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Muffin top. Belly pooch. Love handles. There are plenty of ways to describe lower belly weight gain, most of them with less-than-desirable nicknames! Everyone would love the secret of how to get rid of a lower belly pooch fast.

If you’re ready to say goodbye to lower belly fat, it’s not enough to try a few sit-ups and call it a day (unfortunately). The hard truth? You can’t spot-reduce belly fat. If you want to lose fat, you have to lose it all over.

Getting rid of stubborn belly fat and sculpting the muscles underneath requires a healthy diet and ramping up your workouts. 

Here are 10 helpful lifestyle and exercise tips to get rid of a lower belly pooch, including a 15-minute lower ab workout to kickstart your fat burning:

The Guide to Getting Rid of Your Lower Belly Pooch

1. Get 150 Minutes of Heart-Pumping Cardio Per Week

To successfully lose weight all over, you have to shed your “extra layer” of visceral fat to see the muscles underneath. Cardio is a part of this weight-loss equation.

The CDC recommends 150 minutes of heart-pumping cardiovascular exercise per week, which can include anything from jogging, jumping rope, cycling, or a spin class. The good news? There is no “right” way to raise your heart rate, so pick what you like to do!

The bonus is you will strengthen your heart muscle and your stamina. Since heart disease is the number one killer of women in America, taking care of your heart should be high on your self-care list for overall health and calorie burning.

Related: 7 best cardio workouts for weight loss.

A group of items on the floor, including a pair of pink and green running shoes, a water bottle, two yellow dumbbells, and a smartphone with attached headphones.

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2. Fit in HIIT 1-2 Times Per Week

If you are willing to try High-Intensity Interval Training (or HIIT) as part of your cardio prescription, it is a top choice for anyone looking to get rid of that lower belly pooch. It increases your heart rate and improves your cardiovascular fitness level while burning more fat and calories in less time!

Here’s how it works: You give maximum effort through quick, intense bursts of exercise followed by short recovery periods. HIIT workouts include some of the best exercises to train and condition your aerobic and anaerobic energy systems.

Consider HIIT your intense workouts, which you only need two to three times a week. Combine them with low-intensity exercise to maximize weight loss. 

3. Do Ab-Toning Workouts

While you can’t spot-reduce fat in any area of your body, you can absolutely work to tone (or spot-sculpt) specific areas (especially your lower abs) by using strength training and toning exercises.

A woman in bright orange workout leggings doing sit-ups on a black workout mat.

Doing core exercises like my lower ab workouts for women will strengthen and tighten your abs and allow you to age gracefully. Strong core muscles are important for better balance and most daily activities.

Related: Belly Fat Blast Challenge

4. Create a Calorie Deficit

It’s fairly straightforward: If you want to lose excess fat and get rid of that lower belly pooch fast, you need to burn more calories than you take in! This is what is referred to as a “calorie deficit”.

Bird's-eye view of a person writing in a journal next to a cup of coffee and a half-eaten croissant.

In addition to exercise, here are the top three tips for creating a calorie deficit in your diet: 

  • Maintain a balanced diet, including real foods such as fruits, vegetables, plants, and foods with five ingredients or less.
  • Cut down on processed foods, such as frozen meals, deli meats, chips, cookies, donuts, and other snacks, which are sources of hidden sugars and unhealthy additives.
  • Watch your liquid calorie intake, including teas, sodas, and alcohol. 

Journaling about your food intake will help you get a sense of what you’re eating and the calories in each meal. If a journal isn’t your thing, try an app like MyFitnessPal.

5. Increase Your Protein and Fiber Intake

Fiber has a wide range of benefits, including aiding in weight loss. Some types of fiber slow the absorption of nutrients, allowing you to feel full longer, therefore consuming fewer calories throughout the day and helping achieve a deficit.

Foods high in fiber include:

  • Fruits such as raspberries, bananas, avocados, and pears
  • Vegetables such as peas, broccoli, and turnip greens
  • Grains such as whole wheat pasta and quinoa 
  • Legumes such as lentils and black beans

Protein is made up of amino acids and helps feed and repair our muscles, among other parts of our body; however, it’s where you get your protein that matters most.

Good sources of protein include: 

  • Fish
  • Poultry
  • Eggs
  • Low-fat dairy 
  • Leafy greens such as kale and spinach
  • Broccoli and asparagus
A large bowl of quinoa, salmon, sliced cherry tomatoes, and green beans next to smaller bowls of cherry tomatoes and pesto.

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6. Limit Added Sugars and Refined Carbs

It’s true: you can’t out-exercise a bad diet! To maximize weight loss, especially in your lower belly, you should significantly limit or eliminate added sugars and refined carbohydrates (or “empty” calories) from your diet.

