How to Get Rid of Belly Fat

Belly fat can be genuinely stubborn, and understanding which type you have — subcutaneous or visceral — matters before considering any treatment, surgical or otherwise. This guide covers the difference, honest lifestyle strategies, and every surgical option available at Centre for Surgery — liposuction, BodyTite or Argo Plasma for skin tightening, or a tummy tuck where skin laxity is significant — with specific, honest answers on what surgery can and can’t actually achieve.

Subcutaneous vs Visceral Belly Fat — Why the Distinction Matters

There are two distinct types of abdominal fat, and understanding the difference is essential before considering any surgical option, because — unlike most body contouring decisions — this one has a genuine safety dimension, not just a cosmetic one.

Subcutaneous fat sits directly beneath the skin — it’s the fat you can physically pinch or grab, and it’s what creates the soft, squishy “apron” or “pooch” appearance around the belly. On average, around 90% of belly fat is subcutaneous. It’s generally less dangerous to health than visceral fat, and it’s the type that liposuction and a tummy tuck are actually designed to treat.

Visceral fat surrounds the internal organs deep within the abdominal cavity. It’s often called “hidden” fat because it can’t be pinched, and tends to present as a harder, more protruding abdomen. Visceral fat carries genuinely significant health risks — it’s linked to increased risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes, because it’s metabolically active and releases hormones and chemicals that disrupt normal bodily function.

Neither liposuction nor a tummy tuck can safely remove visceral fat. This is a genuine limitation worth being upfront about, not a technicality: attempting to remove fat from around the organs would risk serious injury, and both procedures are specifically designed to target fat on or above the abdominal muscles, not within the abdominal cavity. If visceral fat is your primary concern, the effective route is lifestyle change — a balanced diet and regular exercise — and, in more severe cases, your GP may discuss whether bariatric surgery is appropriate; that’s a different clinical pathway from cosmetic body contouring and isn’t something we perform at Centre for Surgery, though we regularly support patients preparing for cosmetic surgery after bariatric surgery or significant weight loss achieved elsewhere.

What Causes Belly Fat?

• Ageing: as people enter midlife, it becomes progressively easier to accumulate fat around the midsection — sometimes called “midlife spread.” This affects both men and women, though women may have an increased propensity for it during this life stage.
• Diet: a diet high in refined sugar, processed foods and excess calories contributes directly to abdominal fat accumulation, including visceral fat around the liver.
• Sedentary lifestyle: increasingly inactive daily routines are a major contributor to the rising prevalence of excess belly fat.
• Alcohol: excessive alcohol consumption is linked with weight gain concentrated around the abdomen.
• Genetics and hormones: where the body preferentially stores fat is substantially inherited, and hormonal changes can shift fat storage toward the abdomen independent of diet or activity.

Lifestyle Approaches

Lifestyle change is the only effective route to reducing visceral fat, and it also meaningfully helps with subcutaneous fat, even where surgery is being considered for stubborn residual areas.

Diet

A calorie-restricted diet that reduces refined sugar and excess carbohydrate intake is the most effective dietary approach. This means limiting sweetened drinks, confectionery, and being aware that many fruit juices and sports drinks contain more sugar than expected. Increasing lean protein and whole-grain intake helps with satiety, and most nutritionists recommend a daily calorie deficit of 500-800 calories to drive sustainable weight loss. Keeping alcohol under 14 units per week is also worth prioritising, given its direct link to abdominal fat gain.

Exercise

NHS guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week, ideally spread across multiple sessions rather than concentrated in one. Cardiovascular exercise — jogging, swimming, cycling — combined with resistance training is most effective for simultaneous fat loss and muscle gain. Consistency matters more than intensity: an exercise routine you can realistically sustain will outperform an ambitious one you abandon after a few weeks, and stopping exercise typically leads to weight regain.

Despite genuine, sustained effort with both diet and exercise, many people are unable to fully resolve stubborn subcutaneous fat in this area — which is where surgical options become relevant.

Is It Fat, Loose Skin, or Both?

This question determines which surgical option is right for you, if you’re considering one. Liposuction removes fat; it doesn’t remove or meaningfully tighten skin. If your concern is mainly subcutaneous fat with good skin elasticity, liposuction alone is often sufficient. If skin laxity is also present — common with age, after weight loss, or after pregnancy — a treatment that addresses the skin as well, ranging from energy-based skin tightening through to surgical excision depending on severity, is more appropriate. Your surgeon assesses this properly at consultation.

Fat-Removal Options for Subcutaneous Belly Fat

Liposuction

Liposuction is the most established, direct treatment for stubborn subcutaneous belly fat that hasn’t responded to diet and exercise. Small incisions allow a fine cannula to remove fat with precise contouring. At Centre for Surgery, this is performed as a three-stage technique combining power-assisted liposuction (PAL), tumescent preparation and fat equalisation. Fat cells removed don’t regenerate, though maintaining a stable weight afterwards is essential to preserve results. Current pricing is set out in our liposuction cost guide.

VASER Liposuction

VASER liposuction uses ultrasonic energy to emulsify fat before removal, often preferred for denser or more fibrous tissue, with a modest additional skin-tightening effect. Priced identically to standard liposuction for the same area.

360 Liposuction

Where belly fat extends around the flanks and back rather than sitting only at the front, 360 liposuction treats the full circumference of the torso in a single session for a more complete, proportionate result. Current pricing is set out in our liposuction cost guide.

