I want to get rid of my belly fat, but every time I try to eat less, I get hunger discomfort and mild headaches. What can I do?

I am male who is about 5 feet and 8 inches who weights around 160 pounds. I want to lose at least 20 pounds so my abs can show.

I usually eat

Breakfast: Green tea sweetened with stevia

Lunch: Brocolli or Mixed veggies with either impossible meats or Tofu, and a protein smoothie made with frozen fruits or just bananas with blended oatmeal (to make me feel full for longer)

Dinner: Same as lunch and bitter tea before going to bed

Sometimes if I am still hungry, I snack on watermelon

But yeah, I literally fluctuate between losing 2 pounds and gaining 2 pounds. It is frustrating!

And when I try to eat less, I cannot concentrate and get moody and start having thoughts of all the bad things that happened to me in my life. My body sabotages me even in my brain :sweat:

In addition, given your two meals a day schedule, it seems like you don’t consume much.

I’m worried that you could be eating less.

Eat the same amount of food. Eat a diet low in calories per serving. You won’t feel famished, deprived, etc. in this way. Eating more in the morning and less at night also helps. more advantageous to metabolism

Eat the same amount of food. Eat a diet low in calories per serving. You won’t feel famished, deprived, etc. in this way. Eating more in the morning and less at night also helps. more advantageous to metabolism

You’re not eating anything, bro. About 40g of protein a day is that. I doubt you could build up enough ab muscles to show through, even if you were sufficiently slender.

Low iron, blood sugar, migraines, and mood changes could all be contributing factors. I think it’s the other way around—your body isn’t harming you.

And if you’re having trouble feeling hungry, why are you combining your food? Eating food whole makes it more full. Oh no.

I am 5’11" and 175 pounds, and I consume roughly 2800 kcal a day. Of course, YMMV.

Hello! I’ve seen the comments, your reactions, and other things, and I’m thinking maybe you should refrain from asking random people online about your health. I would strongly advise speaking with a dietitian if you can afford it or can have insurance cover it.

In the event that a real medical condition is the cause of your problems or is making them worse, you might also think about seeing your PCP.

A therapist might be able to assist you with the mental and emotional components of all of this, therefore I’d also like to gently recommend speaking with them. Talk therapy is really beneficial.

Increase your intake while increasing your exercise. Your metabolism will remain high as a result of this.

Generally speaking, though, it comes down to calories in vs calories out.

Get Chronometer and monitor your caloric intake.

It looks like you have a very measured, healthy diet. Maybe even a bit too much? I mean, sometimes, if your body is always on the verge of being hungry, and only gets what it ‘needs’ with no extras, it will store more fat “just in case” (source: I had an ED for years). Do you know how your body responds to an increased calorie intake medium-long term?

Also, how is your daily activity like? I would say that you also do some exercise. Also doing the same kind of stuff for a long time may cause your progress to “plateau”, try switching it up?

Of course all of these stuff depends on a million things and it’s hard to give exact advice without knowing you personally, but those are my two cents.

Your body is attempting to store as much fat as it can since you are starving yourself. Exercise and follow a healthy diet.

That may not be enough fat in your diet. Additionally, since less carbohydrates lead your body to lose electrolytes, you could not have enough of them. When I don’t consume enough fat and sodium, I’m always hungry.

Additionally, you are a perfectly healthy weight at 5’8 and 160.

Are you positive it’s a fat belly rather than a muscle loss?

Increase your intake of fat and protein, and begin working out four times a week at the gym (or perform calisthenics at home).

Hard work, like in workouts, is how a 6-pack is developed. Most likely, it will take a year or more.