Never mind ‘does my bum look big in this?’, stubborn fat around the tummy is probably the most common bodily bugbear, for both men and women. Shifting it becomes even more of a priority when you consider that, according to NHS Choices, fat collecting around your middle poses more health risks than fat that sits elsewhere: “We store spare body fat under the skin and also around the vital organs in our abdomen. Fat around the abdomen causes more health problems than, say, fat carried around the bottom or on the thighs. Having a large amount of tummy fat (when compared to having fat around the bottom or thighs) makes you more likely to develop type 2 diabetes and heart problems.”
With everything being said, there are many reasons why you may not lose the belly fat faster than your expectation, and today we will try to discuss some of them in order to help you get the required result effectively and quickly.
1. Eating too much food during the night
Your late night craving for popcorn turns into an all-out feast. You wake up the next day feeling bloated, uncomfortable and anything but lean. Could your late night eating be one of the reasons you’re not losing belly fat? Absolutely! If you are overeating at night, your body will not have #time to burn this off. So have some veggies late at night and get to #bed early to avoid overeating. Your #abs will thank you the next day with results!
2. Surrendering to the daily stress
Number one rule for conquering abdominal fat? Don’t stress (in fact, make that a rule for life). Libby explains why anxiety can thwart your weight loss efforts: “Cortisol, the stress hormone, plays a part in laying down central adipose tissue (belly fat), so if you are in a stressed state then it will be very hard to shift. Stress can come from many sources- emotional strain, conflict at work or relationship trouble. Destress by building in yoga practice and mindfulness to your daily routine.”
3. Suffering from a sleep deprivation
It’s the c-word again- Libby underlines that ‘a lack of sleep can have a negative effect on cortisol balance’. If you’re struggling to get some shut eye, get to the root of what’s causing your insomnia and learn how to help yourself nod off using expert wellbeing techniques. If you’re in the following situation, however, you’ll be in no doubt as to what’s causing your sleeplessness…
4. Not lifting weights
You are doing endless hours of cardio between the elliptical, running and biking, but your belly is still not as flat as you want it to be. Why can’t you just run off that belly? When you run, you are burning calories during your workout but once you finish, you stop burning calories. In contrast, when you lift weights, you burn calories during your workout session and you continue to burn calories up to two days later. This is because lifting causes micro tears in your muscles and your body uses calories to heal itself. So include 2-3 days of lifting in your current routine to help achieve the abs of your dreams!
5. Consuming sugary drinks
If you are consuming sports drinks, fruit drinks or sodas, you may feel the difference in the roller coaster of energy you feel and see the difference in your waistline. Switch to water with lemon, which can help you alleviate bloating and get back to your skinny jeans in no time!
If you’re diet and fitness regimes are shipshape, but you're still not losing any weight, it may be a good idea to seek medical advice. Hormonal disruption can affect fat distribution, so consulting a hormone expert, but book an appointment with your GP first for a general health check.
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