9 Ways You're Making Your Belly Fat Worse

Struggling with stubborn belly fat that just won't budge, especially after 40? Functional medicine dietitianMay Tom, RD understands your frustration. "This is a particular pain point that drives a lot of my clients to finally come and work with me," says May. Through her practice, she's helped countless clients break free from the cycle of stubborn belly fat using science-based strategies rather than extreme dieting. Keep reading to discover the most common belly fat mistakes you might be making – and learn exactly how to fix them.

Mistake 1: Not Understanding How Belly Fat Works

"Belly fat, also known as visceral adipose tissue, has a unique relationship with insulin resistance," May explains in her post. She describes it as a vicious cycle: "When you're insulin resistant, you put on more weight around your organs. When you have more weight around your organs, they send out signals called adipokines that cause you to become more insulin resistant."

The Cleveland Clinic adds that "visceral fat surrounds your organs and can put you at risk for conditions like diabetes, heart disease, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and more."

Mistake 2: Waiting Too Long to Address the Problem

"By losing 5% to 10% of your body weight, you can improve blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol levels, mobility, sexual function and more," states Dr. David Creel from the Cleveland Clinic. This aligns with May's observation that addressing belly fat early can prevent long-term health issues.

Mistake 3: Not Tracking Your Blood Sugar

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"Diabetes is 10 years in the making, and belly fat is a sign you're on that path," May warns. She recommends using a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) for real-time feedback. "This is real data about you," she emphasizes. "It's a total eye-opener."

Mistake 4: Relying on Artificial Sweeteners

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"Being diabetic doesn't mean converting everything to sugar-free, including Diet Coke," May cautions. The Cleveland Clinic supports this, noting that "we're still learning about the long-term effects of different low-calorie sweeteners on things like taste preferences, cravings, gut bacteria and insulin resistance."

Mistake 5: Avoiding Strategic Fasting

May's "Nourishing Fast" approach, based on the Fasting Mimicking Diet, has shown impressive results. "Recent research with 100 participants showed significant drops in A1C, fasting glucose, insulin resistance, visceral fat, total body fat, and BMI," she reports.

Mistake 6: Doing the Wrong Type of Exercise

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The Cleveland Clinic recommends "150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity cardio exercise" for best results. May adds that "one meta-analysis of 32 studies found that HIIT and moderate-intensity aerobic exercise was more beneficial to lowering visceral adipose tissue than resistance training."

Mistake 7: Focusing Only on Ab Exercises

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"When you do sit-ups and other core-strengthening exercises, you're strengthening muscles in the abdomen, but that doesn't specifically target the fat," May explains. The Cleveland Clinic adds that "strength training helps build muscle — or at least maintain muscle as you lose fat. And muscle burns calories."

Mistake 8: Ignoring Your Saturated Fat Intake

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"Certain genes predispose you to being sensitive to saturated fat where it really adds to your waistline very quickly," May explains, recommending limiting saturated fat to 10% of daily calories.

Mistake 9: Not Activating Your AMPK

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May describes AMPK as "something that senses fuel availability in the body, and when it doesn't sense enough fuel, it activates and helps to mobilize fat." She points to dark chocolate as a natural AMPK activator.

Mistake 10: Overlooking Temperature's Impact on Fat Loss

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"One study found that whole body cryotherapy for three minutes each session reduced abdominal adiposity in menopausal women," May reports.

Mistake 11: Skimping on Fiber

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The Cleveland Clinic emphasizes that "foods that contain a high amount of soluble fiber can slow down the passage of food from your stomach to your intestine by forming a gummy gel. That means they help you feel fuller for longer."

RELATED: She Lost 49 Pounds in her 40s When She Stopped Dieting and Started Doing This One Thing

Mistake 12: Not Timing Your Protein Right

"It's not that you need to be on a high-protein diet as much as you should focus on getting adequate protein that's spread throughout the day," May advises. The Cleveland Clinic adds that "protein helps keep you feeling satiated, lowers hunger hormone levels and may even help you eat less at your next meal."

Mistake 13: Underestimating the Impact of Poor Sleep

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The Cleveland Clinic explains that "when we don't sleep well or we're sleep-deprived, it can impact hunger hormones. There's actually a biochemical response to sleep deprivation that makes us want to eat more."

Mistake 14: Neglecting Your Gut Health

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"When you're eating, think I'm not just eating for me, I'm eating for 10 billion," May emphasizes, referring to gut bacteria. She warns that restrictive dieting can harm your gut microbiome: "Take care of them, they're going to take care of you." And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.

