Losing abdominal fat, or belly fat, is a common weight loss goal.

Abdominal fat is a particularly harmful type. Research suggests strong links with diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

For this reason, losing this fat can have significant benefits for your health and well-being.

You can measure your abdominal fat by measuring the circumference around your waist with a tape measure. Measures of above 40 inches (102 cm) in men and 35 inches (88 cm) in women is known as abdominal obesity.

Certain weight loss strategies can target the fat in the belly area more than other areas of the body.

Protein may be the most important macronutrient for weight loss.

Research shows it can reduce cravings by 60%, boost metabolism by 80–100 calories per day, and help you eat up to 441 fewer calories per day.

If weight loss is the goal, adding protein may be the single most effective change you can make to your diet.

Not only can protein help you to lose weight, but it may also help you to avoid regaining weight.

Protein may be particularly effective in reducing abdominal fat. One study showed that people who ate more and better protein had much less abdominal fat.

Another study showed that protein was linked to a significantly reduced chance of abdominal fat gain over 5 years in females.

This study also linked refined carbs and oils with more abdominal fat and linked fruit and vegetables with reduced fat.

Many of the studies showing that protein helps with weight loss had people getting 25–30% of their calories from protein. This may, therefore, be a good range to try.

Try increasing your intake of high-protein foods such as whole eggs, fish, legumes, nuts, meat, and dairy products. These are the best protein sources for your diet.

When following a vegetarian or vegan diet, check out this article on how to increase your protein intake.

If you struggle with getting enough protein in your diet, a quality protein supplement like whey protein is a healthy and convenient way to boost your total intake. You can find plenty of protein powder options online.

Eating plenty of protein can boost your metabolism and reduce hunger levels, making it a very effective way to lose weight. Several studies suggest that protein is particularly effective against abdominal fat.