OK, this is an article aimed at our male readers, although the rules do still apply to all. As we all know, once you get past your teenage years and start enjoying life a little more, the dreaded beer gut starts to make an appearance. If not kept in check, then soon it literally takes center stage and becomes the focus of all attention, both your own and that of colleagues and partners.
To understand how to lose your beer gut, you first need to know what it is and how you managed to get it in the first place.
What Is A Beer Gut?
Unlike the extra fat that many women carry on their hips and buttocks, a man’s beer gut is often almost solid to the touch. This is because rather than consisting of surface fat (subcutaneous fat) it consists of fat that surrounds the internal organs (visceral fat). This type of fat creates a near solid lump where your internal organs are and is therefore firm to the touch.
This type of fat is also extremely unhealthy, it literally strangles your organs, depriving them of the freedom they deserve to move and breathe (for want of a better word without delving into human biology). It basically leads to disease, including heart disease. So, beer bellies are not good.
What is the Best Way to Lose Your Beer Gut?
Many people will say – EXERCISE! But think logically – how did you get your big stomach? Was it because you stopped playing football 3 times a week? Or was it because you started drinking 6 pints of beer 3 nights a week? The reason for putting on fat around the internal organs is mostly due to diet, and not so much due to lack of exercise. This is why you need to do a diet plan as well as exercise.
Although exercise keeps you fit, exercise alone will not lose fat. Athletes and sportspersons have to follow strict diets to maintain their optimum weight. Being slim gives them a competitive advantage, and is not always a byproduct of working out. Although obviously exercise does help to increase a calorie deficit, diet is most important.
Our MCD Weight Loss plan is also designed to help burn off fat with a combination of healthy eating and highly intensive exercise. The first rule of exercise for weight loss is that it must be done with intensity.
But before you start exercising you need to stop drinking so much beer. This is the fist vital step to get rid of your beer gut. You do not need to give up, but cut back big time.
If you down 8 pints on a Saturday night, then you are consuming over 1500 kcal (calories) in one evening, on top of all the food you ate during the day, plus the junk food you eat afterwards, and the breakfast you eat the following day to get over the hangover. This means your Saturday night is adding about 3000 calories to your weekly diet. Do this twice a week and that beer gut will be ballooning in no time.
Diet Your Beer Gut Away
Remember, it is not just the beer that you have been drinking that has given you a beer gut, but also all the junk food that you eat at the same time. Salted peanuts, chips, pork scratchings, kebabs and baltis all add thousands of extra calories to your weekly diet.
Follow these diet rules to lose your gut:
- For fastest results, stop drinking beer completely. Otherwise, cut back just a few pints each week
- Cut back on calories generally. Eat less, eat smaller portions
- Cut out bread and pasta. Replace with healthy vegetables, fruits and salads
- Stop drinking fruit juice (it contains fructose, a form of sugar high in calories)
- Eat more proteins and healthy fats, and less carbohydrates
- Eggs are your friends at breakfast, chicken for lunch, fish for dinner
- Chose low GI foods (GI essentially being a measure of sugar content in food, including healthy vegetables)
- Eat soup every day for one meal
- Eat a salad every day as part of a highly nutritious meal – hold the salad dressing, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar
- Replace all daytime drinks except black coffee with water.
Get Fit and Build Muscle to Help Lose Your Beer Gut
If you are going to exercise, which you really should, then make it count. Men have an advantage over women when it comes to losing fat – testosterone. The natural levels of testosterone in the body mean that it is easier to build muscle, and this means that with weight training you can not only burn calories while exercising, you can build lean muscle to help boost your metabolism.
Studies have shown that the best way to lose fat is to shock the body. There are two ways of doing this, and you must do both:
- HIIT – High Intensity Interval Training. You need to work hard, work up a sweat, and be out of breath. If you can hold a conversation while exercising, you are not working hard enough.
- Compound Weight Training Exercises – Big lifts, including Deadlift, Squat, Bench Press, Shoulder Press, Bent Over Row, Barbell Curls. Work the muscles hard to burn fat and build more fat burning muscle!
Although we said above that exercise alone is not the route to losing your gut, it does help a great deal. Some people hit the treadmill in the gym for 30 minutes a day, plodding along, and then head straight back to the bar and order beer and fries. This does not work. But a rigorous exercise regime will help a great deal. There are some really intensive fitness plans available online.
The solution is really simple – eat less and exercise more. The application is often harder! But you can do it.
Hi Matthew. You really need to be strict with yourself on the diet, try to have just one treat day a week when you can have your junk food, no more than that though. Get more exercise in, make sure that you really do those cycle workouts, I think that they will work really well for you. Bodyweight workouts will provide you with all the exercises you need for the times you have no bike or gym access.
