LiftsmithNutrition
How to lose belly fat: what actually works
· 2 min read
Crunches build your abs, but they don't burn the fat over them. Your body decides where it loses fat first, and for many people the belly is one of the last places to go. What you control is the total: lose fat overall and your waist comes down with it.
Calories that keep up with you. Free to start, no account needed.
Try it freeWhat works
- A modest calorie deficit: about 300 to 500 calories a day under maintenance. Our TDEE calculator gives a starting point.
- Plenty of protein, about 1.6 to 2.2 g per kg of body weight. It keeps you full and protects muscle. See how much protein to build muscle.
- Strength training two to four times a week, so the weight you lose is fat and not muscle. See lifting on a cut.
- Daily movement: walking adds up to more than most gym cardio.
- Sleep: short nights make you hungrier and less careful with food.
How to track it
Measure your waist at the belly button once a week, first thing in the morning, and watch the trend over a month. It tells you more than the scale, which swings with water. See how to take body measurements.
Do ab exercises help?
They build the muscle underneath, which shows more as fat comes off, and a strong core helps every lift. Two or three sets a few times a week is plenty. See ab workout.
In Liftsmith
Log your waist on Body and photos. If your waist is growing or shrinking and there's no body fat data, a coach's note tells you what it means for your goal.
Questions
- Can I lose belly fat with exercise alone?
- It's hard. Exercise helps, but a calorie deficit from food does most of the work.
- How long does it take to lose belly fat?
- At about 0.5 to 1% of body weight a week, most people see a clear difference in their waist in two to three months.
Calories that keep up with you
Liftsmith recalculates your daily calorie burn as your weight and training change, from your weigh-ins and the days you actually train.
- ✓ Free to start, no account needed
- ✓ Plans every set, rep and weight for you
- ✓ Works offline, on Android, iPhone and the web
- ✓ No ads, ever
Keep reading
- Creatine for lifters: what it does and how to take itNutritionCreatine is the best-studied supplement for strength. What it does, how much to take, whether you need to load it, and common worries answered.
- How to take body measurements to track progressNutritionWhere to measure your waist, hips, chest, arms and legs, how to measure the same way every time, and what the changes mean.
- How to lean bulk: gain muscle without gaining too much fatNutritionA lean bulk in plain words: how big a surplus to eat, how fast to gain, how much protein, and how to train so the extra food turns into muscle.