9 Things You Shouldn't Do If You're Trying to Lose Belly Fat (2024)

Many people try to target stubborn belly fat by eating better and working out, yet belly fat can feel like it's the last thing to go when you're trying to lose weight. And while it can feel frustrating not seeing results as quickly as you'd like, slow and steady wins the race.

Beyond superficial reasons, losing belly fat—also called visceral fat, which is the type of fat that surrounds your vital organs—can have some serious health benefits, like improved heart health and a decreased risk of developing diabetes.

It may also help you live longer. For example, a 2020 literature review in BMJ that included 70 cohort studies suggest that a larger waist circumference—which suggests excess belly fat—was associated with a higher risk of premature death. People who carry more fat around the hips and thighs did not show this increased risk.

We spoke with several health professionals to help you identify the habits that can hinder your progress and ultimately help you home in on the habits that may help. Here's what they had to say about the top habits to avoid to help you lose visceral fat more efficiently.

1. Avoid Eating Too Late at Night

It's best to get your calories in earlier in the day rather than late at night, says Cathy Posey, RD. We need more energy during the day while working, cooking, caring for family members and ultimately moving our bodies more. As our day winds down, we naturally need less energy.

Eating dinner on the earlier side means you have extra time to utilize that energy before bed, so less of it gets stored—potentially as visceral or belly fat. This is not to say you should go to bed with a gnawing, hungry stomach. Just go for a bedtime snack that's lower in calories with some protein, fat or fiber for satisfaction. Think popcorn, cottage cheese or nuts.

2. Don't Ignore Stress

If you keep putting off dealing with your stressors, it leads to chronically high stress levels, which Posey says can increase cortisol and lead to fat storage predominantly in the belly. "Stopping several times each day to actively release stress through deep breathing, a quick stretch or reading a positive quote can make more difference than counting calories—and counting calories is an additional source of stress for many people," says Posey.

While practicing stress management is vital (breathe in…and out…) getting to the root of your stress is equally important. Figure out what exactly is stressing you out—and then decide what you can do about it. Do you need to take some action to change it? Or maybe reframing the stressor and changing your perception of it will help.

Sometimes we're stressed out because we're not taking good care of ourselves. Find ways to release stress through self-care practices (and if counting calories stresses you out, don't do it!)

3. Don't Skip Movement During the Day

Even if you go to a workout class or do core work a few times every week (which if you do, kudos!), staying sedentary for most of the day (hello, desk jobs and long commutes) can prevent visceral fat from budging.

A 2023 study in BMC Public Health suggests that sitting 8 hours or more a day was associated with higher BMI.

But the "fix" is a pretty easy one. For example, in a 2023 study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health researchers found that for those who sit for their jobs, simply changing posture and taking movement breaks throughout the day was associated with healthier BMI. Using a standing desk that allows you to stand and work and taking walking breaks throughout the workday can go a long way toward a healthier body.

"Every time you move up the stairs rather than up the elevator, or walk around the block instead of staying on the couch, you keep muscles a little more toned," says Posey. Take every opportunity to move as much as possible!

4. Don't Avoid Getting Enough Sleep

Getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night helps keep hormones in check, which, in turn, can help keep your appetite and cravings in check the next day. "If your body isn't rested, it cannot cooperate with weight loss or fat release. Poor sleep habits affect stress levels, hormone regulation and metabolic rhythms," says Posey.

For instance, a night of little sleep may increase ghrelin, the hunger hormone, making you more likely to mindlessly eat during the day and choose foods higher in refined carbs. It makes sense why your body does this—it needs more energy to function on less sleep!

While quality sleep can be hard to come by, practicing good sleep habits can help. Pick up a book instead of your phone an hour before bed to help your body wind down. Set a bedtime alarm and try to stick to it each night. And while it might help you feel more relaxed at first, alcohol can make it harder to stay asleep during the night, so stick to just one drink with dinner—if any.

5. Don't Forget to Fuel Your Gut

"An unhealthy gut cannot absorb nutrients and remove waste efficiently. Highly processed foods, preservatives, artificial coloring and flavoring, chemicals and sugars destroy the normal flora of the gut. When that happens, the belly becomes bloated and distended," explains Posey.

A 2023 literature review in Food Research International found evidence that suggests that artificial additives in ultra-processed food change the composition of gut bacteria and are linked to intestinal inflammation.

Beyond bloating, a weakened gut can cause inflammation, making it more difficult to lose weight. To help fuel a healthy gut and beat inflammation, you'll want to eat whole foods as much as possible and keep foods high in added sugars, saturated fats and sodium to a minimum to help decrease visceral fat. Not to say you can never enjoy things like ice cream or chips! Just focus on those healthy whole foods more often.

