How to Lose Belly Fat in 2 Weeks

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A lean, well-toned body is nearly everyone’s desire. But the struggle is real when it comes to burning stubborn belly fat. Belly fat, also known as visceral fat, is easy to gain, but losing it can be challenging. 

Our body stores most of the fat under the skin. Belly fat, however, is stored deep in the belly, behind the abdominal wall. It takes its seat in the spaces between our internal organs. It then meddles with their normal functioning, causing serious health issues like fatty liver, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart problems, and even some types of cancer. 

Losing belly fat serves a higher purpose than just making you look and feel attractive. It is instrumental in leading a healthy and disease-free life.

Losing belly fat may be difficult, but not impossible. This article gives you 11 simple and practical tips on how to lose belly fat in two weeks. Yes, you read it right.  Read on to learn how!

Can You Even Lose Belly Fat in 2 Weeks?

The answer to this question is as straightforward as answering the question: Can my short bob grow into long tresses overnight? The answer is No! Losing belly fat is a gradual process that depends on three pillars, namely food, exercise, and lifestyle. 

While you may see some fat loss in as little as two weeks, reaching the targeted goal requires you to be diligent, consistent, and committed to the process. 

When on this journey, you may come across a plethora of fat-burning drinks and exercises that promise spot reduction. Understand that exercise can only guarantee fat burn but not dictate where the fat burn should take place from. Spot reduction is a myth, and it is best not to fall for such shortcuts or gimmicks. Stay patient and make the right choices for your health to see results. 

What Results Are Realistic?

Measure the circumference around your waist on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. A circumference upwards of 90 cm in men and 80 cm in women is an indicator of excess abdominal fat. Studies have also established that losing one to two pounds per week is a realistic target, and anything more aggressive may not bring about the desired results. 

Commitment to losing belly fat coupled with regular exercise and a clean diet is the most likely way to see results. If you need a list of foods to support your journey to lose belly fat, check out our Healthy Transformation Grocery List (affiliate link).

When it comes to fat loss, you cannot spot reduce. This means that you can’t only lose fat on your belly; as you lose weight, it will come from your entire body. It is a good idea to take pictures from time to time to monitor your progress, feel motivated, and stay on track. 

11 Tips for Losing Belly Fat

1. Stay Hydrated

The simplest and the most effective tip to lose belly fat is to stay hydrated. Water helps flush out toxins from the body. Drinking warm water as soon as you wake up increases metabolism, decreases fat, and boosts the digestive system. Water allows easy elimination of waste from the body. 

Sip on water throughout the day, especially in between meals. The hunger pangs we experience in between meals are almost always an indication of dehydration, not hunger. So the next time you feel these odd-timed hunger pangs, try sipping on some water first. Water also provides the feeling of fullness and keeps you away from mindless snacking and unnecessary calorie intake. 

2. Say No to Sugar

Be it packaged drinks, candies, pastries, or donuts, the list of sugary food is ever-expanding and never-ending. Sugar is the biggest culprit when it comes to gaining belly fat. It provides empty calories and no nutrition. 

Sugary foods do not bring satiety, making it easy to overeat and overload calories. Sugar spikes insulin and signals the body to store fat. Cutting out sugar is a step in the right direction when trying to lose belly fat. Stopping sugar intake for even a week can result in a certain amount of belly fat loss. 

3. Incorporate Good Fats

The right choice of fats can affect the extent of fat loss. Staying away from fried foods is a good practice, as excessive amounts of fat reduce metabolism and make you sluggish. 

Make sure you stay away from trans fats that are found in fast foods, baked goods, etc. When cooking at home, ensure that oil isn’t reused or reheated to smoke point. Doing so repeatedly can convert the oil into trans fat. 

Trans fats not only cause belly fat but also cause heart health issues. Replace refined oils with natural cold-pressed oils. Clarified butter is another good choice of healthy fat. It contains CLA, which is a fat-burning supplement. 

Include almonds, avocado, and coconut, all good sources of fat that reduce bad cholesterol and help you lose belly fat. However, when it comes to fats, moderation is always key. 

4. Sleep Well

Without enough rest, no amount of exercise or dieting will ever be effective. Lack of sleep is known to disrupt metabolism and increase food cravings. A good sleep cycle regulates the release of neurotransmitters responsible for signaling the brain on sensible calorie consumption. 

Sleep deprivation can adversely affect the production of these neurotransmitters, cause overeating, and impair your choice of foods. Both of these do not help the cause of losing abdominal fat.  

5. Increase Protein Intake

Studies support a higher protein intake when attempting to reduce belly fat. Protein digests slowly, leaving you fuller for longer. This feeling of satiety can control cravings and reduce unnecessary calorie intake, making it easier to stick with a healthy diet. A high protein intake leads to increased metabolism and a higher fat burn. 

Make a conscious effort to include some protein such as fish, eggs, soy, cottage cheese, and legumes in every meal to experience visible results in losing belly fat.

6. Intermittent Fasting

The body’s metabolism drops significantly as the day comes to a close, which explains the difficulty in digesting a heavy or late dinner. Intermittent fasting is an effective method to maintain good health and reduce belly fat. 

