Losing body fat in a healthy way takes time. Crash diets are not the answer either: the weight most likely comes back within 5 years. A gradual loss of around 1 to 4 kg a month to begin with is the pace a good weight management service recommends. Results vary between individuals.
Does any drink burn belly fat?
No. No drink burns fat, and herbal and dietary supplements tested in more than 120 trials have not shown a clinically meaningful drop in body weight. Drinks matter in another way: soft drinks, sports drinks, sweetened coffees and alcohol add energy without filling you up. Swapping them for water, which has no kilojoules, is one of the simpler ways to widen your energy gap.
Does drinking water help lose belly fat?
Water does not burn fat, but it can help indirectly. Water has no kilojoules, so choosing it instead of soft drink, juice or alcohol cuts energy you would otherwise drink. Sugary drinks are easy to overdo because they do not make you feel full. Water is also the best drink for hydration.
Will belly fat ever go away?
For many people it can reduce, although results vary between individuals. The best way to reduce internal belly fat is to lose weight, and regular exercise helps reduce it and stop it coming back. Genes and age affect where fat sits, and many middle-aged men and women after menopause find the midsection a stubborn place to shift fat from. A GP can help.
References
healthdirect. How to reduce excess internal body fat (visceral fat).
healthdirect. Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference.
Better Health Channel (Victorian Government). Weight loss: common myths.
Better Health Channel (Victorian Government). Weight management services.
Better Health Channel (Victorian Government). Menopause and weight.
Better Health Channel (Victorian Government). The amount of physical activity you need.
Better Health Channel (Victorian Government). Exercise intensity.
Better Health Channel (Victorian Government). Sleep deprivation.
Eat for Health (NHMRC). Australian dietary guidelines 1 - 5.
Eat for Health (NHMRC). Daily energy requirements calculator.
This article is general information only and does not replace individual medical advice. Please speak with a registered Australian healthcare practitioner about your own circumstances.