Belly fat is not only uncomfortable but dangerous and linked to serious diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. "The issue is health, not cosmetics," bariatric surgeon Dr. Garth Davis tells Houston Methodist. "The presence of visceral fat is a good predictor of the development of chronic metabolic disease, whether it's hypertension, heart disease or diabetes." If belly fat is bothering you, there are things you can do to help get rid of it. Here are ten proven ways to get rid of abdominal fat at home.

1. Eat More Fiber

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Eating more soluble fiber from vegetables, fruit, and beans can help get rid of belly fat, researchers from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center discovered. "There is mounting evidence that eating more soluble fiber and increasing exercise reduces visceral or belly fat, although we still don't know how it works," says Kristen Hairston, MD, assistant professor of internal medicine at Wake Forest Baptist and lead researcher on the study. "Although the fiber-obesity relationship has been extensively studied, the relationship between fiber and specific fat deposits has not.”

2. Avoid Added Sugars

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Added sugars, such as those in soda, can encourage belly fat accumulation. Switch to water or tea instead. “When the body experiences inflammation and stress, the preferred storage site for fat is in and around the belly,” Brenda Rea, MD, DrPH, PT, RD, tells Loma Linda University Health.

3. Cardio For 30 Minutes

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Try to get at least 30 minutes of brisk cardio a day. “Decreasing belly fat requires cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and a healthy diet,” Deborah Kurzrock, RD, tells Sutter Health.

“Experts recommend that individuals exercise for at least 30 minutes a day; reduce portion sizes and caloric intake; and strengthen and tone muscles to increase metabolic functioning.”

RELATED: 15 Ways to Lose 3 Pounds Per Week by Walking

4. Watch the Carbs

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Avoid ultra-processed foods, which tend to be high in refined carbohydrates. “The combination of both fat and sugar intake can really be problematic,” endocrinologist Samantha Harris, MD, tells Scripps Health. “Focusing on whole and unprocessed foods with limited added sugars and adding more produce can be helpful. Carbs should be eaten in moderation and, for some, considered mostly as a garnish or dessert.”

5. Get Off the Couch

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Studies show people who sit all day tend to accumulate fat around their middle. “Research has linked sitting for long periods of time with a number of health concerns,” Edward R. Laskowski, MD, tells the Mayo Clinic. “They include obesity and a cluster of conditions — increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and unhealthy cholesterol levels — that make up metabolic syndrome.”

6. Eat More Protein

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“Eating lean protein with meals and snacks is a good way to increase satiety and decrease total caloric intake,” Kurzrock says. “Studies show that people who eat protein with breakfast will eat fewer calories throughout the day than those who do not consume protein with their breakfast.”

RELATED: This Is Exactly How to Lose Body Fat This Year

7. Manage Stress

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Stress can, unfortunately, lead to belly fat accumulation. “Reduce your stress. When we’re stressed, our adrenal glands produce cortisol, a stress hormone,” says Kaiser Permanente. “Cortisol stimulates our fight or flight response, which in turn stimulates our appetite to fuel our bodies to combat the stress. This leads to higher insulin levels in our bodies and a craving for sugary, fatty foods.”

8. Lift Weights

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Experts say that lifting weights can also help blast belly fat. “To really lose weight, aim for 300 minutes of aerobic exercise per week,” says Kaiser Permanente. “Low-intensity activities, such as walking, biking, swimming or jogging, can lead to great results. Weightlifting builds muscle, and muscles burn more calories than fat.”

9. Get Good Sleep

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Get at least 7 hours of good quality sleep every night. “Getting the right amount of shut-eye helps,” according to Houston Methodist. “In one study, people who got 6 to 7 hours of sleep per night gained less visceral fat over 5 years compared to those who slept 5 or fewer hours per night or 8 or more hours per night.”

RELATED: How I Lost 40 Pounds in 3 Months by Making These Simple Dietary Changes

10. Make Sustainable Changes

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Don’t look for a “quick fix”—the best way to lose belly fat and keep it off is to make long-term healthy habits a part of your lifestyle. “If anything that’s done to help someone lose weight, whether it’s an eating plan, an exercise program or a medication, is stopped or taken away, the weight almost always comes back,” Dr. Harris tells Scripps Health.

💪🔥Body Booster: Eat more fiber from fruit and vegetables to help blast belly fat. And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.