4 Dietitians Agree: These Are the 9 Most Effective Ways to Lose Belly Fat

Follow a diet with appropriate calories for your needs, because eating too much can lead to greater fat deposits, including around the belly, Hultin explained. "Caloric needs are based on numerous factors, but the most important ones for a healthy individual include gender, age, weight, height, and activity level," added Stephanie Ferrari, a registered dietitian with Fresh Communications.

Everyone is different, so in order to find out how many calories you need, meet with a registered dietitian who can assess your lifestyle and health history to make recommendations.

"Trans fats could make you fatter than other foods with the same number of calories," Kinzly said, which is shocking. New research indicates that trans fats increase the amount of fat around the belly. These are man-made fats and our bodies have a very hard time digesting them, so avoid hydrogenated oils found in manufactured baked goods such as cookies and crackers, frosting, some brands of margarine and shortening, and candies.

Kinzly suggested focusing on lean protein at every single meal to build muscle and satiate hunger.

For protein, you need about 0.8 to 1.8 gram per pound of body weight, depending on how active you are. A good rule of thumb is to aim for 20 to 30 grams per meal of lean protein from sources that are low in saturated fats and processed carbohydrates. "This doesn't necessarily mean eat more meat," Kinzly explained. "There are many plant foods that contain protein, including grains, beans, legumes, nuts, and vegetables."

Eat foods in the form most closely found in nature. Kinzly said they're "loaded with healthy vitamins, minerals, and fibre to keep you full." Your plate should include whole foods, such as complex carbs like fruit, sweet potatoes, and whole grains, a variety of veggies, nuts and seeds, lean protein, and eggs, and limit the packaged foods with tons of ingredients, additives, and dyes.

Intermittent fasting (IF) involves not eating (aka fasting) for part of each day or a few times a week. One common example of this is to eat only during an eight-hour window in a day and fast for the other 16. When your body doesn't have a constant energy source from the food you eat, it allows your body to utilize the fat stores it already has, helping you lose belly fat.

Ferrari and Luiza Petre, MD, a weight-loss specialist and board-certified cardiologist, told POPSUGAR that intermittent fasting raises growth hormone levels and lowers insulin levels, both of which help burn more fat. "Insulin decreases when you fast, and lower levels of insulin results in burning more fat," Ferrari added.

Eating in a shortened window not only reduces hunger (it's true!), but since you're not eating for long periods of time, there are fewer opportunities to consume calories, which is why IF helps people eat fewer calories effortlessly.

Aside from these healthy eating habits, Kinzly suggested utilizing exercise to help decrease belly fat. Many experts agree that you should focus on strength training to increase your muscle mass to burn more calories and speed up your metabolism. Aim for at least three sessions a week, include all parts of your body, incorporate different exercises, and use a variety of equipment.

If you do like cardio, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts are the most effective type of cardio proven to target belly fat. It not only works, but it saves you time at the gym.

Strenuous workouts aren't essential for losing body fat since diet plays such a huge role. But moving throughout the day and getting in at least 10,000 steps can absolutely help you burn extra calories and lose weight.