How to Lose Body Fat, According to a Dietitian

It’s about setting realistic goals and making simple lifestyle changes—no crash diets required.

Natalie Rizzo, M.S., RD, is a New York City-based registered dietitian, owner of Greenletes (a successful sports nutrition practice, blog and podcast) and author of Planted Performance: Easy Plant-Based Recipes, Meal Plans, and Nutrition for All Athletes.

Emily Lachtrupp is a registered dietitian experienced in nutritional counseling, recipe analysis and meal plans. She’s worked with clients who struggle with diabetes, weight loss, digestive issues and more. In her spare time, you can find her enjoying all that Vermont has to offer with her family and her dog, Winston.

If you are aiming to lose body fat, there’s one big thing you’re up against: The chatter on social media. So much of it promotes drastic diets, weight-shaming and toxic diet culture that it’s easy to be misled, especially when it comes to losing body fat in a healthy way.

Body weight isn’t the only indicator of health, and someone in a smaller body isn’t necessarily healthier than someone in a larger body. However, having more body fat, especially increased visceral (abdominal) fat and less muscle mass, is associated with higher risk of disease, and there are healthy ways to lose body fat without taking extreme measures. Learn about healthy and realistic strategies to reduce body fat long-term.

Before jumping into a weight-loss plan, set realistic and achievable weight-loss goals. Starting off with an unattainable goal makes it harder to create long-term change and sets you up for failure. Instead, think small and short-term. Setting a small goal that you may be able to achieve in the next week or month gives you something to look forward to and helps keep you focused on your health goal.

After the small goal is achieved, set your next one. This approach creates habit change that leads to sustainable weight loss. Plus, when you lose body fat slowly, you may also be able to retain more muscle mass during weight loss and improve your metabolic health, too.