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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    How to get rid of abdominal fat?

    Related Topics
    Nutrition Obesity
    Band around midriff, very uncomfortable. Tried exercise and diet.
    • 2 answers
    • Clare Wolski
    • Kirsty Woods
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    Clare Wolski

    Dietitian, Nutritionist

    I'm Clare and I'm a passionate Accredited Practicing Dietitian (APD). I love empowering people with good nutrition information so they can make the best decisions … View Profile

    Hi there, 

    Great question! I think that alot of people feel the frustration of shifting body fat from challenging areas. The tricky thing is, where we store our body fat is greatly determined by our genetics and hormones. These are physiological factors which we don't have a lot of control over. That is why spot reduction (exercising one part of the body to loose fat in that area) doesn't work. In order to loose excess abdominal fat, one needs to loose excess body fat overall. 

    Exercise and diet are key to achieving this, but the most important factor for achieving fat loss in difficult areas is consistency. Restricting dietary intake or increasing exercise will not cause much of a change if they are not maintained for a extended period of time (months and years). Short term, or over restrictive strategies tend to leave a person worse off metabolically, physiolocaly and psychologicaly. 

    I would highly recommend seeking some individualised advice from a Accredited Practising Dietitian and Exercise Physiologist to develop a plan that is sustainable and fits in with your life. Once a person can achieve some consistency in their diet and exercise, it become much easier to tweek their energy balance to achieve effective weight loss. This process may be slower than conventional 'diets' and 'weight loss programs' but it does result in long term benefits for your body and your mind. 

    I hope this answer is helpful.

    Cheers

    Clare Wolski 

    The Healthy Eating Hub 

    https://healthyeatinghub.com.au/

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    Kirsty Woods

    Exercise Physiologist

    Hi I’m Kirsty Woods,I would like to use my experience, expertise and passion to help you reach your weight, energy and health goalsI have been … View Profile

    As mentioned above central obesity can be influenced by various factors including hormones, genetics and LIFESTYLE.

    Evidence and client experience suggests that reducing sugar and carbohydrate intake can have a strong influence on fat distribution, through the hormone insulin. It is also important to control the hormone cortisol through stress management and healthy sleep patterns.

    Read more: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25527677

    In terms of exercise, HIIT (high intensity interval training) has been shown effective in reducing fat around your organs.  Please consult with your GP or health professional before commencing this style of training.

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