Shedding Extra Weight Is More Than Just Diet and Exercise — Here's What Else You Need to Do

Taylor Pontikos, IIN nutrition coach and coach at BoxUnion Studio, told POPSUGAR that sugar and carbs are major culprits when it comes to belly fat. "Carbs turn into sugars when they're processed in the body," she explained. "Unless you're burning off those sugars right after you eat them, they are stored in the body as fat. And for most of us, our belly is where we store unwanted fat."

Joseph Sudimack, physical therapy technology program director at Carrington College, said we should be eating small, nutrient-dense meals throughout the day. "These meals should include all the colors of the rainbow, which will help us ingest all the nutrients our bodies need to function," Sudimack said. Eating small meals throughout the day allows our bodies to effectively utilize nutrients rather than storing them.

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Getting Rid of Belly Fat Is Harder Than You Think — Here's How to Do It

"If we only eat once a day, our bodies go into starvation mode and attempt to store as much as possible, since our bodies do not know when it will receive nutrients again," Sudimack explained. Although his advice is to eat often, the major caveat is that we need to be aware of the calories we're ingesting and the calories we're expending each day. If you ingest 2,000 calories per day and expend only 1,500, you'll gain one pound per week. Conversely, if you eat 1,500 calories each day and expend 2,000, you'll lose one pound per week.

"Knowing the amount of calories that your body needs to function properly and how many calories you are expending each day can help you lose belly fat," Sudimack said.

Finally, make sure you're drinking plenty of water. Pontikos told POPSUGAR that ideally, you should drink at least half your bodyweight in ounces of water each day — it's how your body flushes out fat, including that dreaded belly fat.