How to Get Rid of Lower Belly Fat

Last updated on November 13, 2022

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Most people struggle with losing lower belly fat. Unfortunately, losing this belly fat is not something that can be done instantly.

You have to take time to exercise, eat right, and embrace healthy lifestyle habits.

A bad thing about losing lower belly fat is that you cannot spot reduce. You cannot do specific exercises such as crunches or sit-ups alone to lose this fat completely.

You need to lose overall body weight as well so that you can get that snatched waist.

Besides improving your overall appearance, losing belly fat also helps you reduce the risk of health issues such as cardiovascular diseases.

Are you having trouble working on that lower belly? We’ve got you covered with some lower belly fat loss tips, as discussed below.

1) Observe the 80/20 principle

The 80/20 principle entails ensuring that you are eating healthy foods 80% of the time and have freedom with the other 20%.

It also means that losing fat around the body is a combination of proper nutrition, 80%, and exercising, 20%. They say that abs are made in the kitchen.

How fast you lose fat around your belly mainly depends on what you are eating. You might exercise a lot, but if your diet is not composed of healthy foods, you will barely burn fats.

Often, when trying to cut calories, most people struggle to ensure that their diet is on point all the time. It can feel like a punishment sometimes, and this can be stressful.

If you are looking for a long-term solution to losing belly fat, it is good to embrace sustainable eating practices. Do not be overly strict about what you eat.

 Once in a while, you can indulge in some foods that you like that have high-calorie content.

Have a cheat day every week and enjoy your special treats but be disciplined enough to go back to the proper diet.

2) Cut your calorie intake

One of the main reasons fat accumulates in the lower belly is that you consume more calories than you are burning.

Whenever there are excess calories than the body needs, it is usually stored as fats.

You, therefore, need to reduce the number of calories that you are consuming daily. A caloric deficit is created when you do this, and the visceral fats and excess subcutaneous fats are burned.

Also, consider eating foods that add value to your body. Foods such as whole grains, pulses, fruits, and vegetables are excellent options and have low-calorie content.

Avoid foods such as processed foods, pastries, and french fries with low nutritional value and are high in calories.

3) Prioritize protein

proteins

Protein is one of the essential food contents you should consume when working on your lower belly.

It has several benefits, one of them being that it will make you feel full for longer. This means that you won’t need to eat a lot or often.

Protein also speeds up your metabolism, and your body burns more calories even when at rest. Your body will burn more calories when you eat protein rather than carbohydrates.

The best protein sources that you should consider incorporating into your diet include dairy, fish, chicken, beans, and eggs.

4) Do high-intensity workouts

hiit workout

Increasing your body’s metabolism so that more calories are burned is the key to getting a flat lower belly.

You can do this by engaging in high-intensity workouts a couple of times every week.

High-intensity exercises enable a longer resting metabolic rate; your body will continue to burn fats even when your body is at rest.

The intensity of these exercises depends on your ability to execute them. If you are just beginning, start moderately and increase the intensity over time.

You can turn any workout into a High-Intensity Interval Training, HIIT.  Doing these exercises two to three times a week will contribute significantly to your belly fat loss goals.

5) Incorporate strength training

Besides cardio and eating right, you need to consider doing strength training or resistance training.

This exercise involves using your body weight or lifting weights as a weight-loss strategy.

Strength training helps build lean muscle, meaning that if you do it right and consistently, you can have those abs that you want.

Building muscles increases the rate at which your body burns and calories. The more calories your body burns the more belly fat that will be burned.

Aim to work on your muscles two to three days every week. You can alternate this with cardio exercises for the best results.

Getting one or two rest days is crucial as it helps you to recover and recharge.

6) Focus on your core and belly exercises

While you cannot spot reduce, it is always important to focus on your core if you want to burn belly fat.

The core starts from your neck all the way down to your pelvis.

Work your core from all angles as a strong core can enable you to increase your workouts’ intensity and effectiveness.

It will also help you build the deep core muscles, obliques, six-pack muscles, and back muscles.

Some of the best lower belly exercises include:

i) Planks

Planks are excellent core workout exercises for beginners and help build the six-pack muscles and burn fats around the belly.

To do a plank, rest of your forearms and assume a press-up position. Ensuring that your back is straight, tighten your abs, and stay in that position for some time.

You can start doing planks for 30 secs, one minute or less, and increase the time as you get used to them. As you become an expert, consider doing them for more extended periods of time and adding weights.

When workouts start getting simpler to do, do not get comfortable. Challenge yourself by adding some weights and increasing intensity.

ii) Dead bugs

Dead bugs are great lower belly exercises and are easy to do.

All you need to do is lie on your back, lift your hands and feet above you and keep your knees at 90 degrees.

Move each leg and the opposite arm so that they are parallel to the floor, Keep repeating and alternating these movements from side to side.

iii) Flutter kicks

Flutter kicks are easy to do and are safe for your lower back. They not only work your lower belly but also strengthen your core.

