How to Get Rid of Belly Fat After Age 50 (2024)

Cut down on sugar

Sugar— particularly hiddensugar in the diet— is one of the leading causes of fat and specifically belly fat, according to Promaulayko. “Excess sugar is a major driver of belly fat and fat in general because we only need very little for energy. The rest is stored as fat. And the fact is, we’re getting way more than we need via added and hidden sugars,” Promaulayko says. “We’re only supposed to be getting 10 percent of our daily calories from sugar, but we’re getting about 40 percent of our daily calories from sugar.”

Sass also recommends cutting down on sugar in the form of empty carbs like cookies, doughnuts, muffins and white bread, all of which contribute to belly fat.

Eat a plant-based diet

Sass recommends eating a healthy, balanced,plant-based diet. “Plant foods rich in monounsaturated fat — avocado and avocado oil, extra virginolive oil, whole Mediterranean olives and olive tapenade, nuts and nut butter — as part of a healthy balanced diet may help reduce belly fat,” she says. These healthy fats have been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce inflammation, two conditions that are also linked to belly fat, she adds.

Pulses, the umbrella term for beans, lentils, peas and chickpeas, are another important food group, Sass says. “The unique combination of fiber and plant protein found in pulses makes them an excellent food for regulatingblood sugarand insulin,” she says. “Pulses have been shown to help reduce body fat, and regular pulses eaters have smaller waist measurements and an over 20 percent lower risk of obesity.”

Research has also shown that people who eatwhole grainslose more belly fat than those who eat refined grains. “Whole grain eaters also experienced greater improvements in C-reactive protein, a blood marker for inflammation, which is tied to belly fat,” says Sass, adding that soluble fiber is also key. “One study found that for every 10-gram increase in soluble fiber eaten per day, visceral fat was reduced by almost 4 percent over five years,” Sass says. “Pulses are an excellent source. Other foods that provide soluble fiber include oranges, apples, pears, figs, broccoli, brussels sprouts, sweet potato, oats and avocado.”

A plant-based diet not only can help you reduce belly fat, it could help you live longer. AJanuary 2023 studyinJAMA Internal Medicinefound that sticking to a plant-based orMediterranean dietwas linked with about a 20 percent lower risk of early death.

Limit ultraprocessed foods

A recent study by theNYU Global School of Public Healthfound that consumption of ultraprocessed foods has risen in the majority of the population in the last two decades. The researchers said that eating these ultraprocessed foods — such as sodas, frozen pizza, fast food, salty snacks and sugary breakfast cereals — “may be a key driver of the U.S. obesity epidemic.” Other recent studies have linked highly processed foods to higher risks of dementia, cancer and death from heart disease. Research has found that these foods canincrease your risk of gaining belly fat. So, try to cut way down on frozen meals, fast food, chips and sugary drinks. Note that not all processed foods are necessarily bad for you: Bagged salads, canned beans and frozen fruits and vegetables, for example, are processed but can also behealthy options.