8 Reasons You Can't Get Rid of Your Belly Fat

The situation: You've cleared your cabinets of anything that isn't low-fat.

What that has to do with belly fat: Many low-fat processed foods are high in sugar, and you might not know that sugar makes you pack on pounds in the midsection specifically. But equally important is the fact that certain fats—the mono- and polyunsaturated kinds—can actually help you lose abdominal fat, says Chaparro. A diet that's rich in monosaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) can also prevent weight from collecting in your middle in the first place.

What to do about it: Eat more poly- and monounsaturated fats in foods like nuts, olives and olive oil, says Chaparro. Even if you go overboard (they still have calories, after all), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are more likely to be stored as lean tissue instead of fat, suggests research in Diabetes.