You do sports at least once a week – and yet your belly fat does not want to melt? This is probably due to one of the following 12 reasons.
1. You are doing the wrong workout
Jogging sessions may be good for the heart, but cardio training alone is not enough to lose fat on the stomach. Better is a combination of endurance training and strength training: With strength exercises, namely, muscles are built, which cause the body to burn fat continuously. Kate Patton, a nutritionist at a clinic in Cleveland, recommends a 250-minute, medium-intensity workout – or a 125-minute, high-intensity workout every week.
2. You are getting older
Both men and women experience a declining metabolic rate as they grow older. This means that the body also needs fewer calories than in previous years. In women, in addition to this age-related change between the ages of 45 and 55, menopause occurs. When women gain weight during or after this phase, it is usually on the abdomen.
3. You eat too many processed foods
Refined cereals in the form of white bread, crackers and crisps as well as refined sugars in soft drinks and sweets increase the risk of inflammation in the body. “Belly fat is associated with inflammation, so eating too much processed food will reduce your ability to lose belly fat,” explains Patton in an interview with Health. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are full of antioxidants that have anti-inflammatory abilities – and avoid belly fat.
4. Your workout does not challenge you enough
To get rid of stubborn belly fat, you need to continually increase your training. People who undergo a high-intensity exercise program lose more belly fat than people who exercise at low intensity, according to one study. “You have to train with the utmost intensity because the goal is to burn calories – and intense exercises do that,” says Natalie Jill, a San Diego personal trainer. By the way: losing weight without exercise is possible – but laborious.
5. You bet on the wrong fats
A flat stomach is not necessarily the result of a low-fat diet. Some fats are good for the body – you just have to know which ones. Studies show that higher levels of saturated fat, especially in animal foods such as meat and dairy, lead to an increase in stomach fat . On the other hand, unsaturated fatty acids that are present in omega-3 fatty acids (linseed oil, walnut oil, rapeseed oil) and omega-9 fatty acids (olive oil, seed oil, corn oil) are good for the body. These fats increase energy consumption and also keep the cardiovascular system healthy.
6. You are stressed
Bills, children, deadlines in the job: There are many causes of stress. However, when it starts to run out, it will be hard for you to get rid of unwanted pounds – especially around your middle. On the one hand, one tends to eat fatty and high-calorie foods when stressed out. On the other hand, during stressful phases you produce the hormone cortisol, which can expand your fat cells.
7. You save sleep
Many people are struggling with lack of sleep for a variety of reasons. As a result, the responsible for the appetite hormones Grehlin and leptin fall off, which has an increased appetite for hunger. And that in turn requires an increase in weight. The problem: Those who have stress often have to struggle with sleep disorders. Here, it is important to get active – and to pay attention to a healthy sleeping allowance especially in the case of stress. And in the best case, that’s seven to nine hours of sleep.
8. You have an apple-shaped physique
Do you tend to put fat on your stomach, but your hips and legs do not have one gram too much? Then you probably have an apple-shaped physique. In this case it will be difficult to get a flat stomach. However, the project is not entirely hopeless. There are great exercises to train the stomach.
9. You are unmotivated
Most people want to slim down a bit to look better. This is usually not enough to get rid of the stubborn pounds on the stomach and stay on the ball. Take your time and put the real reasons and benefits of your weight loss program on paper. Whenever you want to give up your training goals and healthy dietary rules, you get new motivation – black and white.
10. You are ill
Another cause of your stomach fat not minimizing could be a metabolic disease. You may have hypothyroidism or a cortisol household disorder. Or does your tummy possibly go back to medications that have unsightly side effects? In particular insulin, drug contraceptives, antidepressants or neuroleptics have this side effect more frequently in the package leaflet.
11. You do not rely on apple cider vinegar
Who wants to lose weight on the stomach, should definitely put on apple cider vinegar. Because he is a real all-round talent: He is not only good for the skin, but also for the stomach and intestines. In the intestine, apple cider vinegar provides a harmonious ratio of “good” bacteria, which in turn contributes to the regulation of digestion. Experts recommend one to two tablespoons a day, which are drunk diluted with water. With a pinch of cinnamon, the taste can be neutralized.
12. You do not know any thermogenic spices yet
Thermogenic spices stimulate the metabolism, increase the burning of fat and therefore, of course, also help with weight loss. But what seasonings are meant? Cayenne pepper, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon and cumin, among other things, increase the temperature of the body when eating and thus burn energy and calories. Specifically, the spices contribute ten percent to the daily calorie consumption.