Belly fat is usually hard to burn off and the most stubborn fat to lose in the body. This is because the fat cells that are around the lower abdomen are the type of fat known as beta fat cells. Beta fat is difficult to burn off.
If you have been exercising regularly and eating a balanced diet, and there is no change in your belly size, you should consider visiting a health screening clinic https://www.healthscreening.clinic/ to check if you are healthy.However, here are a few things that could be the cause of this problem.
- You are not getting the recommended hours of sleep.
Several reasons keep people awake late into the night. From surfing the internet to having a habit of taking late-night coffee, the reasons are endless. Getting little sleep leaves you feeling tired and restless in the morning. It also affects weight loss.
When you do not get enough sleep, it affects your hormone balance. This, in turn, affects your hunger level the next day because the level of the hormone which makes you feel hungry (ghrelin) rises while the level of the hormone which makes you full (leptin) fall. It means that you get to eat more than you should but feel less satisfied.
Endeavour to go to bed on time and avoid this as it could cause a distraction to your sleep.
- You are not doing the right type of exercises.
Focusing on only exercises for your abdominal region like crunches would not burn off your belly fat. The body usually stores excess fat as energy in your adipose tissues which are present in the belly. So focusing on the entire body exercises as well would help you get rid of your belly fat. Try doing high-intensity interval training (HIIT) because it helps you burn fat and increases your heart’s pumping rate. This type of exercise includes burpees, treadmill sprints, squats, amongst others.
- You are taking in excess sugar.
It may be hard to lose weight if your diet is made up of sports drinks, flavoured water, sweetened drinks, and sugary foods like cakes. Generally, eating fruits and vegetables are beneficial to the body but, eating an excess of them could lead to weight gain because of the high level of natural sugar in them. Some low-fat foods may also contain a high level of sugar.
If you want to lose weight as well as body fat, try reducing the quantity of simple carbohydrate you eat and take healthier substitute like courgette. It would not be easy, but by reducing, not eliminating the carbohydrate content of your diet, you stand a better chance of reducing your belly fat.
- Your protein intake is insufficient.
Proteins are essential for weight reduction because they build and preserve the body’s muscles. They also help increase the number of calories you will burn, provide energy, and make you feel full for a long time.
Good sources of protein include chicken breast, chickpeas, egg, tuna, and milk. If you have difficulty with eliminating carbohydrate-rich snacks from your diet, try substituting them for protein shakes or bars. Ensure that your protein diet is made up of lean sources of protein because some protein-rich foods also have a bit of saturated fat.
- You are always feeling anxious or stressed.
When you feel anxious or stressed, your body produces a hormone known as cortisol. Cortisol increases your craving for sugary food that supply instant energy and a feeling of pleasure. Although, short term bursts of cortisol is necessary to help us during immediate danger, its release when feeling anxious or stressed affects your weight loss process.
- You are expecting the process to be quick.
People usually get impatient and frustrated when trying to lose weight and, there is no significant change in the first few weeks. Try to be realistic because the change doesn’t happen overnight. It would take a while for you to adapt to your new weight loss habits fully. Be patient with the process, try sticking to your new lifestyle changes for about eight weeks or more, you should start noticing changes.
- You are not monitoring your progress.
There are several ways to keep track of your progress. Use an app or wearable tech device that helps you follow your weight loss program by monitoring your goals, food intake, and amount of calories burnt during exercise.
- You are crash-dieting
Crash-dieting means to cut down on your food intake completely. This could help you at first to lose some weight but won’t keep the weight off for a long time. Most people consider this as a quick and easy option but, it can also be harmful to your health because if your intake of calories is too low, your body goes into starvation mode, slowing down your metabolism. This makes it difficult to lose weight.
The right thing to do is to make good and healthy changes to your lifestyle that provide more advantage in the long run.
- You are doing more than you should
During your weight loss program, you need as much rest as you need exercises. Exercising too much prevents your body from shifting the excess fat. When you do not get enough rest, the level of your steroid hormone (cortisol) will increase and, this causes you to lose belly fat by increasing your craving for food.
Doing excess exercise would also increase your risk of having an injury, so endeavour to create some time for resting.
- Difficulty finding the right type of exercises.
With the numerous weight loss exercises available, it could be hard to find the right type of workout to help you burn your belly fat. You should try HIIT and strength (resistance) exercise to help you increase your heart rate and burn the excess fat.
Try lifting weights, using weight machines or resistance bands because they can help you lose weight and increase your muscle strength. You should also try to have a mix of exercises for the whole body to avoid getting bored.
- You are not motivated enough.
This is usually the hardest part of losing weight and body fat because, truth be told, changing your lifestyle could be difficult. It is also hard to stay motivated to achieve your goal so, if you feel motivated to continue, ask someone to join you for your workouts or become accountable to someone.
While it is necessary to do your exercises and, eat right when you are trying to lose weight, ensure you stay healthy and visit a screening clinic regularlyfor check-ups.
Get your health screening today at Health Screening Clinic. Call us now on 020 71837056 or book online to see a health professional.
