If the phrase “summer body” makes you want to immediately order a take out and lie down, don’t panic. Burning belly fat doesn’t require military-grade discipline, a terrifying personal trainer, expensive home gym equipment, or a diet consisting entirely of boiled eggs and regret.
According to Daniel Herman, NASM nutritionist and founder of Bio-Synergy, the reality is actually pretty straightforward.
“No BS. No shortcuts. Just do stuff that works,” he says.
The truth is that losing belly fat comes down to consistency, smart nutrition, sensible exercise and a few sustainable lifestyle tweaks that normal humans can actually stick to.
Here are 20 of the best ways to make it happen before summer rolls around.
Nutrition: where the game is won or lost
1. Create a calorie deficit you can actually sustain
“You can’t out-train a bad diet. Period,” says Herman. “Start with a modest deficit of 300–500 calories, not a crash. Sustainable beats savage every time.”
Translation: aggressively starving yourself for two weeks before immediately inhaling three pizzas probably isn’t the answer. Work out your calorie requirements, track calories throughout the day and aim for a few hundred less than you need. Simple.
2. Buy kitchen scales before supplements
Performance chef and nutritional specialist Dan Sargeant – who has worked with Harry Kane, Jack Grealish, Daisy Edgar-Jones and more – says one of the biggest fat-loss mistakes people make is simply underestimating how much they eat.
“People will happily spend $100 / £80 on a fat burner or metabolism booster, yet they’ll guess portions and hope for the best,” he explains. “Spend one week weighing your meals and you’ll quickly spot where calories are creeping in.”
And yes, that includes olive oil, nuts and the “healthy snacks” you’re accidentally eating enough of to fuel a small hiking expedition.
3. Make protein non-negotiable
Protein helps preserve muscle, keeps you fuller for longer and burns more calories during digestion.
“Aim for 1.6–2g per kg of bodyweight daily,” Herman advises. “It preserves the muscle you’re working hard to build, keeps hunger in check, and costs your body more calories just to digest it.”
Prioritising protein in the first meal of the day is also a tactic Sargeant believes protein should be high on the priority list.
“Get protein in early and you’re far more likely to make better food choices for the rest of the day, he says”. Eggs, Greek yoghurt, smoked salmon or simply adding protein powder to oats are all easy wins.
4. Ditch ultra-processed foods
Nobody’s saying you can never eat chips again. But ultra-processed foods are incredibly easy to overeat.
“Refined sugar and processed carbs spike insulin and chronically elevated insulin tells your body to store fat, not burn it,” says Herman. “Real food isn’t complicated. It’s just less convenient.”
5. Use fibre to fight hunger
Vegetables, oats, beans and whole grains all help keep you fuller for longer.
“Fibre feeds the gut bacteria that regulate metabolism, reduces bloating, and keeps you full,” Herman says. “Most people eat half of what they need.”
Sargeant’s belly fat-busting hack is psyllium husk, which says acts as a “hunger buffer”.
“My favourite way to use it is with frozen berries and fat-free Greek yoghurt,” he explains. “It’s a simple way to increase fibre intake, support fullness and make it easier to stay on track until your next meal.”
6. Feed your gut bacteria properly
Apparently your gut microbiome has entered the fat-loss chat too.
“The bacteria in your digestive system play a significant role in how your body stores fat, manages cravings and regulates appetite,” says Sargeant.
His advice? Eat more diversity.
“Aim for 30 different plant foods a week – herbs, spices, nuts, seeds and beans all count – and add fermented foods like kefir or kimchi where you can.”
It means you’ll have to start shopping around, rather than relying on a Meal Deal for dinner.
7. Be honest about alcohol
This is the bit most people conveniently ignore. “It’s calorie-dense, it lowers your inhibitions around food, and it specifically drives visceral belly fat,” Herman explains. “A few drinks a week might not feel like much. It adds up fast.”
It’s up to you really – the belly or the booze?