A 12 to 14-hour window is ideal for intermittent fasting, but if you are a beginner, start with a smaller fasting window and keep increasing it daily by 15 minutes. Consume the last meal of the day by 7 pm and do not consume anything except water until 9 am the next morning. 

When your body enters fasting mode, it provides the digestive system with a much-needed break and keeps insulin in check. Practicing intermittent fasting provides visible results within a short period. 

7. Switch to Whole Foods

Eliminating refined and processed foods is a wise choice whether or not you are trying to lose belly fat. These foods are low in fiber and loaded with calories. They increase inflammation, create a weaker gut, and aid belly fat gain. 

Replace refined foods with whole foods instead. Whole foods contain fiber, which prevents insulin from spiking rapidly and also provides steady energy to the body. They are beneficial in reducing abdominal fat deposits in the body. For example, try switching out all-purpose flour with wheat flour, white rice with millet or brown rice, white bread with whole wheat bread, fruit juice with whole fruit, etc. These replacements can be beneficial from a long-term perspective.  

8. Manage Stress Levels

Stress is an inevitable factor in our lives today. The constant pressure around us perpetually puts our minds into a fight or flight mode. Being under constant stress can cause stress eating. The foods one reaches out to during this time are usually high in calories. Stress releases cortisol, a hormone that causes the body to store visceral fat. It is important to destress and take periodic breaks to ease the mind of stress, stay sane, and lose visceral fat.

9. Cut Out Alcohol 

The high calories in alcohol make it a wrong choice for anyone trying to lose belly fat. Alcohol consumption causes increased appetite and impaired judgment, leading to poor food choices and high-calorie intake. The poor quality of sleep from consuming alcohol leads to fat storage in the body, especially the belly. Similar to what stress does to the body, alcohol consumption also causes cortisol production, which opens another avenue for fat storage. 

10. Exercise

Exercise is one of the main pillars of fat loss. While the importance and benefits of exercise are known to all, staying regular and following a good workout routine is quite critical. Running, cycling, swimming, etc., are excellent ways to amp up your cardio workout and increase your heart rate. Strength training, on the other hand, builds muscle and increases metabolism. Include a variety of exercises, train hard, and train sensibly for maximum results. 

11. Snap Out of the Sedentary Lifestyle

Technology has enslaved us today, making us spend much of our time in front of computer screens, phones, and other gadgets. However, we continue to sit in front of them much beyond work hours for entertainment purposes. Our bodies are meant for movement, and a sedentary lifestyle offends that very principle. 

A sedentary lifestyle is responsible for an unhealthy body and mind. Make lifestyle changes. Engage in outdoor activities, use the stairs instead of an elevator, walk or bike to run errands closer to home, go on a trek, and find ways to keep yourself active. When you start getting over a sedentary lifestyle, you will see the benefits of your diet and exercise come together and help you lose belly fat efficiently. 

Risks of Trying to Lose Weight Too Quickly

While weight gain happens in no time, losing it can be an arduous task. The negative impacts of trying to lose weight quickly outweigh the positives, if any. 

Extreme diets are often considered a quick method to lose weight. They may require you to resort to drastic measures like cutting out food groups or significantly reducing calorie intake. Such methods can lead to severe nutritional deficiencies and a weak immune system, making you more susceptible to illness. It can also cause muscle loss. Some weight loss diets focus on losing water weight leading to severe fatigue and dehydration. 

Overall, the ways to lose weight should be followed diligently, and weight loss should be a gradual and sustainable process. The results may take some time to show but will remain more sustainable to maintain.

Final Thoughts

Targeting belly fat loss in two weeks can be challenging, given that spot reduction does not work. Ultimately it boils down to consistent exercising and healthy eating. Trust the process and stay with it. 

You are bound to feel frustrated for not being able to lose the fat as quickly as you wish, but the process needs to be gradual and steady. Do not fall for the quick fat-loss traps that await you at every corner of this journey. Keep it natural and keep it real. 

When chasing fat loss, lifestyle and mindset are two aspects that need alteration. Once you make that change and achieve your targeted fat loss goal, stay with the new habits. Listen to your body every step of the way and ensure that you follow a safe and effective fat-loss plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to lose 20 pounds of belly fat in 2 weeks?

Start by replacing all caloric drinks with plain water. Cut out sugar and processed foods from your diet. Include a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet. Reduce your intake of simple carbs and choose lean proteins and whole foods. Exercise regularly, stay active, and give your body and mind the rest it deserves. Doing this will help you lose 20 pounds and reduce your belly fat, but not necessarily in two weeks, as that is not realistic.

What exercise burns the most belly fat in 2 weeks?

Cardio, strength training, and HIIT are great forms of exercise for burning belly fat. Aerobic exercises help burn calories. Strength training increases muscle, boosts metabolism, and burns fat. HIIT uses a mix of high-intensity exercise and rest periods to aid in burning overall body fat. Adding a few ab exercises help strengthen the core and tone them. An ideal weekly workout for burning belly fat efficiently would be a mix of all the above. 

What are the 5 foods that burn belly fat?

Green tea, whole grains, avocado, fatty fish, and legumes are five foods that help burn belly fat.