Thanks for your reply, will cut down on the pasta.
I have Aplen (no sugar). Any idea what I could have for Lunch when I’m at work?
I have been trying to run longer but having hayfever and been really hot, is it better idea to run when it cooler or in the sun?
I only got 20KG Each, that all I got at home.
Will try interval sprints when running.
Do you have a shop / supermarket near you? When I worked in London I sometimes bought a packet of watercress / rocket and some cooked chicken and ate that. Healthy, low calories, and hits to spot. Otherwise you could prepare a salad in the evening to take to work. Put some mixed leaves, cooked meat, cooked eggs and any other salad items you like in a salad / lunch box, add salt, pepper and plenty of olive oil then shake the box (after closing!). Put in the fridge and it should be good to take to work the next day.
Hello, I have been overweight for the last couple years and recently decided to get myself together. For about two weeks now I have been jogging on a treadmill 3-4 miles everyday and about 5 days ago started the Insanity workout videos which is 6 days a week. I have started dieting as well. I have had a beer belly for sometime. I can already see a difference in my weight and appearance, how long might it take for my beer belly to start disappearing?
Hi JSalazar, you should start to see improvements soon, every week you will lose fat. Use a tape measure to measure your waist each week to keep track of fat loss.
Thx…Its amazing how fast I’ve seen results in other areas of my body working out so much. It goes to show that with the willpower to actually work your keister off results are attainable….I’m 5′ 7in and before I started working out 2 weeks ago I weighed 190lb….I’m already down to 179lb….ithe reason I asked my first question is my belly seems to be the slowest to respond to my efforts…I didn’t know if that was normal….thx!
Yeah that’s normal, we all lose fat a little differently. Generally if the fat started on your stomach it will probably be the last place for it to go. Sounds like you are making great progress though, so keep up the good work and by time the summer is really here you should be in great shape.
Hi Motley, I messaged you not long back about the problem i was having with fat loss and am in desperate need of losing fat as i am going on holiday in 8 weeks. i have not been keen with taking my top off on holiday as i have excess fat on my chest, stomach, back and love handles. I am 23 years of age 5 ft 8 and weigh 11 stone 11 pounds. i checked my weight and my BMI is 24.8 just underweight, followed by 13% of body fat and fat mass at 9.8 kg. I have struggled in the past but i dont want to make the same mistakes as before would you please please give me a workout routine for fast fat loss followed by a diet plan i would really appreciate it. Many thanks!!
Hi Ali, yes, we discussed your diet here: https://www.motleyhealth.com/health-news/50-ways-to-improve-health-get-fitter-and-lose-weight
Have you been following the fitness routines that you mentioned?
Howdy Motley, I am loving this site. 4 years ago I was 6,1 and weighed 17 stone. I lost 5 stone in a year. (I was drink 4 pints a night and Abrams away every other night). Coming to the present I’ve recently started working out at home. I weigh in at 13.9. my work out it very much like the Christian bale but I’m still struggling to cut out the 1inch of flab around the bottom of my gut. My arms and chest and legs are really coming on but this is starting to annoy me. Please help!!
Hi Tommy. Maybe time to increase cardio workouts, try to fit in 30 minutes of cardio each day. Also take a fresh new look at the diet, see if there are any other snacks of sugary foods that can be reduced.
Hi Motley
I am a 33 year old male, trying to lose weight. I am 6’2″ weigh about 16st and am a big guy overall, but I have been doing cardio for 30 minutes 4 – 5 times a week with some high intensity intervals, 60 crunches each time that I do cardio and have been watching what I eat, cutting out bread and alcohol. I am also walking for a couple of miles about 5 times a week too. Although I do see my shape changing a bit (for the better) I seem to be losing nothing on the scales or off my belly.
I am keeping on as what I am doing already can’t be bad, but am I missing something obvious?
Help
How long have you been doing this Punxsie? It takes time to build up fitness, but as you get fitter and stronger your metabolism will increase and weight loss (or more specifically fat loss) will start. If it does not then you will need to review your diet again and look at ways to reduce calories further while maintaining good nutrition and especially healthy proteins (for muscle development and more PYY hormone). Also, always strive to get fitter. If you are doing the same cardio routine in 3 weeks time then you are not pushing yourself hard enough and will quickly come to a standstill, especially if calories are not reduced.
Thanks for the speedy reply!
Actually my cardio routine is pretty much the same, I do a turbo trainer (exercise bike) for the sessions mentioned above. When you say push harder, do you mean increase the length of time, how hard I work or both?