8. Stop eating right before bed
“Winding down your eating window two to three hours before sleep naturally reduces total intake and improves sleep quality,” Herman explains.
Setting a goal to not take onboard any additional calories after, say, 6pm is a simple way to avoid over-eating and ensure your body gets the rest and recovery it needs… because you’re gonna need to train.
Training: move with purpose
9. Lift weights. Seriously.
Like it or not, resistance training remains one of the best tools for fat loss. “Muscle raises your resting metabolic rate,” says Herman. “You burn more calories doing nothing. That’s the long game.”
Three strength sessions per week is plenty for most people but try and work all muscle groups in the body with either full-body workouts or an upper/lower split.
10. Prioritise compound exercises
Squats, deadlifts, presses and rows recruit lots of muscle groups at once, making them far more
efficient than endlessly curling tiny dumbbells in the mirror.
“These spike your metabolism hardest and give you the most return for your time in the gym,” Herman says.
11. HIIT beats endless treadmill misery
According to Herman, “20 minutes of high-intensity intervals beats 45 minutes on the treadmill for fat loss”. But you need work hard, ensure you’re getting out of breath and working up a sweat.
Although the time saved avoiding long treadmill sessions can be spent working out what delicious, low calorie meal you’re going to cook next.
12. Walk more than you think you need to
Walking is a hugely underrated weapon against belly fat. “NEAT – non-exercise activity thermogenesis – is responsible for a bigger slice of your daily calorie burn than most people realise,” Herman explains, and walking is one way to achieve this.
Aim to hit 10,000 steps a day at least (tracked with a fitness tracker, smartwatch or smart ring), and if time permits, double that figure for the easiest fat burn you’ve ever experienced.
13. Train your core properly
Planks, crunches and Russian twists absolutely help strengthen your abs. But remember: strong abs and visible abs aren’t exactly the same thing. Fat loss is still the priority here.
14. Prioritise sleep like it’s part of training
“Poor sleep elevates cortisol, increases appetite, and directly causes visceral fat gain,” says Herman. “No supplement fixes broken sleep”. So ditch the midnight doom-scrolling sessions and replace them with healthy sleep habits.
You can read about the sleep tracking tech we personally use (and recommend) to get a good night’s sleep here.
15. Get stress under control
Stress affects your body more than most people realise. “Chronic cortisol is one of the most powerful drivers of abdominal fat storage,” Herman says. “Manage your nervous system. It’s not soft, it’s science”. Take regular breaks from work, try and switch off in the evening and avoid turning to booze to beat stress.
16. Cut caffeine earlier than you think
“Even if you fall asleep fine, caffeine in the afternoon wrecks the quality of your deep sleep,” Herman explains. Bad sleep then increases stress hormones and cravings the next day. An annoying cycle that ultimately leads to a build-up of belly fat.
17. Stay hydrated
“Hunger and thirst signals overlap and most people are mildly dehydrated most of the time,” says Herman.
Sargeant recommends setting reminders to drink regularly every 60-90 minutes in order to avoid snack craving. “It creates a natural pause before reaching for snacks,” he says.
18. Stop drinking your calories
Fancy coffees, fizzy drinks and smoothies can quietly add hundreds of calories a day.
Liquid calories are sneaky little things and “one of the easiest ways to wreck a deficit,” according to Herman.
19. Weigh yourself weekly, not daily
Weight fluctuates like mad throughout the day, so it makes more sense to pick a time of day (typically in the morning, before breakfast) and check weight loss progress (with scales) once a week at that time. Progress will take time, but you should see small wins as the weeks progress.
20. Give it actual time
This is the big one. “Visible abdominal change takes eight to 12 weeks minimum,” Herman says. “Anyone promising faster is selling you something.”
In other words: stop looking for shortcuts and focus on habits you can realistically maintain.
Don’t chase perfection, simply form healthier habits.
Liked this? How to get six-pack abs in time for summer
