Get rid of visceral fat

This blog uses evidence based research to provide clear directions about how to get rid of visceral fat.

What is Visceral Fat?

Part of your abdominal fat is the easily pinchable fat under your skin.

Another part of your abdominal fat is the visceral fat packed inside your abdomen around your internal organs (around the stomach, bowel, liver and pancreas).

This is the fat behind your abdominal wall muscles.

Visceral fat makes people’s abdomens protrude and bulge outwards.

An abdomen with lots of visceral fat is often referred to as a “beer belly” or a “pot belly.”

Is Visceral Fat Dangerous?

Yes. The fat lying deep within the abdomen is more dangerous than the fat you can pinch with your fingers (Harvard Health, 2024).

Fat cells function as an endocrine organ.  They make chemicals and hormones that have effects on other cells and tissues in the body.

Visceral fat makes proteins called cytokines. Cytokines can trigger low-level inflammation, a risk factor for many conditions that cause disease and lead to early death.

Visceral fat lead can lead to type II diabetes, fatty liver disease, heart disease, and even cancer (Lancet, 2019 and National Cancer Institute, 2024)

Visceral fat also produces a precursor to angiotensin, which can increase blood pressure.

 

How to Get Rid of Visceral Fat

It’s frustrating to work hard at losing weight but still have belly fat.

Though visceral fat is dangerous, it’s also fairly easy to lose, once you know how to get rid of it.

In fact, visceral fat responds more readily to diet and exercise than fat on the hips and thighs.

The rest of this blog describes scientifically proven ways to melt visceral fat.

If you need help with weight loss please call or text Shea Aesthetic Clinic to schedule a consultation with Dr. Kirk Bass or one of the weight loss providers. We’ll help you lose weight and keep it off for good.

Shea Aesthetic Clinic offers a true weight loss program to provide the help you need to be successful in achieving your goals.  Click here to contact to learn more.

 

Avoid “Junk” and Packaged Foods

What you eat every day will either increase or decrease your visceral fat.

Refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup, alcohol, packaged and processed foods (fast food), excess carbohydrates (bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, and desserts) all feed visceral fat.

So, avoid or at least keep these foods to a minimum.

 

Avoid Overeating

Energy excess (over eating), especially carbohydrates, increases visceral fat.

So, eat enough, but not too much at each meal.

Some things that can help:

• Drink a full glass of water prior to you meal and another full glass of water during your meal
• Eat slowly, take your time, chew your food completely
• Avoid second servings for at least 20 minutes (it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to recognize that you are full)
• Use a smaller plate (salad plate), eat only what is on your plate, nothing more

 

The Right Food and Drinks

The best nutritional strategy to get rid of visceral fat is to learn which foods and drinks to incorporate into your daily diet.

In the following paragraphs, you’ll lean about carotenoid and catechin rich foods.

Carotenoids and Catechins are powerful weapons against visceral fat.

 

What are Carotenoids?

Carotenoids are the natural red, yellow and orange pigments in fruits and vegetables.

Carotenoids give carrots their orange color, make tomatoes red, and give spinach its dark green color.

These colorful carotenoids are powerful antioxidants.

The body needs antioxidants to help get rid of the toxins in our food and from the environment.

Some of these toxins are free radicals, which are hyper-energized and unstable molecules that damage our cells.

Carotenoids reduce cellular stress by neutralizing these free radicals.

By removing free radicals, carotenoids help stabilize and protect our cells and our genes.

Carotenoids turn on genes that burn fat and decrease production of genes that store fat.

There is a 2020 Japanese study that looked at how carotenoid intake affects visceral fat. They showed a reduction in visceral fat after eating carotenoid rich vegetables for 8 weeks.

Carotenoid Rich Foods You Can Start Eating Today

To get carotenoid rich foods, consume lots of colorful vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, spinach, squash, etc.) and fruits (apricots, cantaloupe, grapefruit, mangos, guava, tangerines, and watermelon)

Eating several servings of colorful vegetables and fruits each day will help reduce visceral fat.

Carotenoid containing fruits and vegetables:

 

If you need help with weight loss please call or text Shea Aesthetic Clinic to schedule a consultation with Dr. Kirk Bass or one of the weight loss providers. We’ll help you maintain muscle mass while you lose weight so that you can live the life you love.

 

What are Catechins?

Catechins are flavonoid polyphenols, which are antioxidants.

Catechins reduce inflammation.

Green tea is an excellent source of catechins.

Green tea burns fat. It does so because it’s rich in catechins.

