Belly fat is a fact of life — we need it to survive. However, some of us would prefer to lose some of that body fat. This fat tends to gather right above your waistline and can make us feel a little insecure or slow us down.
While you do want a little bit of fat on your body, it is possible to lose excess fat and even replace it with muscle since you need it to function.
To build muscle and lose weight, we all know the tried and true advice: eat fewer calories, make healthier food choices, lift weights, etc. Sometimes that is easier said than done. There might be a few hidden reasons why you are struggling to lose belly fat.
One or more of them might just be why you can't lose that fat around your midsection.
1) You're Too Stressed All the Time
Have you seen those commercials remind you (and the world) that stress leads to belly fat? Well, that particular statement is true. Stress and belly fat go hand in hand.
Your cortisol (stress hormone) levels rise when you're stressed out. This then makes your blood sugar go slightly out of whack, and instead of turning the glucose in your blood into energy, your body instead decides to store that sugary substance since you might need it for energy.
Of course, it does this by turning that glucose into fat stores, which go right to your belly region. When this happens, no matter how much you try to lose it, your stress levels will betray you, causing belly fat to form.
2) Your Diet Is Carb-Heavy
Carbohydrates are great. They provide you with energy, taste good, and, unfortunately, lead to belly fat. Foods filled with fiber take longer to digest, and the body burns calories to digest them. On the other hand, carbs are simple to digest, and the problem starts when you eat too many of them.
If you overdo it on the carbs, your cortisol levels rise, your blood glucose levels go up, and the carbs that aren't used for energy change intobelly fat. To combat this, you need to keep an eye on your carb intake and only eat as many as you need for energy.
Looking for carb options? Try foods like whole grains and starchy veggies as part of a healthy diet.
3) Your Workouts Need Variety
It's easy to get stuck in a workout rut. When you do the same exercises over and over, you stop challenging your body. You may think that every workout is good for you — and, technically, they are. The only problem is that your muscles may not think so.
Weight loss also requires weight training and resistance exercises. (Think sit-ups and crunches, among others.) You need to alternate which muscles you choose to exercise to get your whole body on the same plan. Otherwise, you'll end up in a weird limbo where you’re not really gaining weight, but not losing that fat either.
4) You Focus Exclusively on Cardio
Cardio has its uses. It's awesome for your cardiovascular system, helping strengthen it and improving your overall health. If your goal is to lose belly fat, you need to do more than running on the treadmill or pedaling an exercise bike.
You also need to add some resistance exercises to your aerobic exercise, which will help you build muscle mass throughout your body.
There's no need to stop doing cardio. You can still add this practice to your workout. However, the more you diversify your low and high-intensity exercise, the more your body composition will change.
5) You Don't Get Enough Sleep
Did you know that the average adult needs between seven and eight hours of sleep every single night? This is easier said than done for those who balance multiple things, such as work, childcare, household chores, and more.
For every hour of sleep you lose, you're harming your health and making it more likely that your body will gain belly fat. Those who get less than five hours of sleep a night are more likely to gain weight.
If you want to lose belly fat, make sure that you're getting enough restful sleep each night. As a side benefit, you’ll find that your energy levels will rise as well. Not getting enough sleep isn’t just linked to increased fat storage; it can also increase your chances of high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease.
6) You Appreciate Your Unique Body Type
Some body types tend to put on weight in places where it's hard to get rid of. And, since they're genetically pre-dispositioned to gain that weight, they have to work extra hard.
For example, people who have an apple body shape, with weight gain around the midsection, are not only more likely to end up with belly fat (due to their body type).
Unfortunately, there isn't much that you can do about this since you can't change your body type. Stay gentle and kind to yourself; your body is trying its best!
7) The Cravings Are Hard To Resist
Junk food tastes good, but it really, really isn't good for you. Most of it is highly processed and filled with carbs and sugars. If you eat junk food quite a bit of the time, you'll gain weight and won’t be able to control where that weight goes.
It all comes down to that tricky cortisol and your blood glucose. Your body may think it wants them since these processed foods can give you short bursts of energy. But, nutritionists know that these food cravings can sometimes be more trouble than they’re worth.
8) You Need To Implement More Healthy Food Choices
It's important to eat healthily: You want to havebreakfasts, lunches, anddinners that consist of foods that are good for you. This, combined with exercise, will help with fat loss.
Even intense physical activity and a great strength training practice can’t shoulder all the fat-burning duties alone. Your body also needs proper fuel in the form of nutrition. For your health to improve, you need to both watch what you eat and exercise. The two go hand in hand.
9) Your Metabolism Is Slowing
Did you know that your metabolism slows down as you age? This is particularly true for women. There's a reason why those teenagers appear to be so naturally skinny. They are! The older you get, the slower your metabolism goes, and this makes it tougher to lose weight.
Thankfully, you can improve your metabolism slightly by eating foods that take a while to digest. If you previously had a quick metabolism, you might be able to speed it up a little once you take the right steps toward improving your health.
10) You Might Not Be Eating Enough
Yes, there's such a thing as dieting too much. While you do want to cut back your daily calorie intake, you don't want to overdo it. You need to fuel your body for it to work properly, and that involves eating enough of the right kinds offoods.
This is where your macros come into play. You need to eat a certain number of carbs, healthy fats, and proteins to have enough energy to get through the day and successfully complete your workouts.
What happens if you don't eat enough? Remember how we mentioned what stress does to you? The same thing occurs when your body doesn't get enough food.
It goes into panic mode, and you'll end up gaining weight since your body will start to store everything that it can, just in case. To prevent this, it's crucial to be eating enough food every day. If you need help, ask a registered dietician to help create a menu perfect for you and your fitness journey.
Win, Lose, and Draw Up a New Menu
There are plenty of reasons why you might not be able to lose that belly fat. From genetic reasons (your body shape) to a lack of resistance-type workouts and more, it might be hanging around for more than one reason.
If you want to reduce your belly fat, no matter the reason, then a few tasks are in order. Think about your daily activity, diet, and your unique genetic makeup. Taking each of these factors into account can help you succeed — what works for someone else might not work as well for you.
Getting fit is feeling your best, whatever that means for you and you alone!
Sources:
Belly Fat: 12 Reasons You're Not Losing Weight | Time Magazine
Study: Stress may cause excess abdominal fat in otherwise slender women | YaleNews
Lack of sleep increases unhealthy abdominal fat, study finds | ScienceDaily