And forget spot-reducing. There aren’t any moves that specifically target visceral fat.
2. Diet
There is no magic diet for belly fat. But when you lose weight, on any diet, belly fat usually goes first.
A fiber-rich diet may also help. People who eat 10 grams of soluble fiber per day, without any other diet changes, build up less visceral fat over time than others. That’s two small apples, a cup of green peas, and a half-cup of pinto beans, for example.
Even if you kept everything else the same but switched to a higher fiber bread, you might be able to better maintain your weight over time.
3. Sleep
Getting the right amount of sleep helps. In one study, people who got six to seven hours of sleep per night gained less visceral fat over 5 years, compared to those who slept five or fewer hours per night, or eight or more hours per night. Sleep may not have been the only thing that mattered — but it was part of the picture.
4. Stress
Stress happens. It’s what you do with it that matters.
You probably already know that people tend not to make the best food choices when they’re stressed. And when you’ve got chronic stress, that can be a problem.
Get a social support (turn to your friends and family), meditating, and exercising as ways to handle stress. Signing up for a workshop or some counseling sessions can also help you tame your stress.
Short on time? If you could only afford the time to do one of these things, exercise probably has the most immediate benefits, because it hits both obesity and stress response.
