Why is my belly fat so stubborn?

The majority of the people trying to lose weight always complain about how difficult it is to lose belly fat, with extreme work out, it always appears that the stomach never goes down on time.

I feel my body is really funny, regardless of how slim I get, there are two places in my body that never see the need to get small, that is my cheeks and my stomach. My cheeks remain as big as they are regardless of how slim I get, my stomach on the other hand, although not so big while other parts of my body are getting into shape, is just one part that does not cooperate and align appropriately. Every time I complain to my friends, they just shut me up because they feel my stomach is in a good condition, but you know, as a sweet girl, I want it even flatter (winks).

Belly fat refers to the fat around the abdomen, there are two types of belly fat;

• Subcutaneous: This fat sits under the skin.
• Visceral: This fat surrounds the organ.
  Health complications resulting from visceral fat are more complicated than the fat coming from subcutaneous fat.

pexels

Subcutaneous fats are found under the skin, and some are way deeper, while some fats are found around the heart, liver, lungs, and even around other organs, those fats found in the deeper region are called ''visceral fat'', and they are really dangerous fat.

Surprisingly, even people with flat abs also have some degree of belly fat. However, excessive belly fat can affect health even in a more serious way than other body fats would. Being slim does not mean there is no fat in your body.

The fat doesn't just sit there. It's an active part of your body, making "lots of nasty substances," says Kristen Hairston, MD, assistant professor of endocrinology and metabolism at Wake Forest School of Medicine.

In a good way, visceral fat is needed in the body, it provides a type of cushioning around the organs, but excessive belly fat would lead to; heart disease, type2diabetes, high blood pressure, dementia, breast cancer, colon cancer, asthma, dementia, heart attack, and even stroke.

With every weight gain, the body stores fats in regions that are unusual, the moment when the normal regions for fat storage get full, the body begins to deposit fat in some other weird regions like the organs found around the heart. 1

pexels

Let's quickly discuss some of the common sources of belly fat.

Excessive sugar intake and poor diet: Excessive intake of sugary products and drinks like fruit juice and soda actually results in weight gain, slowing down the metabolism of the body and even reducing the tendency of burning fat.

Stress: When the body is stressed, there is an urge to yearn for more food, cortisol makes those excess calories remain around the belly and other regions of the body.

Excessive alcohol intake: Having too much alcohol would lead to various health complications. Research has shown that excessive alcohol intake causes weight gain around the belly region, especially for the male gender.

Lack of enough exercise: It is not enough to do exercise, but doing less exercise than the number of calories consumed, will result in weight gain.
An inactive lifestyle and complete absence of exercise make it even impossible or more difficult to lose stubborn belly fat.

Genetic factor: Gene contributes significantly to obesity and the development of belly fat. Genes contribute seriously to body metabolism and the risk of developing diseases related to obesity. 2

If belly fat is as dangerous as described, then, of course, we should begin to look for ways to get rid of them as soon as we can.

How do we lose belly fat?

By consuming lots of soluble fiber: When soluble fibers are consumed, it absorbs water and then create a gel that helps to slow down food as the food passes through the digestive system. These fibers actually contribute to weight loss by helping the consumer feel really full, this way, you see the need to consume less food, and the number of calories the body absorbs become lesser as well. Great sources of soluble fiber are; avocados, flax seeds, legumes, and blackberries.

Consume less alcohol: Drinking too much alcohol is really harmful, I listed out some of the great dangers of consuming excessive alcohol in my last post, and according to research, excessive belly fat would definitely make you gain belly fat.

Avoid the consumption of trans fats: When hydrogen is pumped into unsaturated fats, trans fats are created. Common examples of trans fat are; soybean oil, certain kinds of margarine, and spreads are not excepted from this as well (although, so many food producers do not use them any longer). Trans fat is closely related to cause heart disease, inflammation, insulin resistance, and of course, abdominal fat gain.

Less stress: When the body undergoes extreme stress it triggers adrenal glands that produce cortisol (stress hormones), cortisols produced in high amounts in the body, increases appetite, and brings about a greater level of abdominal fat.

Consume food high in protein: Protein intake is extremely important for weight management. People who consume more protein always have fewer chances of having abdominal fat. Protein sources in every meal are definitely a good way to go; egg, meat, beans, fish, and whey protein are good examples of proteins you should include in your meal.

Consume less sugary contents: When sugar is consumed in excess, it creates fructose which is linked to so many chronic diseases when consumed in excess. Through research, a high amount of sugar intake has been discovered to cause high belly fat.
A complete lack of exercise or an inactive lifestyle makes it difficult to lose belly fat. 2

Therapy could also help, with adequate therapy, the right type of food intake, and exercise will be advised. Therapy is often advised for people
who are obese.

The right association: Having buddies who will encourage you to hit the gym at the right time, would do a lot of good. Join a group if necessary to help you stay motivated towards the goal of losing belly fat.3

Burn more calories: It isn't enough to burn calories, the real deal is burning more calories than you actually consume. There are several helpful mobile applications that can be used to track calorie consumption.

Walk: Walking as an exercise is greatly underrated, it is a good entry point for people who do not have a balanced routine for exercise. Start slowly then gradually work your way up the routine process.

Work on building your strength: Training the strength and building muscle helps to replace body fat a lot.

Embrace healthy fat: Trying to lose fat does not mean we should completely stay away from fat, consuming some healthy fat would contribute to helping you lose some fat that may be bad for your body, and still, you can still maintain the required amount of fat needed for the body to function appropriately.

Sleep appropriately: When it comes to weight loss, not getting enough rest would make it difficult for you to lose fat, and sleeping too much too could create some health problems. You want to balance your sleep habit. 4

Conclusion.

Belly fat could be really dangerous, getting rid of them as quickly as we can remains greatly important factor to boost our health. Remember that being slim does not mean, the amount of fat in your body is accurate, continually work out and carry out other helpul routines (as listed above), to help mantain a good health.

For further studies.

https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-truth-about-belly-fat

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323309#summary

https://www.eatthis.com/news-lose-abdominal-fat-science-tips/

https://www.prevention.com/weight-loss/a20458064/new-research-on-how-to-lose-belly-fat/

Hi, I am Tobi a writer, speaker, relationship blogger, and lover of good music. I love making friends and learning from people. Want to hear me speak on relationships and general life issues, you can find my podcast channel Here and I also have a youtube channel where you can listen and watch any episode for free, do not forget to subscribe and share with friends. I sincerely appreciate every love I get from members of the community and do well to keep them coming.

.