Catechins change how our bodies handle visceral fat.

Catechins help burn fat in several ways:

• Catechins boost fat oxidation and increase energy expenditure. This means they stimulate the body to burn more fat and increase overall metabolism.
• Catechins also inhibit fat processing enzymes like lipase. So they block the fat that we eat from getting absorbed into our bodies.
• Green tea contains catechins and caffeine. Caffeine works synergistically with catechins to enhance fat burning.

Another Japanese study showed that after 12 weeks of drinking catechin enriched green tea (about 600 mg of catechins and 70 mg of caffein per day) there was a significant reduction in visceral fat, waist circumference, and total body fat.

Catechin Rich Foods You Can Start Eating Today

Most green teas are rich in catechins.

A typical brewed green tea beverage (250 mL) contains 50–100 mg of catechins and 30–40 mg of caffeine.

To maximally get rid of visceral fat, look for green teas that are minimally processed (Matcha, Sencha, or Gyokuro).

Other foods rich in catechins:

• Cacao beans
• Dark chocolate
• Cocoa mix (powder)
• Red wines
• Black grapes
• Blackberries
• Raspberries
• Cherries
• Plums
• Fava beans and broad beans
• Pecans

 

Summary of How Carotenoids and Catechins Work to Decrease Visceral Fat

Carotenoid Functions:

• Acts as an antioxidant
• Reduces stress on a cellular level
• Neutralizes free radicals
• Stabilizes genes that burn fat

Catechin Functions:

• Acts as an antioxidant
• Reduces inflammation
• Reduces visceral fat
• Boosts fat oxidation
• Increases energy expenditure
• Simulates metabolism

Caffeine
Works synergistically with catechins to enhance fat burning

 

Summary of Nutrition Hacks to Tighten Up Your Abdomen

Remember, the general rule for weight loss holds true for how to get rid of visceral fat too.  Anything that leads to an energy deficit or calorie deficit will help you lose weight, including visceral fat.

KEY dietary recommendations:
• Stay in a slight calorie deficit (eat 100 to 300 less calories than you burn each day)
• Add several servings of carotenoids (colorful fruits and vegetables) to your diet every day
• Add several servings of catechin rich foods or green tea (EGCG) to your diet every day

 

If you need help with weight loss please call or text Shea Aesthetic Clinic to schedule a consultation with Dr. Kirk Bass or one of the weight loss providers. We’ll help you lose weight right, meaning you’ll maintain muscle while you lose fat.

 

Exercise to Get Rid of Visceral Fat

Once you are eating the right foods, the next step to incorporate is the correct exercise regimen.

In fact, when it comes to losing visceral fat, exercise is vital.

A 2016 meta-analysis of 117 studies with 4,815 patients showed that both diet and exercise reduce visceral fat, but diet has a larger effect on total body weight loss, while exercise tends to have superior effects on reducing visceral fat.

So, though diet and exercise are both necessary to reduce visceral fat, the majority of your visceral fat loss will come from exercise.

A 2021 meta-analysis of 149 research studies showed that both aerobic and high-intensity interval training reduced weight, total body fat, and visceral fat – as long as energy expenditure was equal.

 

Can Abdominal Exercises Get Rid of Belly Fat?

Actually no.  Doing thousands of crunches will not get rid of the fat on your abdomen.

Exercises focused on abdominal wall muscles will make those muscles stronger, but those exercises will not burn belly fat away any more than any other kinds of exercise.

 

What is the Best Type of Exercise for a Flatter Abdomen?

 

Is it Cardio?

A 2023 meta-analysis of 84 quality research studies with 4836 patients showed vigorous intensity aerobic exercise and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) are the most effective types of exercise for reducing visceral fat.

So, if you want to lose visceral fat quickly (over a few months), it’s time to dial up your cardio.

You can choose between vigorous aerobic exercise and HIIT because there really isn’t a big difference in effectiveness between the two.

It doesn’t really matter what exercise you do for your cardio or HIIT. You can choose cycling, stair climbing, rowing, running, dancing, or CrossFit.

Or is it Resistance Training?

A 2021 meta-analysis of 34 research studies with 2285 patients showed that resistance training reduced visceral fat.

The more muscle you have, the more calories you’ll burn every day, and the more fat you’ll lose everywhere.

If your goal is to build muscle and get stronger, you’ll lose fat in the process.

Though resistance training helps get rid of visceral fat, it is not as effective as vigorous aerobic exercise or high-intensity interval training.

