Losing belly fat

Sleep is important for many aspects of your health, including weight. Studies show that people who don’t get enough sleep tend to gain more weight, which may include belly fat (45Trusted Source, 46Trusted Source).

A 16-year study involving more than 68,000 women found that those who slept less than 5 hours per night were significantly more likely to gain weight than those who slept 7 hours or more per night (47Trusted Source).

To lose belly fat, it’s best to completely avoid sugar-sweetened beverages such as:

soda
punch
sweet tea
alcoholic mixers containing sugar

Sugary beverages appear to be even worse than high sugar foods.

Since your brain doesn’t process liquid calories the same way it does solid ones, you’re likely to end up consuming too many calories later on and storing them as fat (43Trusted Source, 44Trusted Source).

Sugar-sweetened beverages are loaded with liquid fructose, which can make you gain belly fat.

Studies show that sugary drinks lead to increased fat in the liver. One 10-week study found significant abdominal fat gain in people who consumed high fructose beverages (40Trusted Source, 41Trusted Source, 42Trusted Source).

Make an effort to consume high fiber foods every day. Excellent sources of soluble fiber include:

flax seeds
shirataki noodles
Brussels sprouts
avocados
legumes
blackberries

What’s more, soluble fiber may help fight belly fat.

An observational study in over 1,100 adults found that for every 10-gram increase in soluble fiber intake, belly fat gain decreased by 3.7% over a 5-year period (6Trusted Source).

Eat plenty of soluble fiber
Soluble fiber absorbs water and forms a gel that helps slow down food as it passes through your digestive system.

Studies show that this type of fiber promotes weight loss by helping you feel full, so you naturally eat less. It may also decrease the number of calories your body absorbs from food (3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source).

Many health organizations use body mass index (BMI) to classify weight and predict the risk of metabolic disease.

However, this is misleading, as people with excess belly fat are at an increased risk even if they look thin (2Trusted Source).

Though losing fat from this area can be difficult, there are several things you can do to reduce excess abdominal fat.

Belly fat is more than a nuisance that makes your clothes feel tight.

It’s seriously harmful.

One type of belly fat — referred to as visceral fat — is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other conditions (1Trusted Source).