Foods high in refined carbs include: 

  • White flour (including pasta)
  • White bread like bread, bagels, and rolls
  • Pastries, cookies, cakes, muffins
  • Breakfast foods like waffles and pancakes
  • White rice
  • Pizza dough
Woman in blue shirt eating a donut.

Added sugars like those in sugary drinks (such as soda and juice), cookies, muffins, processed meals, fast food, and candy increase your hunger and desire for more sugar, neither of which makes weight loss easier. 

That said, natural sugar found in fruits, vegetables, and dairy products is okay since these foods also include other components that slow down how quickly sugar is digested, preventing the harsh spike and drop in blood sugar levels.

7. Drink More Water

Water has plenty of benefits, including maintaining a healthy weight, aiding in digestion (thus reducing belly bloat), improving energy, and reducing hunger.

Woman in blue workout clothes resting against a tree holding a bottle of water.

And consider this: in a living, moving body, skeletal muscle is 75 to 80 percent water. To put healthy muscle on your body, drinking water is a necessity!

On average, you should be drinking at least 8-10 glasses of water a day. If you exercise regularly, add another glass or two to that.

8. Minimize Stress Levels

Woman doing a yoga pigeon pose on a yellow yoga mat.

Although it’s not necessarily the first step in reducing belly fat, chronic stress can certainly be counterproductive to weight loss. Research suggests there is a correlation between high cortisol levels (also known as the stress hormone) and increased abdominal fat. 

Some ways to help manage stress include meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, self-care, therapy, and exercise.

9. Get 7-9 Hours of Sleep

You may not think sleep is connected to your weight loss journey, but research shows otherwise!

A woman sleeping on a white pillow.

A study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine found that when dieters got a full night’s sleep, more than half of their weight loss was fat, as opposed to sleep-deprived dieters whose fat loss only accounted for one-fourth of their total weight loss.

Adults should regularly get the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep to stay healthy, alert, and energized.

10. Incorporate This 15-Minute Ab Workout To Get Rid of That Lower Belly Pooch

Now that you’ve learned the diet and lifestyle changes needed to reduce fat, here is the 15-minute workout that completes the picture.

Perform this workout 2 to 3 times per week to burn fat and get rid of that lower belly pooch for good!

Perform each of these moves for 1 minute. Take a 1-minute rest afterward—then start from the beginning and do another 1 minute for each move.

Oblique Burners

Use oblique burners to get rid of your muffin top.
  • Stand with feet a little wider than hip-distance apart, knees bent, and hands held behind the back of your head.
  • Bend to the right, reaching right hand toward the floor behind your leg. Keep spine long.
  • Return to center and repeat on the left side.

Froggy Crunches

froggy crunches to get rid of lower belly fat female
  • Start lying on the mat with fingers at the base of your head and elbows pointed out. Bring the soles of your feet together, knees pointed outward.
  • Tilt your chin slightly forward and squeeze abdominals to lift your chest upward. Keep arms and neck relaxed. Slowly lower down and repeat.

Side Plank Lift and Lower

Use moves like the side plank lift and lower to get rid of lower belly fat for females
  • Start by laying on your right side with forearm below shoulder, body lifted and legs long, and feet stacked. Keep body straight, abs tight, and place left hand on hip.
  • Dip your hips down towards the mat and lift back up, using your obliques and core muscles.

Sweeping Scissors

sweeping scissors - get rid of lower belly fat workout move
  • Start lying on the mat with arms over your head and legs long.
  • Sweep arms out to sides and bring head, neck, and shoulders off the mat reaching arms long and lifting one leg up and in towards the chest. Reaching arms forward on the sides of the leg. Rollback to mat lowering the leg, and repeat on the other side.

Ab Reverse Curl

Try ab reverse curls for a flatter stomach.
  • Lie on the mat and extend your legs straight up towards the ceiling.
  • As you exhale, tighten your low belly to push your feet straight into the air. Hips will lift slightly off the mat.
  • Return your hips and lower back to the mat with control. Use your abdominals vs. momentum to create the movement and avoid rolling onto the neck.

Plank Jacks

Try this move to sculpt a leaner core.
  • Begin in a forearm plank position with your body in a straight line and abdominals contracted.
  • Step your left foot out to the left; step your right foot out to the center.
  • Step your left foot back to center; step your right foot back to the center.

Bird Dog Crunch

Learn how to do a bird dog crunch - et rid of lower belly fat workout move
  • Kneel on the mat on all fours. Reach one arm long, draw in the abs, and extend the opposite leg long behind you.
  • Bring the elbow and knee in towards your center as you round your back remember to draw in your abs. repeat on another side.

Full Body Roll-Up

full body roll-up exercise - get rid of lower belly fat workout move
  • Start lying on mat with arms extended overhead, legs long, and feet flexed.
  • Inhale as you lift arms up and begin curling chin and chest forward. Exhale as you roll the entire torso up and over legs keeping abs engaged and reaching for toes.
  • Inhale as you begin rolling your spine back down one vertebra at a time and exhale as the upper portion of the back lower and arms reach pack overhead. 
  • Repeat moving slowly and using the abdominals to lift and lower, not momentum.
What causes belly fat?

