Being overweight and obese are some of the most common problems from which people suffer all across the globe. The greatest problem with obesity is that it is the precursor of many other serious ailments in the body. Some of these diseases include the likes of cardiovascular ailments, heart diseases, diabetes type-2, insulin resistance, etc. Therefore you must keep your weight under control. And for that, you need to follow a proper diet and also indulge in some kind of exercise. This will help in burning the calories and weight will be reduced.
However, losing weight is not as simple as it seems. This is particularly applicable for belly fat. This fat is highly stubborn and refuses to go. Excess abdominal fat, specifically visceral fat tends to surround the various organs in the stomach and makes the stomach look puffed. This kind of fat deposition might be an indication of various other kinds of serious ailments.
Many people carry out rigorous exercise regimen and workout regularly along with following a strict diet but still fail to get rid of the stubborn belly fat. There are many reasons which might contribute to this problem including genetic factors, hormone functions, and age and so on. In this article, we will discuss in detail some reasons which might be stopping one from losing belly fat inspite of trying all possible means.
Many people who are looking to lose weight effectively have started following the custom keto diet. The specialty of this kind of diet is that it is full of fats and minimum carbohydrates. Since carbohydrates are not available to the body for burning and releasing energy, the body starts using stored fat in the body for energy production. And the majority of this fat is taken from the abdominal region. There are different kinds of keto diets that one can follow. It is recommended to seek consultation from a dietician and understand what kind of keto diet will be best for you for losing weight most effectively.
Some reasons why you are probably not losing belly fat
Inspite of all efforts and attempts of losing belly fat, you might not be able to achieve the target. Mentioned below are some of the probable reasons why you are not losing belly fat:
- You are consuming bad fats – You might not be aware of the fact that there are good fats and bad fats. Fatty acids that are present in whole-grain foods are considered nutritious. Foods that are rich in trans-fat and unsaturated fat contain bad fats in considerable amounts. It has been seen that even some saturated fats are not good for health. The best thing to do is to eat foods which are rich sources of monounsaturated fats. These fats are good and come with anti-inflammatory properties.
- You have insufficient protein in the diet – For maintaining good health and keeping healthy, it is important to follow a diet that has all kinds of nutrients in the form of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins, etc. In case any of the mentioned nutrients are absent from the diet, it means that you are contributing to the problem of belly fat. Proteins play an important role in the secretion of various kinds of appetite-regulating hormones like that of ghrelin. It is also important to note that almost 25% of muscles are made of proteins. Muscles have the capacity of burning more calories than fat, thus having some muscles on the body is useful. Make sure that you include protein-rich foods in the diet like wild salmon, eggs, lean chicken breast, beef, tuna, etc. Also if you follow a rigorous workout regimen, you can supplement with whey protein.
- Eating habits you follow might be poor – This is one of the most common reasons that you are not being able to lose belly fat despite all efforts. If you are looking to get rid of stubborn belly fat, you must chalk out a proper diet plan. There are two ways in which you can set your meals – you can either have 6 small meals or 3 square meals daily. Both the options are healthy and you can choose the one which seems convenient to you. What is important is that the diet that you take should be balanced. It should have the right amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, fats, minerals, etc. Good proteins should make up almost 30% of the diet. Some items which should be included in the diets are seasonal and fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, oats, lean meats, nuts and so on. Along with these, water has to be consumed in the right volumes too for good health.
- You are consuming sodas and sweet beverages – Sodas contain sugar and hence add to calories and trans-fats. Among the various kinds of fattening products available, sugar beverages are the most common. Along with sugar beverages, vitamin water also contains high sugar content. Packed and processed fruit juices are also not very healthy and might lead to obesity. If you are targeting loss of belly fat, you have to permanently bid adieu to sweet beverages and soda drinks.
- Your sodium intake is quite high – Sodium is one of the most important minerals which is required for the proper functioning of the body. As per information from doctors and health professionals, a human being requires 2300mg of sodium every day. More amounts of sodium consumption per day might cause various kinds of health problems. When the amount of sodium is more in the body, it results in the transfer of water to the skin from the bloodstream. Many people have the habit of using table salt or ordinary salt on cheese, salads, and meats and this might lead to weight and health problems. Cut down on salt consumption if you are looking to shed off belly fat and reduce weight.
- You are consuming excessive alcohol – Alcohol consumption has shown to have many bad effects on the body and it causes heart ailments and kidney problems and many other health disorders. Weight gain issues are also common in people with a history of alcohol consumption. Most varieties of alcohol contain sugars and high calories. If you are serious about losing stubborn belly fat from your body and lose weight at the same time, you have to quit the habit of drinking alcohol completely. Instead, you can consume some kind of light beverage occasionally.
- You indulge in late-night snacking – Late-night eating is a very bad habit and should be avoided at all costs. The metabolism of the body gets very slow at night. The undigested calories get stored in the body as fat. When fat gets accumulated in the body, it leads to weight gain. And strangely, the majority of the fat tends to get accumulated in the abdominal area. Late-night snacking mainly takes place because of boredom or due to stress and harms the body greatly in the long run. It is recommended to consume a healthy and hearty dinner and maintain a minimum of 2 hours gap before you go to bed.
- You are highly stressed – You might not know but your stress and tension levels are a major contributor to your belly fat. The fat cells in the body tend to get enlarged with stress. It is said that extra body fat and stress levels in the body are directly proportional to one another. Eliminating stress from your life completely is practically not possible. But you can make positive lifestyle changes and combat the effects of stress as much as possible. Try exercising regularly as this will help in improving physical health, psychological health and also better brain functions.
- Your water consumption volume is not sufficient – Water is one of the most important items which plays an important role in the weight loss process. It has been proved that people who drank water about 25-30 minutes before a meal could lose 40% more weight than others. The calorie-burning rate in humans is increased to a great extent with the help of water. For getting rid of stubborn belly fat, you must drink abundant volumes of water throughout the day.
Along with keeping these things in mind, it is also important that you start some regular exercise. Freehand exercises at home are good to start with. Try these together and see your belly fat diminishing with time.
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