Reduce Belly Fat with these 21 Fat Loss Tips
Fat Loss doesn’t have to be as complicated as many people make it out to be.
It really takes small, baby steps, for permanent weight loss success. Here are 21 tips to virtually guarantee success — no weight loss pills, no bogus fat loss scams, or other infomercial quick fixes. Just tried and true belly busting strategies.
1. Find a support partner. Someone who can keep you on track and accountable to stick to it. This person will ONLY give you positive feedback and never shoot your goals down, or try to steer you in the wrong direction (e.g., you look GREAT, don’t worry about eating X)
2. Replace all liquid calories with water and real tea (green, black, or white — not fake prepacked junk).
3. If you bite it, you must write it — record your intake either by hand in a journal or on a online source, like FitDay.com or Sparkpeople.com
4. Stay positive — always remember progress, not perfection. This way you will continue to make progress.
5. Eat smaller, more frequent meals — including protein, fruit and/or veggies with each meal. These will keep your appetite in check and energy levels high.
6. PLAN AHEAD — sit down one day for 30 or so minutes and plan the week ahead food wise. This will allow you to make the best choices.
7. Check in with others — social support is key. This is your accountability partner from #1, but maybe even logging into forums or in person groups too. It’s easy to let yourself down, but no one wants to let others down!
8. MOVE MORE — structured exercise is great, but you can’t just be "an active couch potato." If you move for 30-60 minutes/day, that means you might be sitting or laying for the other 23 hours. Play with the kids, walk the dog, get up from your desk regularly and walk around. Movement is necessary!
9. Eat more fruit. Add 1 piece of fruit each day … then build on that each week until you’re getting upwards of of 5 servings daily.
10. Eat more veggies. Add 1 vegetable each day … and build on that each week until you’re getting upwards of 5-7 servings daily. You can’t eat too many veggies!
11. Try a new fruit or veggie. We get stuck in a routine, eating the same foods over and over again. This week eat a unique fruit and vegetable for you — if you only turn to apples and bananas, try berries, grapefruit, or some other fruit. Same with veggies — expand your horizons!
12. Eliminate trans fat — there’s not many foods/ingredients I’d say "eliminate" — but this is one of them. Man made trans fat is horrible!
13. Drink enough water so that your urine looks like pale lemonade. It may or may not be 8 cups daily … use your urine color as a guide. When it’s warm, drink more. 
14. Check the number of calories you are consuming. We always stress that all calories aren’t created equally, but at the same time, we can’t avoid calories all together. They still matter.
15. Focus on quality, not just quantity. Calories do matter, but an apple and raw nuts for about 250 calories is much different than a 16 oz soda for the same number of calories. "Fill up" on nutrients, not junk foods.
16. Put the focus on fiber — recommendations are up to 35 grams/day. Don’t worry about carbs, worry about fiber. Fruit and veggies are great for this.
17. Write down your goals. Don’t just think about them, write them. The act of putting them on paper increases the likelihood of achieving them.
18. Replace 1 meal each day with a large salad that’s loaded with veggies and topped with lean protein.
19. Use fruit, veggies, and beans are your 3 primary forms of carbohydrates — loaded with fiber, loaded with nutrients, yet not filled with any junk.
20. Stick to foods that have no more than 5 ingredients. Max. HINT — you won’t find it with pre packaged foods, so leave those on the grocery store shelf.
21. Review your goals daily, commit to these 21 habits, and you’ll virtually guarantee success.
What did we miss? We’d love to hear what tips YOU use to stay lean and healthy!
October 8th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Great tips for anyone starting out or struggling to keep going. I’m a 5’10″ 48yr old male and I started out at 185 lbs a few years back and now hover at 156. I run a 22:12-5K. My problem was that I sit at a desk job all day so I had to implement to 30-60 min exercise most everyday. I started eating better right away, but it progresses with time. Keeping track of food intake is a big eye opener, if you’ve never done it before then I suggest trying it for even one day, you’ll be surprised at how things add up. I made an excel spreadsheet that I could add my own food table and then daily log my foods while it automatically calculates the result. Never give up, I sometimes feel like I blow it but I know as long as I stay on track 90% of the time it’s OK.
I’d add one more tip “If God didn’t make it, steer clear of it as much as possible.”
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October 8th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Get 8 hours of sleep per night. Lack of sleep negatively impacts hormones that help regulate appetite and also interferes with the body\’s ability to metabolize carbohydrates. Don\’t take sleep for granted! A solid 8 hours each night will positively impact your weight loss efforts!!
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Sherry Reply:
October 8th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
I couldn’t agree with you more Susan. The quickest way for me to get off track is to cut back on my sleep. When my body is tired, it’s hard to exercise. When I’m tired I constantly crave carbohydrates. So getting enough sleep is high on my list.
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October 8th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Get 8 hours of sleep per night. Lack of sleep negatively impacts hormones that help regulate appetite and also interferes with the body’s ability to metabolize carbohydrates. Don’t take sleep for granted! A solid 8 hours each night will positively impact your weight loss efforts!!
