March 05, 2021 3 min read

What Causes Belly Fat? Find out Belly Fat Types and Workouts

Belly fat reduction is the most challenging part of the weight loss journey. What causes belly fat? Why is it so stubborn? Why is it important to lose belly fat? All the answers are present here. Belly fat is the risk for many chronic diseases. According to research, it is the sixth most important risk factor contributing to ailments.

What Causes Belly Fat

Belly fat is stubborn fat because it is the last fat that leaves the body after all those annoying workouts. Obesity rates have risen in the past few decades. We all are suffering from an obesity epidemic. Principal causes behind belly fat are processed foods, stress levels, unhealthy diet, genetics, lack of physical activity and toxins in the body.

How Stubborn Belly Fat Accumulates

Intra-abdominal fat lies near the vital organs of the body, including the liver, kidneys and stomach. It is easier for fat to enter into the bloodstream when it lies near those organs. It can clog arteries, increase blood pressure, and disturb metabolic functions. Hormones involved in this process are ghrelin, leptin and cortisol. 

How to Lose Belly Fat

  1. Eating More Fat-Burning Foods

Generally, the first step towards reducing belly fat is healthy food. Natural foods are preferable to processed foods. Real foods include fruits, vegetables, seeds and clean meat, while fake foods include boxed and frozen items.

Add natural food to your life. It will help in fat burning the fat as well as keeps you fresh. These foods are fiber-enriched and help to regulate the digestive system.

 

  1. Stay Away from Sugar, Liquid Calories and Grains

Sugar is the biggest enemy of weight loss. A healthy diet should not include sugar. Avoid drinks that are full of sugar. Instead, take plenty of water. Remove sugary foods from your diet. Reduce the intake of grains, as they do not help in weight loss.

  1. Mindful Eating

Mindful eating includes some steps that are easy to follow. They include,

  • slowing down the chewing process
  • undistracted eating
  • negate emotional eating
  1. Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is a change in eating habits and routines. You need not worry about calorie intake in it. You decide on an eating window during which you can eat your desirous foods. Fasting has multi-faceted effects on the body, which include faster muscle repair and growth.

  1. HIIT Workouts

Workouts are the best way to keep yourself physically fit and active. HIIT or burst training workouts help in this regard. They have high-intensity, short bursts of exercise, with slow recovery phases of 15-20 minutes. Excess of cardio exercise increases stress hormones and increase fatigue. 

  1. Reducing Stress

Stress is not only dangerous, but it also raises the risk of diabetes, heart disease, mental disorder and autoimmune diseases. It is better to have stress-relieving activities in your life like meditation and yoga.

  1. Getting Enough Sleep

Sound sleep helps to control stress hormones. It also regulates your hunger levels and reduces cravings for sweets.

  1. Trying a Low-Carb or Ketogenic Diet

It is not about the number of calories that matter but the type of calories. A keto diet is a low-carb diet, which reduces body fat quickly. 

  1. Add in Metabolism Boosters

Metabolism boosters improve your metabolism rate and reduce body fat. Metabolism boosters include cayenne pepper and wakame seaweed.

  1. Regularly Perform Abs Workouts 

Quality of diet is the No. 1 factor in losing belly fat. However, ab workouts and core exercises also do the magic. Start from 2-4 workout days. A strong core helps to increase balance and stability. 

  1. Working Out On an Empty Stomach

Workout sessions with an empty stomach have no benefits. It drains your body with every ounce of energy.

Precautions

Some of the precautions for effective belly fat reduction are:

  • water intake before and after the workout
  • Choose the calorie deficit diet carefully.
  • Manage stress levels.
  • Pay attention to energy levels.
  • Monitor emotional triggers. 
  • sound sleep