Belly fat is the result of various factors, including lack of exercise, poor diet, excess alcohol, stress, genetics, smoking, or poor sleep. For women, extra belly fat may appear as you age due to a decreasing level of estrogen.

How many calories a day should I cut to lose body fat?

For most people, a calorie deficit of 500 calories per day is sufficient for weight loss and unlikely to significantly affect your hunger or energy.

A great way to create a calorie deficit is to fill half of your plate with veggies and the remaining parts with lean protein (salmon, chicken) and some healthy carbs (quinoa, rice.) This will help you with portion control.

How many calories a day do I need?

Women need 1,600 to 2,400 calories a day, and men need 2,000 to 3,000 calories, according to USDA Dietary Guidelines. However, women generally should not consume fewer than 1,200 calories per day, and men no fewer than 1,500 calories.

How many grams of fiber do I need per day?

Men need between 30 and 38 grams of fiber per day, and women need between 21 and 25 grams per day.

How many grams of protein do I need per day?

For adults, you should get approximately 0.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight each day. If you are extremely active or an athlete, you can increase to 1 gram per pound of body weight.

Learning how to get rid of belly pooch fast is just the start! If you’re looking for a full-length 30-minute workout that incorporates both cardio and core movements then you’re going to want to try this workout video below.

Bringing to you a full 30-minute Cardio + Core Workout that will torch calories and focus on hitting every muscle in the abs!

Read This Next: 15 Best Ab Exercises for Women

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53 Comments

  1. I’m 13 and lately I’ve gained a lot of weight and about 2 inches on my waist. I have been doing the workout and eating healthily for quite a long time, but I just keep gaining more weight. Although I’m nearly underweight for my height the constant weight gain makes me feel bad about myself, especially since many workouts I’ve searched up online doesn’t seem to work. What should I do?

    1. Hi there – well if you’re underweight to begin with, I would not worry about weight gain! In fact, you may need it! But the most important thing is to focus on health instead of weight – staying active and eating well. I encourage you to talk to a doctor or adult if you have concerns and questions!

  2. hi! my name is summer and I had a question about the diet part. I understand that having a good, healthy diet is a VITAL part of exercise and losing weight. However, I can’t afford to eat healthy Because of my income (I’m sure you may understand the price difference between a burger and fries v.s. the ingredients of a salad). I am 18 years old and I weigh about 90lbs. that’s small I know, but I have a small pouch of fat on my lower belly which really the only thing I am concerned about getting rid of. I just want a bit of a flatter stomach and I was wondering if this workout could still work for accomplishing that even if I don’t have a healthy diet? if not are they’re any tips I could use for being able to accomplish that? it would be much appreciated!

    1. Hi Summer – well, we always recommend eating a healthy diet – not just for weight management but for your long term health. Working out is also of course key to weight management and healthy living, but we really encourage both in tandem for best results. You might be interested in this article about how you can eat healthy while still on a budget: https://gethealthyu.com/eat-healthy-and-dont-break-the-bank/. Thanks!

  3. Thanks for sharing such an important information with us. It really helps me to get rid of not only my fat but also my demotivated thought towards health.
    Once again I thank you for your help and support for all of us.

  4. Hi, I’m 17 and I’ve been trying to lose the lower belly pooch for a while now. I exercise and I try to eat healthy but people keep telling me that I’m already skinny so what’s the use and healthy food is expensive. My upper abdomen looks like it’s getting toned and so does the lower one but there is still a layer of fat over it that bulges when I sit down. What should I do?

    1. Hi Tido – it’s very common for most of us to have an layer of fat on our stomachs – especially when we sit down! Even toned, strong abs will often develop a bit of a roll upon sitting. I wouldn’t worry about it!! It sounds like you’re being healthy with eating, etc. and you’re being told you’re already thin. I’d love to encourage you to just focus on being healthy and loving your body the way you are!

  5. Hello Chris,
    At 31 I was fit and healthy. Then I suddenly and uncontrollably gained weight. 60 lbs in 8 months! Turns out I had ovarian cancer. I had surgery where they removed 15lbs of cancerous yuckinous from my lower abdominal area. Afterwards I was put on a year of hormonal steroids to induce medical menopause and make me eat more to regain lost nutrients. In the year since all of this, I’ve lost 15lbs but am finding it very hard to lose the rather large pooch in the surgical area. I’d like to get back to my pre-cancer weight but am worried it will never happen. I try to eat healthy and get cardio in. My weight gain is not because of lack of exercise or an unhealthy diet, my body just attacked itself. Is there anything special I should be doing?

