Last Updated on September 4, 2019 by Femniqe
Just to be clear, having a little belly fat is actually good for you because it protects your intestines, stomach and other delicate organs.
It becomes an issue when you have excessive belly fat. Extra fat cells that lay deep in your abdomen, otherwise known as a visceral fat, can cause health problems such as heart disease and diabetes.
For some people when they decide to lose some belly fat they actually lose it.
On the other hand, others find it a struggle to lose stubborn belly fat.
After reading this post you will have a clear understanding of some of the most common reasons why you’re not losing belly fat.
1. Stress can cause stubborn belly fat
It’s very common to find yourself eating uncontrollably when you’re feeling stressed or emotional.
The next time you find yourself eating mindlessly try to snap out of it before your desire for junk food increases.
There’s a direct correlation between emotional eating and unhealthy eating.
Whenever you are going through an emotional time you’re more likely to eat junk foods than healthy foods. That’s because junk foods are very tasty and comforting (not that healthy foods aren’t).
The best way to respond to stress is by drinking a glass of water, taking a relaxing walk or simply talking to a friend.
Try to choose an activity that doesn’t involve eating as this will stop you from taking in extra calories when you’re feeling stressed or emotional.
There’s a hormone called cortisol that is produced whenever your body is feeling stressed. The problem with this hormone is that it can lead to weight gain when produced in excess, especially in the lower abdominal area.
What you can do is exercise as it can improve the brain’s chemical levels that regulate and improves your fat metabolism and your mood.
2. Using a large plate every time you eat
No matter what it is, a buffet dinner or just a regular meal at home try to pay attention to the size of the plant that you use.
Studies have shown that people who prefer larger plates over smaller or medium size ones are more likely to gain weight.
In a large plate you have more space for more food, but how does this cause belly fat? it’s very simple.
Whenever you use a big plate you’re more likely to go massive on your food and more likely to consume more than your body requires which will lead to more fat stored in the body.
To avoid this, simply use a smaller plate each time and resist the urge to go back for more.
Doing this will ensure that your flat belly goals are achieved faster.
3. Eating very late at night
Your body burns fat when you sleep but if you go to bed with a full stomach it won’t do so efficiently.
Aside from the fact that it can cause belly fat, eating late at night can increase the risk of developing acid reflux and indigestion.
This happens because gravity is no longer able to pull the food in your tummy straight down.
To avoid these issues consider eating a small amount of meal at nights and don’t lie down for at least 2-3 hours after dinner.
You can check out 25 late night healthy snacks.
4. Drinking fizzy drinks regularly
If somehow you’re still drinking soda on a regular basis then you don’t appreciate your body.
Sorry but there is no other way to say it.
Soda does absolutely nothing for your body except destroys it.
According to studies, consuming 1 to 2 bottles of soda daily can increase your waistline at least five times faster than those who hardly drink soda in the course of the week.
The thing about soda is that it’s designed to increase your craving for food so that you end up eating way more than you should during your meal times.
Even if the bottle says diet on it it isn’t better than the regular ones since they all contain deadly artificial sweeteners which will only increase your appetite, causes weight gain, pack your body with too much sugar and increase the risk of some of the most deadly diseases such as diabetes and cancer.
So if you’re craving for a satisfying drink opt for healthy green juices, smoothies or a glass of water mixed with lemon.
Each time you choose a healthy drink over soda you’re doing your body a very good favor, not only for losing belly fat.
So it’s simple, stop drinking soda.
5. Drinking too much processed fruit juices
Yes they are fruit juices but there’s a catch. Packaged fruit juices are normally packed with a lot of sugar even if it says 100% unsweetened.
Even though fruit juices provide some minerals and vitamins the fructose it contains can boost your insulin resistance and cause belly fat gain.
A better option is to drink unprocessed fruit juices that you can make from home.
6. Not consuming enough healthy fats
A lot of people think that all fats are bad but that’s very far from the truth.
Your body needs healthy fats otherwise known as monounsaturated fats. These type of healthy fats can be found in foods such as olive oil seeds and avocados which do a job melting belly fat.
Be careful in consuming too much as they are still high fat foods. It must be done in moderation.
7. Your diet doesn’t have enough protein
When you increase your protein intake you can easily balance out your blood sugar while reducing insulin levels to promote a much faster metabolic rate.
The average adult needs at least 20 to 25 g of protein in each meal. However, it depends on your activity level and body size.
Another thing is the protein helps to control hormones that increases your appetite and that will help you to lose weight naturally.
To boost your protein intake try to eat high-protein foods such as turkey, cheese, eggs, salmon, skinless chicken and lentils.
These are some of the best protein foods to eat to help you lose belly fat.
8. Menopause
This varies for everyone but getting fat during menopause is very common.
During puberty estrogen signals the body to begin storing fat in areas such as thighs and hips in preparation for possible pregnancy. This additional fat isn’t harmful although it can be very hard to lose in different cases.
Menopause typically happens one year after a woman has her last menstrual period.
During this time the estrogen levels drop dramatically which results in fat being stored in the abdomen instead of hips and thighs.
For some women they gain more belly fat during this time although it sometimes depends on genetics.
But with regular exercise and healthy eating you can always keep excess belly fat at bay.
9. Alcohol
Beer have been link to abdominal fat and some studies have revealed that the amount of alcohol and the type that you consume can lead to weight gain.
Some alcohols are harmful while some are healthy. For example, red wine when consumed in moderate amounts can lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
However, high alcohol intake can lead to inflammation and liver disease.
Another thing to bear in mind is that alcohol can also suppress the fat burning process and the extra calories gain from drinking alcohol are mainly stored as fat in the abdomen.
The solution is simple, control the amount of alcohol you consume on a weekly basis.
Just be moderate as over doing anything is not good for you.
10. Not active enough
One of the biggest causes of belly fat is the lack of sufficient physical activity. People who live an inactive lifestyle and have an irregular exercise routine will always have increased risk of gaining weight.
The biggest problem with an inactive lifestyle is that it causes the fat burning process to be incomplete which can lead to excess accumulation of fat.
This cause diseases such as heart problems, diabetes and hypertension.
But you can easily avoid this by just exercising regularly even if it’s 15 minutes a day.
Doing high intensity exercises is the best option if you don’t have a lot of time to exercise.
Another thing is that if you can walk to your destination do that instead of taking a cab and instead of taking the elevator take the stairs.
11. Not enough high-intensity workouts
As mentioned earlier, doing high intensity workouts or HIIT can result in losing belly fat faster.
It’s so effective because it’s good at reducing insulin, cortisol and it burns way more calories in less time.
SUPER FAT-BURNING MOVES YOU CAN DO
Other good examples are biking, running and doing some squats. In the video below is a powerful belly fat burning HIIT workout you can do.
12. Eating too much trans fat foods
Trans fat is one of the most unhealthy fats and is created by adding hydrogen to unsaturated fats so as to make them more stable.
Trans fats are typically used to extend the shelf life of packaged foods such as biscuits, crackers, baking mixes, muffins, fast foods and 95% of deep fried foods.
Studies have shown that trans fat cause inflammation, diabetes and heart disease.
It has also been linked to weight gain.
Now you should have an idea of what might be causing you not to lose your belly fat, but by making some simple changes in your daily life you can lose belly fat without taking any pill or special cream.