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October 8th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
I try to focus on the present by asking myself what is the healthiest choice available to me right now. I can’t do anything about the choices I made yesterday, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed if I get hyper focused on all the choices I must make in the future. One healthy choice at a time. Slow and steady may not win the race, but does eventually cross the finish line.
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October 8th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Great tips, and I am going to print them out as a reminder of how to stay on track as I work toward my own goals! I am not a huge fan of the scale, as there are lots of factors that are used to determine fitness, not just weight, but for me, the weighing in regularly helps me to be accountable. I weigh every Friday morning before I eat or workout, and if I gained more than 1-2 lbs., I re-evaluate how the week had been and look for areas to improve.
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October 8th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
To expand on the planning ahead part…I like to pre-measure and pre-cook foods on Sunday for the week – for example, if I’ll be consuming sweet potatoes for 3 meals/week, I go ahead and bake them and measure them into serving sizes so I can just grab and go – leaves no room for cheating!
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October 9th, 2009 at 10:21 am
I see several people have said sleep. That is a BIG one for me. If I don’t have proper sleep I go into survival mode and use food as a pick me upper to get me through the day. I also tend to make poor food choices when I’m tired.
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October 23rd, 2009 at 1:59 am
It may sound cliche but I loss a lot of weight when I started eating right. The key to weight loss is to eat in moderation, Christopher Guerriero once told me that I need to eat low fat longevity foods like salmon
almonds, red grapes, blueberries, garlic, spinach and whole grains. (Website removed due to EmpowHer’s anti-solicitation policy.)
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November 24th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
You’ll certainly experience success if you were to even follow half these Tips. I’m particularly a big fan of eating “smaller, more frequent meals” as this can really do wonders to increase your metabolism and also prevent snacking junk throughout the day!
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October 1st, 2010 at 2:33 pm
To sleep also
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October 1st, 2010 at 3:44 pm
Thanks for the article. I really enjoy reading this site every day.
No starch with dinner. It’s so easy to overeat the comfort food at night. Plus, you don’t need the carbs. Double portion of veggies + a side salad is just fine.
If I’m staying up late for no reason (on the computer, TV, listening to music, etc.) I tend to get the munchies in the early morning hours. Instead of heading to the pantry or fridge, that is a sign for me to turn in ASAP before I binge. If I have to be up to do work, I will eat a protein rich snack like nuts, cheese, yogurt, or a latte (no sweetener). This will keep me full longer and give me sustained energy. I try avoiding carb heavy foods when I have long nights because I know that will make me sleepy.
Breakfast is really important too. I have at least a protein rich snack like a cheese stick or Greek yogurt before I leave the house. That way I’m not tempted to go for a Starbucks’ sugary/starchy pastry when I buy my morning coffee. I am definitely guilty of abusing carbs in the morning to “feel better.”
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October 1st, 2010 at 3:49 pm
Thanks for the article. I really enjoy reading this site every day.
No starch with dinner. It’s so easy to overeat the comfort food at night. Plus, you don’t need all the carbs. Double portion of veggies + a side salad is just fine.
If I’m staying up late for no reason (on the computer, TV, listening to music, etc.) I tend to get the munchies in the early morning hours. Instead of heading to the pantry or fridge, that is a sign for me to turn in ASAP before I binge. If I have to be up to do work, I will eat a protein rich snack like nuts, cheese, yogurt, or a latte (no sweetener). This will keep me full longer and give me sustained energy. I try avoiding carb heavy foods when I have long nights because I know that will make me sleepy.
Breakfast is really important too. I know an RD you has a sign in her office that says “Eat!” When people are trying to lose weight they don’t realize that you SHOULD eat. Cutting calories when/where you shouldn’t will only trigger a binge. I have at least a protein rich snack like a cheese stick or Greek yogurt before I leave the house. That way I’m not tempted to go for a Starbucks’ sugary/starchy pastry when I buy my morning coffee.
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October 2nd, 2010 at 7:07 am
I especially feel that goal setting is vitally important when it comes to losing fat and getting fitter and healthier. Goals produce action, they create energy and motivation, and they keep you focused.
I’m glad that you included the tip to move more. Increasing your daily physical activity, in addition to your regularly scheduled workouts, will help you in developing a healthy mindset and lifestyle.
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May 9th, 2011 at 7:08 pm
I know if I eat the majority of my whole grain carbs within a 1-2 hours after exercise it really keeps my weight in check. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy my dessert after dinner like anyone else, but it is also my downfall. All in moderation!
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May 15th, 2011 at 3:48 pm
I like the tip on “if you bite it, write it”. Food journaling is so important when you want to lose weight and sometimes it’s the small “bites” which all add up to make your calorie intake more than it should be. Good Advice!
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June 8th, 2011 at 7:46 am
good one!!! many of the people have belly fat issue.. Hope this article will help them
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August 2nd, 2011 at 3:07 am
Great Content! Very Informative and educating ! Feel free to check out mine too! http://1stweightlosstips.com !Cheers!
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February 7th, 2012 at 1:06 am
Great tips, except the first one. By experience the one that gets demotivated first is usually the one demotivating the other rather than the contrary. But yes, being 2 is usually more fun, just make sure to be able to pursue your effort alone also.
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