How To Get Rid Of Lines On Stomach: Say Goodbye To Stomach Creases

Have you noticed that carrying extra weight is causing stomach creases?

You may have seen them before in passing while getting dressed and wondered when they appeared, and if it just means you need to lose weight.

The truth is, belly creases are something many of us experience, even at leaner body levels. It’s also something many of my clients have expressed distaste for over my decade as a trainer. 

So, let’s talk about how to get rid of lines on the stomach.

To do this, we need to analyze what they really are, why you got them, how to avoid them, and how to minimize their appearance.

Let’s dive in. 

How to get rid of lines on stomach?

To get rid of stomach line creases, consider reducing body weight. Creases around the abdominal area are the result of your belly folding when you are in the seated position. 

Improving your diet, drinking more water, and reducing your caloric intake will reduce body weight and the occurrence of your waistline folding over in the seated position.  

What are stomach lines/creases?

Stomach creases are lines on your skin where your belly folds when sitting. You can often still see them even when you stand up.

While this can be due to holding excess weight around the waist, it’s also common in people  with healthy body weight. 

Why do I have lines on my stomach?

Stomach lines stick around when the skin folds over and is left in this position for an extended period of time. 

If our daily routine is centered around sitting at a desk, we are likely not burning enough calories throughout the day.

This leads to weight gain and poor posture as maintaining the upright position while sitting can be difficult. As our body weight increases the belly fat begins to fold, creating creases in our skin. 

Over time, if we are not proactive in changing our nutrition and movement habits, our weight can increase and so can the number and appearance of stomach lines.

How To Avoid or Prevent Stomach Lines

Avoiding and preventing stomach lines can be done by monitoring weight, getting more exercise, and making better food choices.

Here are the best ways to help prevent belly creases from appearing. 

Monitor Visceral Fat

An excellent way to avoid and prevent belly creases is to keep track of the weight that you are carrying around your abdomen. 

Below is a list ways to determine if the weight around your belly is at a healthy level. 

Waist Size

Measuring your waist is one of the simplest ways to monitor the fat around your belly.

Scientific studies indicate that reducing waistline measurements can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. 

It’s suggested that less than 32 inches is ideal for women and less than 35 inches is best for men.

Those who are above these ranges are at increased risk of coronary events and diabetes. 

The great thing about measuring your waistline is it takes just a minute and can help you prevent those belly creases and monitor your overall health. 

Waist-to-Hip-Ratio (WHR)

The waist-to-hip-ratio is a simple calculator that can help you determine whether you are in a healthy weight range.

Studies indicate that increased waist-to-hip-ratio is linked with heart attack.

The WHR recommends that men stay under 0.95  and 0.80 for women.

To find out your WHR, try this WHR calculator.

BMI (Body Mass Index)

Body mass index can help you determine if you are in a healthy weight range.

Studies suggest that a BMI of over 30 which is considered obese, have a high risk of comorbid disorders such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. 

To find out your BMI, try this calculator. This will give you an accurate reading of BMI based on your age, gender, height and weight.

A disclaimer for the BMI is that it does not take into account your muscle mass, so if you still have a considerable amount of mass, it may push you up into a high category. 

This is why using a variety of measurements is better for determining your healthy weight range. 

DXA/DEXA Scan

The DEXA scan is the one of the most effective ways of determining fat mass and muscle distribution.

How it works is that the machine uses low-dose x-rays to give an accurate reading of our body mass.

This is an incredible tool if you want to take your visceral fat monitoring to the next level and get a true insight of your current weight and progress.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

Maintaining a healthy weight can be invaluable for avoiding stomach lines.

For many of us, we understand what our healthy weight looks and feels like. It’s how our energy levels feel, our ideal clothing size.

However, if you’re unsure about your healthy weight range, consider trying this ideal weight calculator. 

Add your age, gender, and height to determine your weight. For more accurate weight monitoring, consider using this BMI calculator.

While these aren’t exact and do not take into account muscle mass, using them together can give you a great indication of your healthy weight range. 

Increase Daily Movement

Moving more is one of the simplest ways to get more active and start burning extra calories.

When we sit for extended periods of time, we reduce energy output, leading to weight gain. This additional weight, plus our long hours in the seated position, can increase the amount of belly fat and skin folding.

Therefore, increasing our daily movement also reduces the time our skin is stuck in the folded position. 

Stop Eating Processed Foods

Cleaning up and monitoring your eating habits is one of the most effective ways to prevent stomach lines.

Poor food choices include high calorie foods with poor nutrient density and unhealthy fat content.

Studies indicate that processed food contains trans fats, which are linked to increased weight gain and abdominal fat deposits.  

Additional research links processed food options with obesity and metabolic syndromes such as diabetes, and high blood pressure.

By decreasing your consumption of processed foods you will reduce the chances of unnecessary weight gain and the incidence of belly lines.

Can you get rid of stomach creases?

Yes, you can get rid of stomach creases by losing weight, being more active, and improving posture. 

Belly creases are the result of additional fat being stored around the belly. When we sit, the skin folds.

By reducing body weight and sitting in an upright position we can reduce the folding of the skin and reduce the appearance of belly creases. 

Why should I get rid of lines on my stomach?

Related: 12 Best Ab Wheel Exercises

While many people may find stomach creases and lines unpleasant to look at, they may be a sign of further health risks.

Stomach lines can be found in healthy individuals, but when we gain weight and more of these lines begin to appear, it may be a warning sign to start exercising. 

Research has linked being overweight with health conditions including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, hypertension, and cancer.  

Further studies illustrate how it can contribute to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.

