10 Reasons You’re Not Losing Belly Fat

Are you struggling to lose belly fat?

Losing belly fat can definitely be challenging, but recent findings can help you take advantage of proven research to finally dump that excess fat.

Belly fat, especially visceral fat, the type that is buried deep in your abdomen, can significantly increase your risk for many health problems. Visceral fat generates adipokines and adipose hormones; chemicals that can travel through blood vessels and organs causing inflammation, which can contribute to diabetes and heart disease.

Belly Fat is the First to Go

The good news, according to Rasa Kazlauskaite, MD, an endocrinologist at the Rush University Prevention Center in Chicago, when women start to lose weight, they typically lose about 30% more belly fat than fat from other areas of their body. This means that stubborn abdominal fat will actually start melting off at a higher rate. Of course, this is exciting news. Losing belly fat is the first step to reducing the health risks associated with dangerous visceral fat.

10 Pitfalls to Losing Belly Fat

You’re Eating a Low Fat Diet – Avoiding fat can actually be making it more difficult for you to lose weight. Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) can keep you feeling more satiated; these fats can also help reduce belly fat.
You’re Feeling Down – A recent study at Rush University Medical Center has found that women who suffer with depressive symptoms are more likely to carry excess belly fat.
Junk Food – Simple carbs and sugar can cause your blood sugar to spike. When blood sugar spikes, it triggers a flood of the hormone insulin; this hormone actually encourages your liver to store more belly fat.
You’re Missing Magnesium – A 2013 study found that people who consumed more magnesium had lower insulin and blood sugar levels.
Diet Soda – A study conducted for Obesity found that people who drink diet soda tend to have a higher percentage of belly fat. Diet soda has also been linked to obesity.
Saturated Fat – If you like burgers or other foods with saturated fats, this could be working against you. All types of fat are not equal. A Swedish study gave two groups of adults an extra 750 calories per day for seven weeks. One group ate their 750 calories mainly in the form of saturated fat, while the second group ate theirs mainly in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs); the group that ate the saturated fat gained twice as much visceral fat.
Beer and Wine – A Danish study conducted in 2013 found a link between beer drinking and abdominal fat. While beer seems to have the biggest impact on accumulating belly fat, wine can also be a culprit.
Menopause – Hormonal changes associated with menopause can make it hard to blast away belly fat. However, research has shown that just 3 hour-long yoga sessions each week can help reduce belly fat.
Not Enough Color in Your Diet – Fruits and vegetables that are bright in color are also high in Vitamin C; a vitamin that reduces cortisol. A study conducted by The Journal of Nutrition showed that people who consumed more brightly colored produce, also had smaller waists.
You’re Not Sweating – Research indicates that high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which involves bursts of vigorous activity that are followed by short periods of rest or gentle activity offers a boost in belly-shrinking benefits.