Skin Tightening and Surgical Options

BodyTite

For mild to moderate skin laxity alongside fat, BodyTite removes fat and tightens skin simultaneously through the same small incisions using radiofrequency energy — a middle option between standard liposuction and a full surgical lift. Current pricing is set out in our BodyTite cost guide.

Argo Plasma Skin Tightening

Argo Plasma combines cold plasma and radiofrequency energy to tighten skin through small incisions, frequently combined with liposuction in the same session for mild to moderate laxity. Current pricing is set out in our Argo Plasma cost guide.

Tummy Tuck

Where skin laxity is significant — most often after major weight loss or multiple pregnancies — a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) surgically removes excess skin and subcutaneous fat, and can repair separated abdominal muscles where present. A tummy tuck can remove up to approximately 5kg of tissue from the abdomen, though this varies significantly between patients and should be treated as a general guideline rather than a fixed figure. It’s worth setting expectations accurately here: a tummy tuck is designed to produce a flatter stomach, not necessarily a dramatically smaller one, since it addresses skin and subcutaneous fat rather than reducing overall body volume. A mini tummy tuck suits more limited lower-abdominal skin excess; a full tummy tuck addresses more extensive laxity, with liposuction of the abdomen and flanks where your surgeon recommends it. Current prices are in our tummy tuck cost guide. See also: liposuction vs tummy tuck — what’s the difference?

Am I a Suitable Candidate for Surgery?

• Predominantly subcutaneous fat — visceral fat cannot be safely treated surgically
• 18 years or older
• Within around 5kg of a stable target weight, ideally maintained for at least three months — these procedures are body-contouring treatments, not weight-loss methods, and significant weight fluctuation after surgery can compromise results
• A BMI under 30 for liposuction — above this threshold, surgical risk increases and weight loss is recommended first
• Non-smoker, or willing to stop smoking for at least two weeks before surgery and throughout recovery
• Realistic expectations about what body contouring can and can’t achieve

A face-to-face consultation with one of our surgeons at 95–97 Baker Street will confirm your suitability and which technique fits your anatomy.

How Is Treatment Performed?

All procedures are performed as a day case at our CQC-regulated Baker Street facility, either under local anaesthetic or TIVA, which is delivered entirely intravenously without inhaled anaesthetic gases for a smoother, faster recovery than traditional general anaesthesia. The treatment area is first infiltrated with a tumescent solution combining local anaesthetic and a vasoconstrictor, reducing bleeding, bruising and swelling. A fine cannula then removes fat through small incisions, preserving the surrounding stromal network to avoid rippling or asymmetry. Where BodyTite or Argo Plasma is combined, the same incisions allow a probe to deliver energy that tightens the skin above the treated area. A tummy tuck additionally involves removal of excess skin through a lower abdominal incision and, where needed, repair of the abdominal muscles.

Recovery

Bruising, swelling and mild discomfort are normal for the first 7-10 days following liposuction, managed with standard pain relief and a compression garment. Strenuous exercise should be avoided for around four weeks. Recovery from BodyTite or Argo Plasma alone is typically quicker; a tummy tuck involves a longer recovery given the more extensive nature of the surgery. Your surgeon will confirm a specific timeline at your follow-up review.

How Much Does Belly Fat Treatment Cost?

• Liposuction
• 360 liposuction (full circumference)
• Argo Plasma skin tightening
• BodyTite
• Mini tummy tuck
• Full tummy tuck (with muscle repair, and liposuction where recommended)

All packages include your surgeon’s fee, anaesthesia, theatre time, dissolvable sutures, your surgeon’s direct number for the first 24 hours, a wound check, and your follow-up review. Your initial consultation fee is redeemable against the cost of your procedure. Finance is available through Chrysalis Finance, subject to status. These procedures are cosmetic and aren’t available on the NHS or covered by private medical insurance.

Are the Results Permanent?

Fat removed by liposuction or the fat-removal component of BodyTite doesn’t return, and skin removed during a tummy tuck doesn’t grow back — provided your weight remains stable afterwards. Significant future weight gain can add new fat to the treated area or elsewhere. Argo Plasma’s tightening effect is gradual and long-lasting but isn’t equivalent to surgical removal where laxity is significant. None of these procedures affect visceral fat, which continues to respond only to lifestyle factors regardless of any cosmetic surgery performed.

Why Choose Centre for Surgery?

Whichever treatment is right for your anatomy, it’s performed by a GMC-registered plastic surgeon at our purpose-built, CQC-regulated hospital on Baker Street, rated “Good” by the CQC. We offer the full range of relevant techniques, so your surgeon recommends what genuinely fits your anatomy and health profile, including being honest when surgery isn’t appropriate — as is the case for visceral fat, regardless of how it’s marketed elsewhere.

Every package includes unlimited pre-operative consultations, a recommended two-week cooling-off period, full pre-operative medical assessment, a dedicated patient coordinator, and full aftercare through your follow-up reviews.

Book Your Consultation

Phone: 020 7993 4849
95–97 Baker Street, Marylebone, London W1U 6RN
Contact us to schedule your consultation

Your initial in-person consultation fee is redeemable against the cost of surgery if you proceed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn More

• Liposuction
• VASER liposuction
• BodyTite
• Argo Plasma skin tightening
• Tummy tuck
• Mini tummy tuck
• Liposuction vs tummy tuck
• How to lose weight before cosmetic surgery
• Muffin top liposuction
• Love handles liposuction
• Loose skin after pregnancy