The occurrence of stomach lines may also be a sign that you have a sedentary lifestyle, with additional studies documenting how remaining seated can contribute to these health risks. 

How To Get Rid of Lines on Stomach

Stomach lines are the result of an unhealthy body weight and the additional fat stored around our trunk.

Here are the exact steps to take that can help you to get rid of stomach creases.

Decrease Body Fat

The excess weight we carry around our belly is directly related to our stomach creases.

When we have an increased level of body fat stored around our belly, it will fold when we sit down, creating stomach lines.

By decreasing body weight through correct nutrition and exercise we can decrease body fat and reduce the sites which our skin folds.

Improve Nutrition

Eating fewer calories is a great place to start. But if you’re serious about making long-term changes to your body and keeping them that way, improving your nutrition is a must.

To do this, we recommend eating nutrient and protein-rich foods.

Research indicates that consuming these types of foods reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

This will help reduce intake of trans fats, and food high in sugar that often lead to more cravings and greater energy crashes.  

Drink Water

Drinking water can be a great way to keep us full, especially when we are trying to lose weight.

Often, when we begin our calorie deficit and reduce our food intake, our body can feel like it is nagging constantly for food.

Studies show that drinking water before and during a meal can increase satiety. 

Feeling hungry is natural in the beginning stages of your calorie deficit. Having a bottle of water on standby is a great way to stop the nagging and stick to your weight loss plan.  

Get More Sleep 

Getting enough sleep is crucial when it comes to losing weight.

Scientific literature suggests that when we do not get enough sleep our body can secrete increased levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin.

When this happens, our appetite increases, leading us into making poor food choices. 

Poor sleep also increases levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which can alter our mood, again leading us to seek comfort from poor-quality foods.

Getting at least seven to eight hours of sleep per night can have a considerable impact on your weight and help get rid of stomach creases.

Exercise Regularly

Regular exercise is one of the best tools for getting rid of stomach creases. 

Exercise in the form of resistance training not only burns calories when we are training, but long after our session. 

Science indicates that aerobic training is both effective in reducing fat mass and total body mass.

Further research identifies high-intensity exercise interval sessions to be effective in reducing abdominal fat and abdominal visceral fat (fat around organs).

Performing an exercise routine that consists of resistance training and steady state cardio can be a highly effective way to expend energy and position ourselves in a calorie deficit.

This helps to increase lean muscle mass, decrease fat mass, and reduce the appearance of stomach creases.

Improve Posture

Improving posture is one of the simplest ways to get rid of stomach creases.

When we sit in a slouched position, our lumbar flexes creating folds in our skin, creating belly creases.

If you assume a more upright position with our chest up and our spine in the neutral position we will reduce the amount of fold in our skin.

Combining this with weight loss will go a long way to getting rid of those stomach lines.

Pro Tips for Getting Rid of Stomach Creases Safely  

When it comes to losing weight and getting rid of stomach creases, it can be tempting to jump straight into a strict dieting and exercise routine.

However, this rarely works long-term as it is too restrictive to stick with. Even when people do lose weight, they often bounce back with binge sessions.

With this in mind, here are some pro tips for safely getting rid of horizontal fat lines on the stomach.

Maintain a Caloric Deficit

Related: 15 Easy to Make, Tasty Weight Loss Meals Under 500 Calories

The most effective means of getting rid of stomach creases is to reduce your weight, which will require a caloric deficit. This means we burn more calories than we are eating.

A deficit of around 100-200 calories is a great start, helping you to gradually adjust to a lower caloric intake. 

To determine your exact calorie intake try this our advanced macro calorie calculator.

Just add your age, gender, height, and current activity level. Once you have your suggested calorie intake, put this number into a calorie counting application such as MyFitnessPal.

When you input your calorie target, the app will break down your daily calorie intake and macros.

You will be able to adjust or increase your calorie deficit for greater weight loss. 

Increase Protein Intake

Increasing your protein intake is crucial when it comes to losing weight, as it helps us recover, build muscle, and stay fuller for longer.

Studies show that eating 1.6g-2.2g of protein per kilogram of body weight is needed to build muscle. 

Consider using a protein supplement to get enough daily protein.

By prioritizing our protein intake, we will not only remain full for a greater duration, but will reduce the chances of cravings and may minimize snacking.

Walk 10,000 Steps Per Day

Walking is an excellent tool when it comes to exercise and supplementing your training.

For many of us, being stuck in the seated position is our daily reality, and we rarely move enough to burn the calories we are consuming.

Which can lead to weight gain.

Walking is the easiest way to get moving after long days in the seated position and burn those extra calories.

Research links a sedentary lifestyle to increases of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer.   

Getting up and moving will not only help us lose weight but improve our health and quality of life. 

Lift Weights

Resistance training is a great way to build lean muscle mass and burn energy over a greater period of time.

Studies show that performing weight sessions created an increase in 24-hour energy expenditure.  

This can be an incredible tool as not only will you be burning calories for longer, but you will also be increasing your lean body mass. 

Final Thoughts

Stomach creases can be far from desirable for many of us, but they are a part of life, as even the healthy among us have them.

But if you’re noticing that there are more appearing, or they look deeper than they used to, maybe it’s time to consider a healthy lifestyle change. 

When you set out to get rid of stomach lines, be sure to take your time, improve your nutrition, drink more water, get more sleep, and exercise regularly.

The belly creases will begin to disappear, and most importantly, you’ll make major improvements to your health and wellbeing.

So, have you got stomach lines?

What tips here do you think you can implement to begin getting rid of them?

Let us know in the comments.