Are you in overall good health but struggle with stubborn fat around your lower belly? Stress, genes, aging, pregnancy, and weight gain are all common reasons people get lower belly fat. Though some fat in this area is natural, there are a variety of solutions to reduce stubborn belly fat, which we’ll examine in this post.
But first, why is lower belly fat so hard to get rid of?
Why is lower belly fat so hard to get rid of?
Lower belly fat is easy to accumulate, yet difficult to get rid of, for a number of reasons. First, most adults consistently gain weight as they age (about 1-2 pounds per year). Second, Americans tend to consume more saturated fats and sugars, which can cause body fat to accumulate. Third, most Americans don’t get enough exercise. Finally, lower belly fat is largely visceral fat, which is harder to burn than subcutaneous fat (we’ll discuss visceral fat more later).
For these reasons and more, lower belly fat can be challenging to shed; but thankfully, we have some solutions!
6 tips for getting rid of lower belly fat
Here are our top 6 tips for beating (and staving off) stubborn lower belly fat.
1. Do fasted cardio
Because we wake up with a low level of insulin in our blood, working out before you consume any calories (a method known as “fasted cardio”) helps you burn more fat with the same amount of exercise. In fact, a 2019 study found that for men, pre-breakfast exercise burns twice as much fat when compared with exercise at other times.
Working out before you consume any calories—a method known as “fasted cardio”—helps you burn more fat with the same amount of exercise.
While some research shows that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is the best cardio approach for burning fat, other studies show that a sustained, moderate level of cardio is ideal. Whether your favorite physical activity is running, walking briskly, swimming, or biking, we recommend performing whatever cardio exercise you like for at least 30 minutes a day. Choosing an exercise you enjoy will make physical activity more enjoyable and help ensure you stick to a daily regimen.
2. Add deep core stability exercises to your routine
Sometimes the appearance of belly fat is exacerbated by a condition called diastasis recti, in which your abdominal muscles have separated due to pregnancy, weight gain, or other conditions. A 2019 study found that exercises that work out your lower core, such as planks, bicycle crunches, and Pike rollouts, can significantly help this condition. Just be careful to use good form and breathing while exercising to avoid exacerbating your diastasis recti.
3. Avoid sugary beverages
Not all belly fat is created equal. Unlike subcutaneous fat, that visceral fat we mentioned earlier accumulates around the organs and increases one’s chances of contracting diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Visceral fat is strongly associated with drinking sugary beverages, so instead of drinking sodas and juices, choose water or a calorie-free seltzer infused with natural fruit flavor.
4. Add probiotics to your diet
While more research is needed, according to the authors of a 2019 survey of existing medical studies and literature, “There is no doubt that probiotic therapy represents an exciting new frontier in the treatment of obesity and associated metabolic dysfunctions.” Living food products such as kimchi, sauerkraut, greek yogurt, nattō, kombucha*, and Kiefer are all good options to consider.
*Make sure you moderate your kombucha intake, as kombucha can contain a high amount of sugar. Kombucha contains a trace amount of alcohol, so don’t drink it if you’re pregnant.
5. Get your beauty sleep
Research shows that insufficient sleep can undermine all of your best weight loss efforts by increasing your risk of late-night snacking, skipping your morning exercise, and opting for carb-rich breakfast foods. To make sure you’re getting a full night’s rest, try starting your bedtime routine an hour before you go to sleep by engaging in calming activities and avoiding all screens.
6. Consider a surgical (or non-surgical) procedure
If you’ve incorporated the above suggestions into your life and are still suffering from fat in your lower belly, a tummy tuck, liposuction, or non-surgical treatment can safely and effectively reduce excess fat (and in some cases, skin) from your lower belly.
Tummy tuck: A tummy tuck tightens the abdominal wall and removes excess fat and skin to create a trim, firm stomach for men or an hourglass figure for women. A tummy tuck can also help both men and women repair diastasis recti (abdominal separation), which can flatten the belly while also preventing & reducing lower back pain.
Liposuction. As you know, it’s impossible to lose weight only in one area of the body, which is why liposuction is such a useful option. If you have diet- and exercise-resistant pockets of belly fat, liposuction can sculpt them away to reveal your natural abdominal musculature. Plus, once your fat has been liposuctioned from an area, those fat cells are unable to return—this means the procedure can provide permanent improvements to your overall proportions, even if your weight fluctuates a bit in the future.
CoolSculpting. If you prefer a non-surgical fat loss procedure, try CoolSculpting. CoolSculpting utilizes cryolipolysis, a method of freezing fat cells with a specialized device, for non-invasive, permanent fat reduction with no damage to your surrounding tissues. Your body naturally dispels these destroyed fat cells over time, gradually giving you a trimmer figure like natural weight loss would.
BodyTite. BodyTite is a minimally-invasive radiofrequency technology that combines skin tightening and fat reduction in one procedure, for a tighter, firmer abdomen. During your BodyTite procedure, your surgeon will insert a wand that emits controlled thermal energy just beneath your skin, heating the skin to a precise degree and causing it to contract. BodyTite can also be combined with liposuction to remove especially hard-to-treat fat pockets.
Lose your belly fat with Berks Plastic Surgery
Board certified plastic surgeons Dr. Reedy and Dr. Lindsay have nearly 30 years of combined experience helping men and women lose stubborn belly fat through surgical and non-surgical procedures. To learn more about how they can help you trim your waistline and firm up your stomach, contact their Wyomissing practice online or call (610) 320-0200.
