Easy practices that accelerate your efforts to eliminate accumulated fat

There are several strategies, in addition to dietary changes, that can accelerate fat loss, especially the reduction of visceral fat. The interventions with the greatest scientific support include increasing exercise intensity and frequency to reduce fat regardless of calorie restriction.

Some of these practices, however, taken a step further can make your goal of losing stored fat, especially around the waist, even more effective.

 

Exercise

The most robust data from clinical trials and meta-analyses support aerobic exercise (especially brisk walking, cycling, and swimming for at least 30 minutes a day), as it has a significant impact on visceral and subcutaneous fat loss, even without dietary modification. Imaging and metabolic outcome studies show that these routines reduce markers of liver and abdominal fat.

While HIIT protocols , which alternate between short bursts of intense exercise and periods of lower intensity, are particularly effective at reducing fat mass, improving insulin sensitivity, and increasing metabolic rate, studies report HIIT's superior effect on fat oxidation compared to steady-state cardio, regardless of calorie intake.

As for strength training, such as weight lifting, band training, or bodyweight movements, according to the reviewed meta-analyses, it can reduce body fat percentage and visceral fat. It increases basal metabolic rate by developing and preserving lean mass, which in turn improves the efficiency of fat loss. 

Other interventions, besides diet, have a measurable impact on fat loss, including proper posture, intermittent fasting with controlled protein intake, fasted exercise, cold exposure, and morning sunlight exposure. Clinical trials and meta-analyses point to the mechanisms and efficacy of each approach.

 

Interventions that enhance your practices to eliminate visceral fat

Proper posture

Evidence suggests that good posture increases metabolic rate and improves digestion. Standing or sitting with correct alignment increases oxygen intake by 20–30% and can increase daily energy expenditure by 5–7% compared to slouching [ 1 ][ 2 ]. Proper posture also results in better core muscle activation during activity and facilitates deeper breathing, which improves calorie burning and exercise efficiency [ 1 ][ 2 ].

 

Training on an empty stomach

Randomized trials show that fasted training (such as morning aerobic exercise before breakfast) improves markers of body composition in overweight and obese individuals, decreasing weight, waist circumference, and fat mass, and increasing insulin sensitivity [ 7 ][ 8 ][ 9 ][ 10 ].

 Meta-analyses confirm that although the difference in total fat loss between fasted exercise and exercise after eating is modest, fasted training may preferentially increase fat oxidation and improve fasting insulin response, without increasing negative side effects [ 7 ][ 9 ].

 

Intermittent fasting (IF) with controlled protein intake

Meta-analyses indicate that intermittent fasting reliably produces fat loss, often superior in reducing abdominal fat compared to ad libitum feeding [ 3 ][ 4 ][ 5 ][ 6 ]. Protocols such as time-restricted feeding (TRF, e.g., 8-hour eating window) and alternate-day fasting (ADF) reduce body weight, BMI, fat mass, and visceral adiposity. IF ensures that weight loss is primarily from fat, and combining IF with exercise induces greater reduction in fat mass than either intervention alone [ 4 ][ 5 ][ 6 ].

 

Mechanisms and clinical evidence

Intermittent fasting + high protein:

Studies show that combining intermittent fasting (IF) with protein pacing—spreading protein intake evenly, approximately 4 times per day, across the eating window—results in greater reductions in total fat, abdominal/visceral fat, and greater preservation of fat-free mass than calorie restriction alone, even when total calorie intake is the same [ 20 ].

Participants who received 25–50 g of protein per meal, after fasting for at least 16 hours, lost up to 27% of their abdominal fat in 8 weeks, nearly double the reduction compared with continuous calorie restriction [ 19 ].

Importance of protein dose and timing:

After longer fasts (24-36 hours), consuming ~40 g of protein per meal (evenly spaced) maximizes muscle retention and metabolic rate [ 20 ][ 23 ]. This approach enhances diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT), increases satiety via gut peptides, maintains fasting insulin sensitivity, and prevents the loss of fat-free mass that would otherwise accelerate metabolic slowdown [ 22 ].

Muscle retention and metabolic flexibility:

Higher protein intake after a fast shifts substrate utilization toward fat oxidation and preserves muscle tissue, which is critical as fasting can otherwise increase the risk of muscle breakdown [ 22 ] [ 20 ]. Combining intermittent fasting with 40 g of protein per meal supports metabolic flexibility, allowing the body to efficiently switch between carbohydrate and fat metabolism, thus promoting sustained fat loss and improved recovery after fasting [ 20 ][ 21 ].

 

Protocols and results

16-hour fasting + controlled intake: Protein pacing after shorter fasts increases satiety and leads to significant fat loss and muscle mass preservation compared to standard diets [ 20 ].

24-36 hour fasting + high protein per meal: A greater metabolic shift occurs, further enhancing visceral fat loss and maintaining energy expenditure by preserving lean mass [ 19 ][ 23 ][ 20 ].

