Belly fat is one of the main problems for many people. Most of the time this fat is very stubborn. Even if you train hard and eat healthy foods belly fat may be still an issue. That’s why in this post I will share what causes belly fat and prevent you from achieving the body of
Some people struggle to lose belly fat more than others. Often carrying weight around your midsection is a genetic factor. But some lifestyle and health factors can also play a role.
The stress of having excess weight affects your self-confidence and mental health, which in turn trickles into every aspect of your life. Many people wonder what they can do, or think they’ve tried everything they can with no real results.
To beat this stubborn belly fat, you should take a look at the things in your life and consider what may be causing you to retain weight around your midsection.
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What causes belly fat
The first and most obvious problem that people face is that you are simply consuming too many excess calories. And usually hand-in-hand with this problem is another: not getting enough exercise or being too sedentary. The situation becomes even more difficult with age. As we age, our metabolism could slow down, or you could simply be born with a naturally slower metabolism.
In the meantime, there are a variety of things that you can look into adding to your routine or changes that you can make to have you well on your way to the waistline that you desire.
#1. Excess calories
The most obvious cause of belly fat is the consumption of an excess of calories of food or drink in your daily life. Nowadays people consume a lot of “empty calories” – foods that are hig in calories but low in nutritional value. Many of us today have diets rich in processed foods, which usually contain extra sugar and simple carbohydrates.
Start by swapping processed foods (anything that comes ready-to-eat or boxed) with fresh, whole foods, and keeping an eye on the amount that you consume by downloading any free app to track your calorie consumption.
Dairy products can be another cause of belly fat. If you eat a lot of
And as much as we all love sweets and junk food, you need to be careful with things like potato chips, soda, and baked goods. Baked goods hit this list as they contain both refined sugar and simple carbs (white flour). Deep-fried foods should also be avoided, if not eliminated from your diet entirely. Margarine should be cut out entirely. It likes to hide in all sorts of processed foods and contains wild amounts of trans fats that are best left alone entirely.
And the final processed culprits that should be avoided are white flour, rice, and most types of cereals. These foods are taken well out of their natural state and have little nutritional value and are best avoided entirely.
How to fix: start being mindful about what products you eat and how many calories they have. Check my free ebook (in the right sidebar of the website) “How to eat healthy” which contains all the information/examples you need.
Also, make sure you consume enough protein and greens. They will nourish your body with the necessary elements and prevent hunger and cravings.
#2. Sedentary lifestyle
The second cause of belly fat is a sedentary lifestyle. Basically, people who sit a lot at work and not getting proper nutrition for their lifestyle have a tendency to carry extra weight.
After adjusting your diet, it is important to consider getting exercise. Burning fat requires to train regularly and frequently. If this is a step you’ve already taken, consider adding either more time or increasing the intensity of the workouts that you’re doing.
If you’ve been doing regular aerobic exercise, but you’re not getting the results you’re wanting, consider adding a strength training routine. Regular strength training can help you, over time, increase your cardiac output and boost metabolism post-workout
But I have also another tip for people with a sedentary lifestyle. If you spend a lot of time working/studying on a computer start standing instead of sitting. For this, you can choose any standing desk you like. My personal preference is this sleek high-quality
Why
#3. Chronic inflammation
The third cause of belly fat I want to mention is chronic inflammation. Inflammation is a vital part of our immune response; it’s the body’s way of healing and defending itself against bacteria and viruses.
The problem is when it becomes chronic and can disrupt metabolism-regulating hormones, causing weight gain and disease.
It’s proved that constant inflammation causes more weight gain and diabesity as it worsens insulin resistance. To burn belly fat you need to improve insulin sensitivity.
Eating too much sugar, high doses of unhealthy oils and fats, stress, and lack of exercise can all cause inflammation.
What you can do to reduce inflammation:
- Reduce the amount of sugar you eat. Choose fruits, berries, and nuts instead.
- Avoid highly-processed foods. For example, fries and other dip-fried meals, pastries, cakes, chips. Other foods you want to avoid are red meat, soda, margarine, frostings.
- Eat anti-inflammatory foods. Check my post “Best anti-inflammatory foods” to get more details about each product from the list.
- Drink more water. Water is thought to help reduce chronic inflammation by reducing acidosis and keeping the body’s PH level in balance.
- Try a good turmeric supplement. Turmeric (curcumin) has amazing anti-inflammatory properties, improves digestion and provides you with antioxidants. Choose the brand with black pepper because it will improve the absorption.
#4. Magnesium deficiency
You may be struggling with burning fat because you don’t get enough magnesium. The recommended amount of magnesium is 310mg for women under 30 and 320 for women over 30.
Higher magnesium levels have been associated with lower levels of fasting glucose and insulin, both of which are associated with being overweight.
How to fix: getting more magnesium in your diet is a matter of consuming more leafy greens, beans, and nuts, or including this magnesium supplement into your diet, in addition to your regular regimen of exercise and eating right.
I recommend taking minimum 200-300mg magnesium a day.
#5. Genetics
Another thing that plays a major role in the storage of excess belly fat and our ability to get rid of it is genetics. Our genetics and our age play a major, if not the biggest role in the ability to lose weight.
The first thing you can do in this situation is to accept that everybody is unique and responds differently to change. It’s important not to get discouraged or frustrated and to allow yourself the time to get moving in the right direction.
I’ve seen many fit girls who complained that they just couldn’t get rid of their belly fat. Even though they are slim enough their arms and breasts lose weight but not their belly.
And even though I focus particularly on tummy weight in my course “Shedding belly in 30 days” and have amazing results in reducing belly pooch, I still encourage you to accept your body shape as it is. Of course, you may significantly improve your current state, make your body toned and looking healthy. But not all of us can have an ideally flat stomach or long lean legs. It always makes sense to enhance your advantages than being obsessed with flaws.
#6. Lack of sleep
And it cannot be stressed enough that an adequate amount of sleep is necessary to shed belly fat. Lack of sleep can disrupt your body’s natural rhythms and keep you from losing weight. Poor sleep can even cause weight gain over time.
Women who lack enough quality sleep throw their body into a state of free fall with chemical balances, and the biggest one that can happen is that when you get less than the recommended amounts of sleep, your body is more likely to produce a hormone known as ghrelin, which is a hormone that stimulates your appetite and can lead you to eat an excess of fatty foods.
Belly fat is stubborn and can be incredibly frustrating to deal with, but when you know where to look to find solutions, it can become much easier to make steps in the right direction. If you know you’re already doing everything you can, it’s important to make sure you keep your chin up and keep working hard. Weight loss is a challenging journey to undertake, but it can really make the difference for your health, both mentally and physically.
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