I feel like I am doing everything else pretty much right so whatever it takes!
Yep, ideally both. Go faster, go longer – that’s how we get fitter. The fitter you get, the more calories you can burn.
I’m 37. Last year after Christmas I weighted myself and got scared… I’m 6’00” and my weight was 201. First time in my life I hit that. I completely changed my diet and started exercising. First 2-3 times a week, now almost every day. I’m alternating between running (my first day at the gym I ran 2 minutes and thought I would die, now I can run 40 minutes without stopping) and mountain biking (that I love). I’m also doing weight exercises specially for my arms and chest.
After all that I lost 29 pounds.
My belly is much smaller now but it’s still there… I believe this is the hard part to loose right?
A big problem for me is that in my work I have to check a lot of jobs all over the place and I’m always driving… and most of the time I have to eat while I’m driving. I usually take a couple sandwiches with me that I make at home. Usually whole grain or wheat bread with a chicken breast, or tuna salad. Anything else you could recommend for me easy to eat as I’m driving that wouldn’t be so bad?
What about cheeses and yogurt? Are they very bad for you? I always have them at home.
Thanks and good luck for everyone!
Hi Al, I suspect that total calories are still a problem for you. Wholemeal sandwiches, cheese and yogurts are all good and healthy. It is always hard to eat well when on the road and making your own should help a lot as you control what and how much goes in to each meal. Just keep on as you are, keep pushing yourself to exercise to a higher intensity. You are progressing well and 29 pounds weight loss since Christmas is around about 1 pound a week. That is good, steady and most importantly sustainable weight loss. Maintain your new diet and healthy lifestyle and you should lose more weight and stay fit long term.
A daily workout is really a good idea. In fact, I should get mine in soon.
So I’m a 22 year old college athlete. I play baseball and I am constantly in the weightroom. It is tough for me to eat breakfast and lunch because I have to be up early in the morning for weights and I’ll have class and practice in the afternoons. I’ll usually compensate by eating a large dinner and snaking in between. I thought I would be fine as long as I burned more calories than I was taking in. I’m 6-4 250lbs and my stomach is definitely my main issue. Is missing breakfast really all that bad? I’m sending my body into starvation mode and burning fat a lot slower than I could be. Would eating breakfast improve the belly fat I burn in my workouts? I lift weights 4 times a week but I am active in some capacity on a daily basis.
Breakfast really is important, and lifting weights on an empty stomach is not going to allow you to get the most from your workout either.
Thanks for the reply.
Any suggestions for a quick, on-the-go breakfast option that would help facilitate a good work out, be low in calories and aid in my belly fat burning quest????
A banana.
Hello,
I’ve just started a new diet/exercise plan and I’m wondering how fast you believe I would see results. I’m not asking because I’m expecting to hear particularly fast results, but I’d like to be realistic about what I should expect as I go along. As for the diet, I’ve been eating:
Breakfast: 2 eggs on whole wheat toast
Lunch: Salad with eggs, chicken, cucumbers, carrots, and olive oil for dressing
Dinner: Plain veggie burger (no bun) with a side of broccoli or green beans
And as for exercising I’m following the two-day push/pull weight-lifting split as well as one day of HIIT on the cross trainer, one day of swimming laps, and one day of circuit training.
Do you think a diet like this will support this exercise routine in the long run, and if I stick with it how fast would you expect me to see results (I’m 5’11” and weigh around 184lbs, so I wouldn’t call myself overweight but I have a stomach and love handles I’d love to get rid of).
Thank you
Hi Craig, I think that if you maintain this, and also increase the workload as you get fitter, then you should certainly be seeing some noticeable improvements in a month. Maybe you may get faster results if you added an additional longer cardio session, like the swimming laps. Depends on how your circuit training is and how well you can train when recovering from the push/pull days or the HIIT cross trainer day. If the circuits include plenty of shuttle runs and skipping / jumping jacks then this should work well. If you feel that your muscles are not growing or recovering quick enough then look to increase the protein slightly, maybe some cottage cheese or nuts as snacks or pulses. fish or more meat in the meals.
I had a herniated dis and therefore I cant do intensive exercises, such as heavy weights, is there anything equivalent???
Hi Levan, if you can run, swim, cycle then focus on cardio fitness, this will burn fat.
Hi there,
As i have been training for 6 months for 10k Run for June, I never thought I would do so well and I COULD KEPT going further! which is great, but doing alot running, it burn my muscle fat, even though it does tone.
As I’m in the America at the moment, I been trying to get bigger by eating more meat and protein shake twice a day, i have comment, saying my muscle, shoulder does looked a bit bigger, but for the last month on vacation, been eating like crap, now i HAVE A CRAP BELLY!
