Visceral Fat: What It Is and How You Can Get Rid Of It
This Dangerous Form of Fat Is the One You Should Be Actively Looking to Lose
You know that moment—your favorite jeans won’t button. Maybe they shrank? Nope. It’s the classic reality check—I had gained weight.
A little extra in the hips? Fine. But belly fat? That’s a whole different story.
It usually means visceral fat—the kind you don’t want sticking around. The good news? You can lose it. Here’s how.
What Is Visceral Fat?
First off, our bodies have two types of fat.
Subcutaneous fat is the kind you can pinch, the soft layer under your skin. It’s the fat in your arms, thighs, and hips. It’s where your body first puts all the excess energy you have.
Meanwhile, visceral fat is hidden deep inside your belly, wrapped around your organs like your liver, stomach, and intestines. It’s sometimes called intra-abdominal fat or organ fat.
Some visceral fat is normal—it cushions and protects your organs. But too much of it is dangerous, and unlike subcutaneous fat, it’s not just sitting there.
Why Visceral Fat Is Dangerous
Visceral fat is also called active fat because it doesn’t just store energy; it actively releases hormones and inflammatory chemicals like cytokines into your bloodstream. This triggers chronic inflammation and insulin resistance.
As you may know already, those two are the main culprits that increase your risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
Even more dangerous? You may actually have visceral fat even if you’re slim on the—a condition known as TOFI (Thin Outside, Fat Inside) or “skinny fat.”
In other words, it’s not just about the number on the scale—it’s about what’s happening inside your body.
How to Lose Visceral Fat
Here’s the truth: you can’t target belly fat directly. Spot reduction is a myth. No matter how many ab workouts you do, your waistline won’t budge.
But there’s good news: Visceral fat is the first to go when you start burning fat.
Since it’s more metabolically active than other types of fat, your body burns through it faster when you’re in a calorie deficit.
Just to be clear, fat loss may seem the same as weight loss, but it’s not—that’s a topic for another day.
Here are some things that you can do to begin losing those bad fats:
Eat Healthy
Losing visceral fat isn’t about crash dieting or cutting out entire food groups. It’s about eating in a way that naturally supports fat loss.
Cutting about 500 calories a day can help you lose one to two pounds per week—and guess what? Skipping that daily mocha frappe alone gets you there!
Some foods fast-track visceral fat storage—processed foods, refined carbs, trans fats, and sugary drinks load you up on calories way too easily. A few gulps of soda, a stacked burger—quick to indulge, but even quicker to turn into belly fat.
On the flip side, research shows that certain foods can help reduce it. Eating more fiber is associated with lower visceral fat. The same is true for higher protein intake. So, instead of eating unhealthy carbs, fill your plate with more fiber and protein.
Probiotic and prebiotic supplementation can also lower visceral fat.
Exercise More
You don’t need to spend hours at the gym, but regular exercise is key to losing visceral fat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, but if you want faster results, bumping up the intensity can help.
I already mentioned that you can’t exercise your way to a smaller waist unless you’re losing overall body fat. What actually works is doing a mix of aerobic exercise, strength training, and high-intensity workouts.
But how do you know if you’re pushing hard enough? Try the talk test—if you can chat easily while working out, it’s too light. A good intensity, like jogging or cycling, lets you speak in short sentences but makes long conversations tough.
If you can only squeeze out a few words before catching your breath, you’re in vigorous-intensity territory—where more fat is being burned. Congratulations!
Get Some Zzzs
With today’s busy lifestyle—the constant hustle, the never-ending to-do lists—sleep is often the first thing we sacrifice. Stop that.
Lack of sleep is a major driver of belly fat. Studies show it can lead to an 11% increase in visceral fat, especially when paired with easy access to snacks. Let’s be real, who doesn’t have a pantry full of them?
Even young, healthy, and lean people aren’t spared—sleep deprivation seems to push fat straight to the belly.
Lack of sleep messes with your hunger hormones, making you crave junk food and slowing down your metabolism. Both of these make it easier to gain weight.
Manage Your Stress
Ever found yourself reaching for a snack when you’re stressed? I know I have. That’s because stress releases cortisol, a hormone that promotes belly fat storage.
When you’re constantly stressed, cortisol keeps your body in fat-storing mode. It also triggers cravings for high-calorie, high-sugar foods, making it harder to lose weight.
Don’t take stress for granted. It’s just as important as diet and exercise when it comes to reducing visceral fat.
Reduce Alcohol Intake
Alcohol and belly fat go hand in hand. Drinking too much slows down your body’s ability to burn fat and adds empty calories to your diet. Research shows that drinking alcohol makes you store more fat in the belly area, aka beer belly.
Stop Smoking
Most people associate smoking with weight loss, but smokers actually tend to store more fat in their abdominal area.
Research suggests that while smoking reduces overall body weight, it redistributes fat to the belly, increasing health risks.
Lose the Right Fat
Belly fat is one of the most obvious signs of weight gain, but it’s more than just a cosmetic issue—it’s a red flag for your health.
Losing it will get your body in better shape—literally and in every other way.
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