Losing belly fat is often the most common reason why people try to lose weight, It is one of the hardest parts to lose fat and often takes the longest.
You have most likely tried different diets, abdominal workouts, smoothes, waist trainers and the list goes on, but you have not been able to lose the fat or you lost some of it but it comes right back.
An article published by web MD (1) showed that half of Americans are trying to lose weight, and this number is increasing every year.
After reading this, you begin to wonder, why is losing weight so complicated. The truth is losing weight is not complicated, all you have to do is eat healthier foods (which we all know), exercise and rest(2).
It is not complicated, but it is hard. It is hard because it is not just about the physical aspect, but also the mental, and this is often overlooked.
We often try to lose belly fat in a week, two weeks, overnight, and this is not realistic and very dangerous(3). That's why in this article I am going to help to realise(4), what is causing you to gain belly fat and how to lose it, in a healthy and safe way.
What causes belly fat?
Belly fat is caused by so many different factors, and that's why you should rush to lose it until you understand what is causing it. The causes can vary from person to person because we are not built the same.
That's why some people lose weight when they are stressed, and some gain weight when they are stressed, so starving yourself might not work for you, just because it worked for someone else.
Poor diet
Everyone knows that food plays a huge role in our body composition( link to my blog on body recomposition) and health. We are often told to eat less and avoid junk food, But most people struggling to lose weight lack knowledge on how different foods affect their bodies.
Sugar and junk food
For example, an article published by Scientific America showed how sugar tricks the brain into wanting more food(6). It was also discovered that eating sweets and sugar captivated the brains' reward circuit just like cocaine and gambling would.
Another 2020 study published by the European Society of Cardiology(7), shows that consumption of excess sugar causes the body to store fat around the heart and abdominal area.” This fat tissue around the heart and abdominal area”, releases chemicals that are harmful to your health(8)
Low protein and fibre intake
Protein plays a very vital role in weight loss and muscle preservation, Higher-protein diets have also proven to improve cardiometabolic risk factors.
A study published by the American Society for Nutrition(9). Found that volunteers who had higher protein diets experienced more weight loss around their abdominal area and their bodies overall, whereas, the volunteers on the lower-protein diet lost less weight.
Genetics
Genetics plays a huge factor in the appearance of a person, and certain traits can be passed on. A twin study found that abdominal obesity is associated with genetics in most volunteers who took part in the study(10).
Poor Sleep
Sleep has been proven to be in association with the production of the hormones Leptin and Ghrelin.
Leptin is also known as the ‘satisfy hormone’ helps to inhibit anger, regulates the body's energy balance and helps to prevent the trigger of hunger responses when the body does not need energy(11)
On the other hand, Ghrelin is often referred to as the ‘hunger hormone’ because it stimulates appetite, food intake and promotes fat storage(12).
lack of exercise
Regardless of weight loss, exercise has proven to be very good for overweight individuals and those at risk of cardiovascular diseases.
It helps with blood flow, and blood flow does play a huge factor in the weight loss process. The reason why the belly is one of the last parts of the body to lose weight is that the blood circulation is not as great as other body parts(13).
Alcohol
Most drinks that we consumed contain a lot of calories, but we don't pay attention to that.
Consumption of large amounts of alcohol has been shown to contribute to weight gain because it is usually associated with a poor diet(14).
How to lose belly fat?
Be patient
Because the abdominal area has low blood circulation, it is one of the last parts of the body to lose weight. (15)
Most people will give up before they can see a difference, and that's why I suggest you are patient and you do it in a healthy way.
1 pound a week is a safe amount of weight to lose, which means you will need to cut out 500 calories from your maintenance calories.
Avoid high-calorie foods
Because you can’t spot-reduce weight, it is important that you eat in a caloric deficit for the weight loss process to kick in.
Avoid eating foods that are low volume and high calories, because you want to get satisfied and still eat in a caloric deficit. (16)
Exercise
Exercise will also help you burn calories and lose weight. This is very important because it also helps to keep your body healthy.
The best exercises for weight loss are a combination of cardio and weight training, cardio really helps with getting your blood flowing and burning fat and weight training helps with building muscle and strength. (17)
Rest
Rest is very important because during exercise the muscles in the body tear and they need some time to heal. That’s why it is important to rest at least twice a week. (18)
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