12 Reasons You Are Not Losing Belly Fat – “The killer fat”

1. You are eating the wrong foods.

Unhealthy eating is the biggest driver of big bellies.  Too many carbohydrates and bad fats are a perfect recipe for the midsection to expand. Eat plenty of vegetables and lean meat protein like chicken and fish.

Even a moderate cutback on rice, rotis, pasta, sweets and sugar can help decrease the belly fat.

2. You are just too much into food.

Belly fat can be under the skin called subcutaneous belly fat. It can also be under your abdominal muscles and around vital organs in the abdomen called visceral fat which really needs to go. Visceral fat increases the risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Visceral fat can also increase risk of hypertension.

 Eating too much is to blame for belly fat. Limiting your food portions can keep visceral fat down.

3. You are smoking.

Studies have shown that smoking leads to more abdominal and visceral fat.

So, you have one more good reason to quit smoking.

4. You are stressed out

When the stress hormone cortisol runs through your body, fat starts to reside in your belly. Talk to your psychiatrist about how to handle your stress.

Physical exercise, meditation and yoga can help ease it.

5. You are not exercising enough.

Losing belly fat is not going to be easy unless you are physically active. If your belly is stretching out too much you need regular physical exercise like brisk walking, running, cycling or swimming.

6. You are doing the wrong exercise.

Sit-ups or stretching exercises are not enough.  Choose aerobic exercises like walking, cycling or running which work best for burning belly fat.

7. You  like your beer and booze

It is not just beer that makes that beer belly pop out. All forms of alcohol including whiskey, wine, vodka and rum have calories and can cause belly fat.

If you drink, remember to drink in moderation. Up to two standard drinks a day for men and one standard drink a day for women is permissible as per research.

8. You are into energy drinks and soft drinks.

Sports drinks, energy drinks and soft drinks are loaded with sugar. If you drink too many of them, you are setting yourself up for weight gain and belly fat.

9. You are not drinking enough water.

 Studies show that drinking more water can help you lose weight. Water is the only beverage that can hydrate your brain and body without adding empty calories and can help you trim that belly fat.

10. You have the genes.

Yes, your family history affects your chances of obesity and your genes also have a say in where you store your fat.

Striking the right balance between your “input” and “output” of calories can help you keep away belly fat, despite your genes.

11. You are not sleeping well.

If you are not sleeping well, you are jump starting stress hormones which in turn encourage belly fat. Learn good sleep habits to stay away from belly fat.

12. You are obsessed with the scale.

The good news is that you might be losing belly fat and not even realize it if you are eating well and exercising right.

Your waist size is more important than your weight.  If your waist line is decreasing, you may have replaced some of that nasty belly fat with muscle

If you are stressed out, not sleeping enough, drinking too much or smoking you are at a high risk of accumulating belly fat. If you need help please contact our Expert Neuro Psychiatrist Dr. Kranthi Kiran ,M.D., at American Center for Neuropsychiatry. Call : +91 8121800400, +91 8121200400.