Though not as effective for shaping your abdomen, resistance training is vital to incorporate into your weekly exercise routine because:

• Resistance training is necessary to maintain your muscle mass.
• Muscle mass is important for your metabolism and overall health.
• The more muscle you have, the less likely you will be to get Type II diabetes which leads to heart attacks and strokes.

If you need help with weight loss please call or text Shea Aesthetic Clinic to schedule a consultation with Dr. Kirk Bass or one of the weight loss providers. We’ll teach you how not to need weight loss medications to lose weight.

 

The Ideal Intensity of Exercise to Get Rid of the Gut

Whatever you choose, it needs to be at least moderate (for starters) to vigorous intensity.

Moderate intensity exercise causes the heart rate to be maintained at about 70% of maximum.

Vigorous intensity exercise causes the heart rate to be maintained at about 80-85% of maximum.

The maximum heart rate is determined by subtracting your age from 220.

If you’re 50, your maximum heart rate is 220 – 50 = 170 beats per minute (bpm).

So, moderate exercise for you will get your heart rate up to 70% of max (0.7 x 170) = 120 bpm

Vigorous exercise will get your heart rate up to 85% of max (0.85 x 170) = 145 bpm

If you’re not going to be measuring or tracking your heart rate, you can use the talk test.

• Moderate intensity exercise: you can talk in full sentences, but you sound a little out of breath and you need to take a breath every 1-2 sentences.
• Vigorous intensity exercise: you can only speak a few words before pausing to take a breath.

 

The Belly Effects of Exercise are Dose Dependent

The effects of exercise on visceral fat is dose dependent. Meaning, the more you do, the more visceral fat you’ll lose.

A 2016 meta-analysis of 40 quality research studies with 2190 patients in the British Journal of Sports Medicine showed that participants who exercised more, or with higher intensity, saw proportionally greater reductions in visceral fat.

By contrast, they did not see the same dose dependent response with caloric restriction or dieting.

This means, there is a limit to how much restricting your calories reduces your visceral fat. You really don’t see any additional benefit after a certain point of caloric restriction.

So, don’t starve yourself to lose belly fat. Instead, aim for a small calorie deficit each day. Try to take in 100 to 300 less calories than you burn.

If you want to get rid of visceral fat faster, step up your activity and exercise.

 

Our Recommendations for Belly Shrinking Exercise

Our main recommendation: Choose an exercise (or exercises) that you enjoy, and will do several times a week, consistently, and do it!

Honestly, the best exercise is the one you’ll actually stick with, because consistency beats the perfect plan every time.

The ideal protocol though, based on available research (exercise 6 days a week):

Moderate to vigorous intensity aerobic exercise or high-intensity interval training (HIIT)

• 3-4 times a week
• For at least 45 minutes each day

Resistance training workouts

• 2-3 times a week
• To the point of muscle exhaustion

 

Other Ways to Get Rid of Visceral Fat

 

Don’t Smoke

The more you smoke, the more your body will store fat in your abdomen rather than on your hips and thighs.

 

Get Your Sleep

In general, people that sleep less than five hours a night accumulate more visceral fat than those who get more sleep.

But, sleeping for longer than 8 hours can increase visceral fat too.

Most experts recommend aiming for 7-8 hours of sleep each night.

 

Can Liposuction Remove Visceral Fat?

No, liposuction cannot remove visceral fat.  Liposuction only removes subcutaneous fat.

Then you may ask, can other surgical procedures like an abdominoplasty remove visceral fat?  No, the fat removed during an abdominoplasty is also subcutaneous fat.

So, surgical procedures are not the answer for visceral fat.

If subcutaneous fat IS your main concern, learn more about the body sculpting treatment options offered at Shea, or click here for details about treating belly fat with liposuction at Shea.

 

If you need help with weight loss please call or text Shea Aesthetic Clinic to schedule a consultation with Dr. Kirk Bass or one of the weight loss providers. We’ll help you gain confidence in yourself and in your choices as you lose weight so that you enjoy your journey to fitness and health.

Shea Aesthetic Clinic’s medically supervised weight loss program combines advanced treatments like GLP-1 medications, personalized nutrition guidance, and metabolic optimization to help patients achieve sustainable fat loss and improved health.

Our program focuses not only on lowering body weight, but also on reducing harmful visceral fat while preserving lean muscle and improving energy, confidence, and overall wellness.

Each treatment plan is customized to the individual patient and supported by experienced medical professionals who provide ongoing monitoring, accountability, and support.

Learn more about how our weight loss program can benefit you.