There are several flutter kicks variations. You can do it while lying on your back or your stomach.

To work your belly, lie down on your back and face up. Placing your hands under your buttocks, lift your right leg at 90 degrees.

Move the left leg up and down, hold for 2 seconds, then switch the leg position and do this repeatedly.

To challenge yourself, you can lift your head and neck a bit off the floor.

iv) Russian Twists

Russian twists involve training your waist by turning your torso on opposite sides.

To do this exercise, sit and raise your feet off the ground a little bit. Then swing your arms with a weight plate or dumbbell from one side to another.

Increase the intensity of this workout by adding more repetitions and or increasing the weight.

v) Hanging leg raises

Hanging leg raises are effective lower belly workout exercises. When done right and consistently, they help build muscle and burn fats.

Executing this exercise involves hanging onto a pull bar and then raising both legs straight until they are perpendicular to your torso.

You then lower your legs slowly and, while at it, ensure to tighten your core.

Other core and lower abdomen exercises include bear crawls, mountain climbers, knee tucks, and jackknife. For best results, alternate these exercises and use the right execution form.

7) Check out for hormonal imbalance

hormonal imbalance to lose weight

If you have stubborn lower belly fat, it could be that you have a hormonal imbalance.  Hormonal imbalance can be caused by living a sedentary life, high-stress levels, and malnutrition.

Hormones play very vital roles in the body, including controlling the metabolism of the body. If they are in excess or low, they can accumulate fats around the belly.

High levels of the cortisol hormone make the body to store more fats around the belly and chest.

Low levels of estrogen also cause fat to accumulate around the belly, especially for men.

If you are looking to get a healthier and thinner mid-section, it is wise to ensure that your hormones are balanced.

Eating balanced and healthy meals, and being active is a great way to promote hormonal balance.

You can also seek the help of a doctor to help solve his problem.

8) Reduce stress levels

stressed woman

High-stress levels can hinder you from getting a flat lower belly. This is because when you are stressed, the body produces a hormone that will increase your appetite.

An unusual increase in appetite is not good. You might end up eating lots of foods or, even worse, foods that contain a lot of calories.

High-calorie intake will increase fats that will accumulate in your lower belly.

Extreme stress can also make you less committed to pursuing your fitness goals.

It is hard to avoid stress sometimes. However, you must learn how to cope with it or manage it.

 Addressing the cause of stress, meditating, and doing yoga are great anxiety coping strategies.

Sustainable lifestyle habits to lose belly fat

Losing belly fat is not something you do and then stop.

If you always want to have a slim waist or popping abs, losing belly fat has to become a lifestyle practice that you adopt.

Some of the lifestyle changes that you should consider include:

i) Being active

Try and move your body as much as you can every day to increase your body’s metabolism. Take a walk, use the stairs instead of the lifts, use a standing desk, etc.

Avoid sitting or being in a lying position for long durations.

ii) Drink plenty of water

Drinking water makes you feel full and suppresses your appetite. It also reduces your liquid caloric intake. The recommended amount of water is 2 liters daily.

Water also speeds up your metabolism and generally makes you feel good as it helps in the elimination of waste from the body.

iii) Cook more often at home

By cooking for yourself, you can use healthy ingredients in your food. You cannot be sure about this when you purchase food as you do not know how prepared.

If you find cooking often difficult, embrace meal prepping to ensure that you have healthy meals all the time.

iv) Avoid overeating

Always be mindful of what and how you eat. Don’t eat too fast.

Serve your food in the correct portions. You can buy containers to measure the number of foods that you should take.

At the onset of your fitness journey, consider consulting a personal trainer or a nutritionist so that they can advise on the proper meal portions.

You can suppress your cravings by drinking water. You should also have healthy snacks to eat whenever you feel hungry.

v) Get enough sleep

a woman sleeping

Not getting enough sleep leads to weight gain, which can water down your efforts to lose belly fat.

Poor sleeping habits can also interfere with your workout routine and even make you eat more than you should. When you lose sleep at night, you are likely to snack more.

vi) Disciplined

Whether or not you lose belly fat will mainly depend on how disciplined you will be in pursuing your goals.

Working out consistently and maintaining a proper diet are not easy things to do. You need to be committed and do what is right.

Conclusion

The tips above on how to lose lower belly fat can help you achieve a slimmer waist and popping abs.

It has taken you months or years to accumulate lots of fats around your belly. Therefore, do not expect to lose it within a few days.

Be consistent in eating and exercising in the right way. Also, embrace healthy lifestyle habits that will help you maintain a smaller lower belly.

About the author

Nikita Clark

As a personal trainer that specializes in weight loss and body transformation, I know how it feels to be overweight. Just 10 years ago, I could barely walk for two minutes without needing a rest. But I turned my life around and I want to help you do the same.  

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