Additionally, probiotics and prebiotics can help improve gut health. Probiotics include Greek yogurt or skyr, kimchi, kombucha, sauerkraut and sourdough. Foods like artichokes, apples, asparagus, garlic and bananas act as prebiotics—food for your beneficial gut bacteria (probiotics).

6. Avoid Overdoing It on Added Sugar

Natural sugar—like what is found in fruit—is good in moderation but eating too much added sugar can make it hard to lose weight. It also increases your risk for chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease. "Unlike foods and drinks which naturally contain sugar, added sugars don't have any nutritional value," says Nikola Djordjevic, MD.

And while eating some added sugar is okay, the problem is that manufacturers sneak it into many foods that we eat daily. This includes cereal, granola bars, bread, beverages and more.

A 2023 review in Hepatology Communications suggests that excessive added sugar intake, especially in the form of fructose, is linked with metabolic abnormalities that may cause non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which can ultimately progress to advanced liver disease.

Too much added sugar adds to the liver's workload, in which it's unable to process sugar completely and turns that sugar into fat. "Various studies have found that large amounts of fructose can increase belly and liver fat," says Djordjevic. "A quick solution for our sweet tooth would be to eat fruit low in sugar such as blackberries, strawberries, honeydews and peaches or consider some low-carb dessert recipes."

7. Don't Forget Complex Carbs

"Eating refined carbs like bread, rice, pasta and cookies [in excess] will increase our belly fat. If we want to lose it, we should focus on eating nutrient- and fiber-rich carbs such as vegetables and low-glycemic fruits," says Djordjevic.

Eating too many refined carbs at once tends to quickly spike our blood sugar—and soon after send it plummeting too low. When our blood sugar is too low, our body craves more carbs to get it back up. This triggers a tricky cycle. Choosing fiber-rich carbs, like veggies, fruits and whole grains, helps to keep our blood sugar levels stable, which results in healthy eating habits that help promote a healthy weight.

8. Avoid Boozing Too Hard

"Eat all the kale you want. But if you're marring your edible intake by guzzling booze, that can result in visceral fat (belly fat). Alcohol is uniquely adept at stimulating insulin secretion and therefore belly fat—even if you're doing 'zero-carb' martinis," says Monica Auslander Moreno, M.S., RD, LDN, founder of Essence Nutrition.

A 2023 study in BMC Public Health suggests that those who frequently binge drink are especially at risk for increased belly fat. This study defined binge drinking as ≥ 7 drinks per occasion for males and ≥ 5 drinks per occasion for females.

Be very mindful of your alcohol intake, and pair booze with food and water. Also, don't use juices, tonics, syrups and artificial sweeteners when mixing, and take stock of your weekly count of drinks to keep it to as minimal as possible, adds Auslander Moreno. This will help you trim down that visceral fat and avoid bloating.

9. Avoid Relying on Artificial Sweeteners

Sweetening that cup of java with artificial sugar can backfire. "Artificial sweeteners can disturb the gut's delicate microbiome and confuse your brain—it thinks it's getting something sweet because of the taste, but the calories don't come—and this actually prompts insulin secretion and therefore visceral fat storage, perhaps even more forcefully than sugar would," says Auslander Moreno.

A 2023 Cedars-Sinai study published in iScience examined the stool of people who ate artificial sweeteners—including aspartame and non-aspartame non-sugar sweeteners—and compared it to the stool of people who did not eat artificial sweeteners. Two main findings came from this investigation. First, the microbiome was not as rich and healthy in those who regularly ate non-aspartame non-sugar sweeteners. And in the aspartame group, researchers found that cylindrospermopsin, a toxin, was enriched specifically among the small bowel bacteria. Cylindrospermopsin is known for its harmful effects on the liver and nervous system and is considered a potential cancer-causing agent. Both artificial sweetener groups also showed increased levels of inflammatory markers in their blood.

You're better off skipping the sweeteners altogether, or even just using a teaspoon of honey, real sugar or coconut sugar if you need a bit of sugar.

The Bottom Line

Carrying excess fat around your middle increases the risk of negative health consequences—even if you're at a healthy weight. No one thing is the magic bullet when it comes to reducing belly fat. Consider all of your health habits, including diet, physical activity, sleep and stress. Start to incorporate small changes and be patient—losing belly fat can take some time. By being consistent over the long haul, you will reap the benefits of your healthy habits.