Even distribution (40g per meal): The most consistent results are achieved by spacing protein meals at least 3-5 hours apart, taking advantage of the thermogenic and anabolic effects for maximum body composition benefits [ 21 ][ 23 ][ 20 ].

 

Summary table

Fasting protocol	Protein dose/meal	Observed effects	Main mechanisms
16 hours of intermittent fasting	~40 g	Significant fat loss, preservation of muscle mass	Increased thermogenesis, satiety hormones [ 20 ][ 22 ]
24-hour intermittent fasting	~40 g	Greater loss of visceral fat, maintenance of lean mass	Fat oxidation, muscle retention [ 23 ][ 19 ]
36 hours of intermittent fasting	~40 g	Greater reduction of abdominal fat, improved metabolic flexibility	Anabolic signaling, recovery from fasting [ 19 ][ 20 ][ 23 ]

 

Key takeaway:

Breaking 16- to 36-hour fasts with controlled, evenly spaced, protein-rich meals (40 g/meal) significantly improves fat loss, especially visceral/abdominal fat, maintains lean mass, increases satiety, and supports gut and metabolic health beyond what is achieved with calorie restriction alone [ 19 ][ 20 ][ 23 ][ 21 ] [ 22 ] .

  

Exposure to cold

Repeated exposure to cold (cold showers or immersion, cold air) increases energy expenditure and activates brown adipose tissue (BAT), which metabolizes fat to produce heat [ 11 ][ 12 ][ 13 ][ 14 ]. Meta-analyses and case studies show that even mild cold exposure (16–19 °C for several hours per week) increases daily calorie expenditure by ~188 kcal, elevates BAT activity, and leads to significant reductions in fat mass within ~6 weeks in some studies [ 11 ][ 12 ][ 14 ][ 15 ]. Cold exposure also acts synergistically with exercise to further stimulate metabolic adaptation.

 

Exposure to sunlight

Exposure to certain wavelengths and patterns of light may help modulate the hormones leptin and ghrelin, both involved in regulating appetite and energy metabolism, which could influence the rate of fat loss. ( 16 )

Impact of light on leptin

Laboratory studies have shown that chronic exposure to blue light decreases leptin secretion by adipocytes, which is associated with increased lipolytic activity and reduced lipid accumulation in fat cells. Leptin typically signals satiety, so lower levels, when combined with increased lipolysis, may indicate accelerated fat breakdown under certain light conditions.

Effect of light on ghrelin

Ghrelin is a hormone that stimulates hunger. Morning exposure to red and green light (but not blue light ( 17 )) has been found to decrease ghrelin concentrations, which reduces hunger after sleep deprivation. This hormonal change could make it easier to adhere to a calorie deficit and support fat-loss efforts.

Light exposure and circadian metabolism

Light affects circadian rhythms, which in turn regulate the release of metabolic hormones and fat metabolism. Altering or optimizing light exposure can influence fat thermogenic activity (how the body burns fat to generate heat), insulin sensitivity, and lipid metabolism, all of which influence fat loss. For example, morning light exposure can improve hormonal modulation and support metabolic health.

 

Summary table of additional practices that can help you lose visceral fat more efficiently

 

Intervention	Mechanism	Strength of the evidence	Impact on fat loss
Proper posture	Increased metabolism, better movement	Moderate (clinical/observational) [ 1 ][ 2 ]	Small but constant
Training on an empty stomach	Increased fat oxidation	Moderate (RCT) [ 7 ][ 8 ][ 9 ][ 10 ]	Modest, body composition
Intermittent fasting	Reduction of intake time, metabolic restoration	Strong (meta-analysis, RCT) [ 3 ][ 4 ][ 5 ][ 6 ]	Solid, especially visceral
Exposure to cold	Activates brown adipose tissue	Moderate (meta-analysis, case studies) [ 11 ][ 12 ][ 14 ][ 13 ]	Moderate (short term)
Exposure to sunlight	It modulates leptin and ghrelin, especially in adults with sleep disruption.   It promotes metabolic health by facilitating fat mobilization, while prolonged exposure to light late at night is associated with increased visceral fat. ( 16 )( 17 )	Moderate	Moderate but constant

 

 

Key findings

- Intermittent fasting with controlled intake and fasting cardiorespiratory exercise have strong evidence of reducing fat mass and improving insulin sensitivity.

- Controlling protein intake (~40 g per meal) after 16, 24, or 36-hour fasts accelerates fat loss and helps preserve lean mass, as confirmed by multiple clinical trials and meta-analyses [ 21 ][ 23 ].

- Good posture increases energy metabolism and movement efficiency, which contributes, albeit to a lesser extent, to fat loss.

- Cold exposure increases energy expenditure and can significantly reduce fat stores by activating BAT.

- The combination of these approaches may synergistically accelerate fat loss, especially visceral adiposity, in conjunction with or independently of dietary changes [ 24 ][ 11 ][ 22 ][ 23 ].