    1. Hi Elizabeth! Wow, I am thankful they found your cancer and were able to remove it. It sounds like you are doing the right things with eating well and exercising. Beyond that, I would talk to your doctor about your specific situation – the most important thing is that you are healthy and cancer-free!

  6. Hi Chris, I’m 19 years old and i use to be very lean and athletic, i did 4 sports throughout the year during high school but i graduated a year early and so my eat habits, a.k.a my metabolism, didn’t slow down and i gained a huge amount of weight during this period and I have been working out for about a year now but i only gained weight in my stomach. I’ve reduced it greatly but i still have quite a bit of fat on my lower abs that i can’t seem to get rid of and I’m not use to have any body fat and it’s caused a great deal of insecurity’s to spring up, is there anything extra i could possibly do to speed the process up ? I also eat very healthy aswell and i don’t overeat.

    1. It sounds like you are doing some of the most important things to help get rid of extra stomach weight. My first piece of advice for anyone is to intake as many fruits and veggies as possible. The most important thing we can do is to eat from the natural foods such as fruits and vegetables.
      Then you will also want to make sure you are getting enough exercise in your day. Because you did 4 sports throughout your high school days, your body may be used to working extremely hard during sports and workouts you want to make sure that your body is still being moved. It may not be nearly as much or as hard as what you pushed your body through in high school but movement is good for the body.
      My last piece of advice for people is focus on your mindset! Talk positively to yourself and only fuel your body with positive self thoughts.The process of getting to where you would like to be is no easy journey, and know you are not alone. YES YOU CAN!

      Last but not least. I have linked another one of my blogs titled 10 Tips To Beat Belly Fat And Banish Bloat. Let me know if you have any questions but another great Blog to read and see if it applies to you!

      https://gethealthyu.com/10-tips-beat-belly-fat-bloat/

  7. Hi, i’m 19 years old and i have a 3 year old son and 2 year old daughter, i first got pregnant when i was 15. before pregnancy, i was skinny and just needed to tone, but my body has completely changed. my upper abdominal area isn’t the problem, really it’s mostly flat, but i have a lower belly pooch. sometimes it’s bigger when i bloat, sometimes i even look pregnant again! i’ve been to the gym consistently every day but i just get lost sometimes — i don’t know what to do, or what excerices actually target that area and which ones get my the fastest results. i will say though, i can actually feel my side oblique muscles! so i’m doing something right, i just don’t know how to get RID of this lower belly pooch. nothing seems to work.

    1. Hi Breanna – lots of us women deal with a little extra something in our lower stomach, so you’re not alone! The best thing you can do is eat healthy and exercise – I know it sounds cliché but that is what truly makes a difference. The workout above specifically targets the lower abdomen so add this to your workout routine 3x a week to start seeing results. It can take some time but if you keep up eating well, exercising and strengthening the muscles in your abdomen, it will make a difference!

  8. I just wanted to say I read your article and am definitely looking foward to see the results. I personally consider myself a fit person, and I do like my body and where it’s come, but like you have said in other comments^^ it is hard to get rid of that layer of fat that all women have. My point here is, you’re doing amazing things to help woman everywhere! I appreciate it 🙂

  9. Hi! I’m looking for a good workout. I have lost a lot and so it’s just excess fat but of course it’s like mhm lower stomach. How can i get rid of that in a timely manner?? I need to lose it semi fast for the summer. I’ve been doing a lot of toning and it’s not getting anywhere with that. My diet is good, i eat healthy as well.

    1. Hi Chelsey –
      It looks like you are off to a great start, congratulations! The most important thing that you can do is eat a well balanced diet full of carbs, proteins, and fats as well as maintaining an active lifestyle. Know that when you adapt a healthy diet and an active lifestyle it will still take some time for you to see the results you are looking for. Don’t get discouraged and continue to stay positive! If you are a Get Healthy U TV Member we have multiple workouts dedicated to core strengthening! Weight training and strength training will be great to incorporate because lifting anything heavy will force you to engage your core more than you will realize. Hope this helps!

  10. Hey , I am 19 years old . I had perfectly fine fit body until 17 , but later I got diagnosed of hypothyroidism . I have gained a lot of weight … like a lot them . Can you please tell me what kind of exercises I should be doing ? I don’t feel myself 😶
    Thank you .

    1. Hi there –
      Well first off, with hypothyrodism you should consult your doctor. However, with that being said, any exercise to get your body moving (as long as you feel good and your body allows) will be a good thing. I always tell people to start small and you can always move up from there. Starting with just 10 minutes of exercise and then working your way past that if your body and time can allow. I would mix it up between strength based workouts and cardio based workouts as they are both important for the body to change.
      Check out a few of my favorite at home workouts you can start with. Good luck and keep up the good work!

      https://gethealthyu.com/10-minute-workouts/