Shedding extra belly fat is a common objective for many Americans. Staying at a healthy weight and body fat level is crucial for overall health, but the kind of abdominal fat you have can impact your health differently. These are six factors that can lead to the buildup of excessive belly fat:
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1. Too Much Sugar
Studies suggest that a diet high in excess sugar can result in abdominal fat gain. In addition, added sugar has been proven to impact overall health negatively. Overeating sugar, mainly from fructose, can cause fat to accumulate in your midsection and liver.
While reasonable amounts of fructose and glucose are vital for well-being, overindulging can contribute to stubborn belly fat.
2. Failing to Eat Whole Foods
You are not incorporating whole foods into your diet if you consume mainly packaged and highly processed foods. To eat more whole foods, steer clear of fast food, sugary cereals, candy, pastries, and cakes.
The more unprocessed your food is, the more nutritious and wholesome it is. Focus on eating whole grains, which provide complex carbohydrates, when cooking at home or eating out. These carbohydrates are crucial for your body and brain to function correctly.
Whole grains also offer fiber that helps balance out other simple sugars in your diet and supports digestive health and proper intestinal function. What are considered whole grains? Any food that includes all original components of the entire grain seed retains its nutritional value even when processed through crushing, rolling, extraction, or cooking.
3. Lack of Sufficient Protein
The significance of protein as a crucial macronutrient in shedding belly fat can’t be overemphasized. Adequate consumption of protein has the potential to ignite your metabolism and curb cravings, making it a highly effective tool in weight loss. Research has indicated a correlation between protein consumption and a decline in abdominal fat. When picking protein sources, it’s crucial to opt for lean animal-based protein.
4. Low or No Physical Activity
Inactivity can obstruct weight loss progress, let alone melting abdominal fat. Incorporating exercise into your weekly routine is the most effective way to enhance physical activity. To reach your weight loss goals, aim for 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, 75 minutes of intense aerobic activity, or a combination of both per week, as advised by the guidelines. It’s recommended to distribute this workout evenly throughout the week; more significant amounts of exercise yield more health benefits.
5. Consuming Big Portions
Consuming significant portions increases the likelihood of excess calories being stored as fat. This is because your body can only process a limited amount of food. Eating smaller, more frequent meals and snacks can improve the body’s food metabolism efficiency. Opting for smaller meals may boost metabolism, whereas large portions can slow it down. Cultivate the habit of eating smaller portions.
6. Stress
Excessive cortisol levels correlate with abdominal obesity. A study at Yale indicates that women who are susceptible to stress and aren’t overweight tend to have more abdominal fat and higher cortisol levels, a stress hormone.
Cortisol influences fat distribution by causing the storage of fat around vital organs. Studies on animals suggest that cortisol exposure may increase visceral fat, the fat surrounding the organs. People with medical conditions linked to extreme cortisol exposure, such as chronic depression and Cushing’s disease, also tend to have a lot of visceral fat.
Slimming down and achieving a flat belly can be challenging, but you can progress toward your desired physique by avoiding the shocking habits that sabotage your goals. By breaking these habits and adopting a healthier lifestyle, you can work towards your flat belly goals and achieve a healthier, happier you.