So you reckon doing swimming 3 times a week and twice in muscle weight training? while protein shake twice a day, and eating 5 meal a day and nothing 2 hours before bed to get bigger muscle / look bigger and lose the belly fat to look alike 6 pacs.
Regards
Matthew
Hi Matthew, if you main focus is on running then reduce protein shakes and increase healthy eating – more salad vegetables, fruits, lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs etc. For running you need a healthy source of carbs. One protein shake a day should be OK, but keep an eye on the total calories you are taking in each day. If you want a 6 pack then you may need to do more than swim 3 times a week. 2 weight training sessions would be minimum. Are you still running? Maybe run the other 2 days.
Eating 5 meals a day is great if you are doing a lot of training and really measuring how many calories you are eating in those 5 meals. But 5 meals + 2 protein shakes can quickly add up and this is likely to be the reason that you have gained weight.
Hi name is Albert. Are corn tortillas ok to eat as a part of a diet meal? Is swimming a real intense workout?
Corn tortillas are OK in moderation but do not have too many. Like any bread they are high in calories and relatively low in nutrition.
Swimming certainly can be an intensive form of exercise. The faster you go, the more intensive. If you learn some of the Olympic strokes like the butterfly then you will have a great workouts. Freestyle / crawl is a great way to swim too.
I spent much of my youth/college active in “demanding” sports. Now graduated and out of sports…my exercise routine has dwindled and I cannot seem to locate the “switch” to work out, as before it was automatic, dedication to the sport. Now, I have lost my abs…and the majority of my strength/as well as a continued sugar rich diet. I know what is needed…I just can’t seem to excersize and eat right? Oh….and I drink soda! I guess that gives me checks in all the wrong areas. I need a pathway to direct motivation…as it use to be for sports …
Help me MOTLEY!!!!
Hi Zac, well you know the cause of the problem and how to solve it, all you need is real motivation. Well, let’s put it this way. If you carry on as you are things will get worse. You will gain more fat, lose more muscle and fitness. In the long term you will set yourself up for all manner of weight related problems including diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Read The Health Benefits of Losing Weight if that did not scare you into action already.
So, what are the motivations now that you are not doing sport – let’s be honest.
1. To look good, to attract a partner.
2. To feel fit and strong, to have improved self esteem.
3. To live a long and fulfilling life.
So you need to set a plan. You responded well to a plan before so you must be dedicated. Set yourself a weekly fitness regime with specific workouts on specific days and times. Stick to the plan and remember why you are doing it.
Remember, it is only when you lose your health that you realise how important it was. Do not lose it.
NEED YOUR HELP PLEASE!!! I am male, 29 yrs old, 5ft 9″ and weigh 154 lbs (11 Stones). I have a beer belly that I seriously want to get rid of. However, I do not particularly want to lose weight and size just the belly fat.
I do try and do intense cardio 3 times a week at home by following Shaun T’s (Insanity) and (P90X) Program.
My main weekness is diet. I simply need guidance on what to eat, when to eat it (3 or 5 times a day?) and most importantly how much to eat. I am not saying I want a 6 pack, just a flat stomach.
I look forward to your guidance Motley.
Regards,
Karan
Hi Karan, really you just need to ensure that you avoid junk food, high GI foods and processed foods. On the days that you are exercising your body needs around 3000 Calories and on other days with just light activity you need around 2700 Calories. To trim some fat you should drop your daily calories below these levels. As for number of meals, it makes little difference as it is total calories that count. What can make a difference is the effect of different eating patterns on appetite. If your diet is already good then the first step would is to start running every day so that you are exercising 6 or 7 days a week. This will burn extra calories and may trim the fat off your stomach.
I read that eating too much eggs can cause fat and increase our level of cholesterol. Is it wise to replace breakfast with eggs?
Where did you read that? Eggs are one of the best foods you can have, the egg white is almost pure protein and the yolk contains many essential vitamins. Also, blood cholesterol levels are not raised by consuming dietary cholesterol, in the same way that eating protein does not automatically build muscle. Cholesterol levels raise as a result of too much saturated fat (mostly). So do not fear eggs!
I am a 30 year old Male who’s pretty much abused his body with alcohol and bad eating eating habbits post college. I am 6 foot and weigh 225 lbs. I’ve calculated I was on 3000-3500 calorie a day diet previously between fast food and alcohol with limited exercise. I’ve joined a gym. I’ve figured I’d start with a 2000-2500 calorie diet and burn 500 calories a day,5 days a week on cardio. I would like to try to be around 200 lbs come April 1st. Any ideas on how to improve this? Are my expectations realistic?
