Belly fat is stubborn, so many people struggle to shed weight in the Belly area and find themselves wondering why Belly Fat is hard to lose, well its because the kind of fat cells in that area (Beta fat) don’t respond to the process of breaking down fat as quickly as other kinds of fat cells (Alpha fat). If you have been working to lose some weight now but you’ve hardly noticed any difference in some areas like your hips, belly, and thighs while your arms and legs seem to be dropping the weight rapidly, it’s because those areas pack different kinds of fat. Worry not as Beta fat can be reduced too it just needs a different approach, I have broken down some reasons why belly fat is hard to lose and several ways you can combat it and start to notice a difference.

In this article, we will cover the following:

• How Belly Fat Grows ?
• Where to measure Belly Fat?
• What are Belly Fat Burning Foods?
• Which exercises reduce Belly Fat?

Accumulating belly fat is not gender specific and will affect both men and women especially as you grow older. After sitting at a desk all day, barely getting any exercise, knocking back more than a few beers and not having the right diet over the years, it starts to take a toll on your fat burning abilities and before you know it you have a nice little paunch that refuses to budge.

What causes belly fat in females may differ from what causes belly fat in males however losing the weight is a concern for both as the belly area is among the most prominent and noticeable parts of our bodies we tend to feel self-conscious about. Belly fat can also lead to long term health risks like heart disease, some kinds of cancers and diabetes so it is quite important to do everything you can to lose weight and stay healthy.

How Belly Fat Grows?

Belly fat growth is influenced mostly by things like your lifestyle, age, what you eat, whether or not you exercise and partake in physical activity e.t.c these can all influence how you grow belly fat. Eating a diet with high calories is among the fastest ways to gain belly fat and belly fat is also influenced by other lifestyle choices like high alcohol intake, stress, smoking, a sedentary lifestyle where we find ourselves spending more time lounging around after a long day sitting in one spot at work, or putting yourself under chronic levels of stress which leads to the release of cortisol and in turn leads to binge eating everything in sight or irregular eating timing and intervals.

There are many health risks of the belly fat that you might not know. Many people didn’t notice about this case for some reasons and make the move of getting rid of it when it’s too late and that’s the reality.

One of the first steps to understanding why belly fat is hard to lose is knowing how belly fat grows, if you know a thing through and through then you will certainly be more adept at tackling and getting rid of it.

Some other things can influence the growth of belly fat for some people like genetics, hormones, medical reasons or gender. Some of the things that cause belly fat growth in females include menopause because of the decreased level of estrogen as this has some influence on how fat is spread on the body and some genes that can only be found in women although there are still ongoing studies on such genes.

Causes of belly fat in males, however, can be attributed to less physical activity and high-calorie content in drinks like alcohol, genetics, and a reduced level of testosterone production due to visceral fat

Where to measure Belly Fat?

You can measure belly fat by getting a CT scan or an MRI  but for an easier, less expensive and handy method you can do at home on your own, grab yourself a measuring tape and measure your bare belly. To get started, stand upright with your feet together and relax your posture, try not to suck in your belly or slouch because this will give you an inaccurate result, wrap the cloth tape above your hipbone around your belly button area and make sure it’s not too tight such that it presses down on your skin but the tape should also be snug. Ensure the tape is sitting straight and you can use a pen to mark the inches or write it down so you don’t forget and then release the tape from your belly.

A belly measurement of 35 inches or more for females is indicative of an unhealthy amount of belly fat while for males a measure of 40 inches and above is indicative of too much belly fat. You can also determine your amount of belly fat if you measure your waist to hip ratio by measuring the widest part of your hips and dividing your waist size by your hip size. A 0.85 and over ratio for women means you have more health risks while a ratio of 0.95 and above for mean also means increased chances of health complications.

What are Belly Fat Burning Foods?

Belly fat burning foods mostly comprise of vegetables and lean proteins. I know it can be hard switching from a high calorie, saturated fats, sugars and greasy diet to one that is clean but these healthier foods can also be just as delicious. It is important to note that incorporating just one or two of these foods into your diet is not enough to do the trick.

You need to include a whole lot of them and remain consistent with your meal plan. Eating more protein-rich foods will help quell your appetite and you will notice that you eat less often, it all helps you maintain a healthy weight and avoid weight gain unlike most fad diets where immediately you stop, it seems like all the weight comes running back.

 Some examples of food that burn belly fat include:

• Foods rich in viscous fiber like fruits with low sugars e.g berries and bananas, whole grains, legumes, lentils, leafy green vegetables, and root vegetables like sweet potatoes.
• Peanut butter as a spread instead of regular butter, mayonnaise, syrup, jam or margarine
• Hugh protein foods like tuna, salmon, eggs, and white meat.
• Nuts and seeds like pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, pistachios, and walnuts. You can snack on these in between meals instead of chocolates, candies or other unhealthy snacks.
• Low-fat dairy products like skim milk, low sodium cheeses, and Greek yogurt.

So if you have always wondered what belly fat burning foods are, these are a few examples to help set you on the right course of a new way to eat. Remember that the method of preparing these foods also matters and so does sticking to a belly fat blasting diet plan so avoid using animal fats or oils and deep frying some of these foods like potatoes or fish.

Instead, you can use plant-based or vegetable oils like olive oils and use healthy spices and herbs like cilantro, sage, basil, red and black peppers as well as garlic, onions leeks and scallions to make meals tasty so you can cut back on salt.

Which exercises reduce Belly Fat?

Some of the exercises that help to reduce belly fat are crunches, including bicycle crunches and reverse crunches, sit-ups, leg raises, flutter kicks, and burpees to mention a few. You can either sign up in a gym and work with a trainer for better guidance or work out on your own at home or with a friend, whatever method works best for you that will keep you motivated and eager to exercise at least 3- 5 times a week should be employed.

These exercises are specifically targeted at burning the fat in your abdomen and helping you build lean muscle and strengthen your core and your spine unlike other exercises like cardio and HIIT workouts that target your whole body although they do help in losing belly fat as well.

Doing these exercises and more in collaboration with a cleaner and healthier diet will come together to combat the build-up of stubborn belly fat you have been struggling with. You can also use some exercise equipment in the gym like the elliptical or joining a spin class for some fun stationary cycling. Being armed with the knowledge of the right exercises and how to loose/ reduce belly fat is a key part of shedding all that visceral fat.

Conclusion

Learning all you can about why belly fat is hard to lose and what you can do to reduce the fat cuts across different things. After discovering exactly how belly fat grows and measuring yourself to see if you do need to work on your belly to avoid health complications, switching up your diet by cutting out harmful foods high in calories and sugars and adopting a healthier lifestyle that includes more physical activity like taking walks, eating at the right time, and doing the right exercises that target your problem area is the next step.

It will require a lot of hard work on your part and you may be tempted to give up along the way but remember what you are working so hard for. Don’t try to go cold turkey on all your old habits at once, this might make you crash and give up rather making changes in small increments will help until your body completely adjusts and accepts your new lifestyle. This will help make your journey to less belly fat easier and get you faster and more permanent results.

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