Hi Chris, you can certainly make some big changes in 3 months. You gave around 12 weeks to lose 25 pounds, so about 2 pounds per week. A daily calorie deficit of 1000 Calories should result in 2 pounds weight loss per week. According to this general chart, you need about 3000 Calories on each day that you are exercising. So, aim for 2000 Calories of food a day and you should be OK. Make sure those calories are healthy though – no junk, no white bread, no processed cereals. Fresh fruits (avoid juices as they contain a lot of fructose), vegetables, lean proteins, wholemeal and oats. Good luck!
Oh, also aim to improve your fitness. If you are still doing the same 500 Calorie workout in 6 weeks then you may not be making the most of the time in the gym.
Hi I’m a 27/m about 6ft 4 and carrying a wee bit of a pot belly and a nice set of moobs!! I dont drink much beer but have a terrible diet and don’t do much exercise. Holiday in six months and would like to loose the belly and shape up in time for the summer. I’ve joined the gym but know where to start. Could you suggest a simple exercise routine to follow and which foods to steer clear off to help me shift the belly and shape up? Thanks
Hi Aaron. Get on the elliptical for 30 minutes then do some weight training. Avoid junk food and eat low GI carbs and lean proteins. If you do that for 6 months you will get in great shape. Mix up the workouts too, with some short and intensive cardio workouts, longer workouts (60 minutes) and some pure strength training workouts.
Hi, I am a 25 year old male. I’m 5’9 and weight about 108kg. I am carrying stomach fat and generally not very defined although i am a strong man. I would like to lose, initially, 13 – 18kg of fat(ideally by the summer). Currently i train in MMA 2-3 times per week and go to the gym 3-4 times per week. Gym consist of 30 mins of heavy bag drills and skipping, followed by 30-40 lengths in the pool. I don’t use any supplements. My diet isn’t the best. I don’t breakfast, for lunch i have a plain brown chicken baguette with a bag of crisp. Dinner varies but is normally something from the freezer rather than fresh food. I very rarely drink during the week but go out a few Fridays every month.
What tips could you give me to achieve my goal?
Hi Liam, it sounds like you are doing enough exercise so the problem must be the diet. It has to be lean. Fresh vegetables, lean meats, fish, eggs, salads. Avoid all junk, processed foods, ready meals, takeaways, soda / sugary drinks and white bread. Try to eat a healthy snack or small meal an hour before the gym session and have a small protein based snack afterwards. This should help keep the appetite under control. Stop the crisps at lunch. Reduce drinking if you can. Always work on getting fitter.
hi,george here, im only 18 and have bellyfat looking to get rid of it any tips?
Hi George, we have a lot of tips – this is what we specialise in. Ultimately you need to do 3 things:
1. Eat healthy (healthy includes amount of food as well as type of food).
2. Get more active – exercise, walk more, sports, generally being up and about and not sitting on a sofa
3. Better lifestyle – the whole package. This includes drinking, smoking, attitudes to exercise and healthy living.
Take a look around the site, we have all the information here that you could possibly need. If anything is missing, just ask.
Is that fine for eat spaghetti with tomato pasta and beef mince as dinner and lunch?
Hi Richard, sounds like a lot of calories. Is it OK? Yes, if you are exercising enough to burn it all off. No, if you are not. Pasta once a day should be enough, have a lighter meal for dinner, a small salad etc.
hi im a 24yrs old female who loves her body shape but hates her belly fat and flabby arm.. i would prefer a tight toned body with small waist flat belly and my butt enhanced. i eat normal 3 meals a day bought my self a treadmill to excercise but im gaining not loosing i am now 12.5 stones.exrcise you would reconmend for top half of body and lower half. i dont want to loose my curves but instead enhance it. please help
Hi Ellen, you need to combine your regular cardio (running) with some bodyweight training and weight training. Squats and lunges will help you maintain your curves. Basically, workout your whole body to develop muscle tone – muscles give curves.
Hello,
I Want To Strictly Work On Belly Fat So What Should I Do In Order To Do That What I Do To See The Fastest Results!
Hi Chris, you should eat a lean diet first – cut out ALL junk, ALL high GI, reduce portion sizes, drink only water, black coffee, tea etc. Then exercise daily and get more active in general. Walk more, focus on fitness.
Hi there…
Am working with a true personal trainer and am lifeless at the end of each session, maybe I need to eat more carbs?
But the question is, with no modelling experience can I get a modelling job at the age of 43 with a superb six pack and great overall muscle def? Am 6’2 and rugged (good) looking guy