Some people say that it’s not easy to lose weight, but then everyone would unanimously agree that it’s definitely not that easy to melt away belly fat, and it’s called “stubborn fat” for a reason. Diving a little bit deeper into the making of stubborn fat – fat cells have two types of receptors – Alpha-2 and Beta-2, and these receptors decide how fat stored in the cells are used. For example, alpha-2 receptors direct the cell to store fat whereas beta-2 receptors instruct the cell to breakdown and release fat. When a fat cell has more alpha-2 receptors, it becomes extremely difficult to burn the fat stored within even with proper diet and exercise. Likewise, if beta-2 receptors are dominant in a particular fat cell, it readily participates in the fat-burning process. In a majority of people, it becomes extremely difficult to melt away tummy fat even with strict dieting and exercise because those cells have alpha-2 receptors predominantly. However, do not lose heart, read about 14 reasons you are not losing tummy fat and how to correct them asap to sport a flat belly.
1. You are Not in Calorie Deficit: One of the major weight loss mantra is to put the body into a calorie deficit in order to make it reach out for stored body fat to use for its energy needs. When calories fall short from the food we consume, gradually the fat deposits get used up and that’s how you lose weight. It is essential to go into a calorie deficit to actually lose weight and Rati Beauty diet helps you to get into a calorie deficit without compromising on nutrition or health. Eating nutrient-dense food and engaging in optimum physical activity, without actually crash dieting, will help trim the waistline. Download the Rati Beauty app for more details.
2. You are Eating Too Much Transfat: When buying packaged and processed foods, read the ingredients list to eliminate “transfat.” Transfat is a complete no-no for people who want to lose weight, particularly belly fat because studies have revealed that transfat can actually mobilize fat from other areas of the body to the belly area! Transfat is artificially made from vegetable oils by a process called hydrogenation where hydrogen molecules are added to the oil. This is done to increase the shelf life of the oil, to solidy the oil, and make it more appetizing and suitable for frying. Margarine, frozen pizza, cakes, non-dairy creamer, etc. have transfat in them, so avoid them totally.
3. You are Always Dehydrated: When you are dehydrated, the brain starts sending out “hunger” signals and instead of reaching out for a glass of water, you would most probably rip open a packet of potato chips! Water is essential in the fat-burning process, also to flush out toxins, avoid water retention, etc. Try to drink 8-10 glasses of water every single day.
4. Eating a Lot of High-Calorie Healthy Food: Quinoa, oats, peanut butter – all these foods are no doubt healthy, but then if you are overeating “healthy food,” it would be quite difficult to lose weight or burn belly fat.
5. Adding Too Much Oil While Cooking: Cooking oil adds a lot of calories (olive oil included), and it would be prudent to cut down on cooking oil, even if it’s coconut oil or olive oil. Use minimal oil while cooking, and totally avoid deep frying food.
6. Not Eating Enough Protein: Without enough protein, metabolism slumps and the rate at which calories get burnt also dips. Also, with protein deficiency, we tend to lose muscles along with fat (FYI, muscles burn a lot of calories). Most importantly, protein is required in the synthesis of important hormones and enzymes (that act as catalysts in the fat-burning process). Do not compromise on protein, take it in optimum amount to lose weight. Here’s a list of “15 Food Sources of Lean Protein that Can Help with Weight Loss.”
7. Doing Only Cardio: Cardio is a good form of exercise to boost metabolism and to get active, but solely depending on cardio exercises will not make any major difference on the weighing scale. On an average, you may lose only up to 300 calories even if you walk for 40 minutes at high speed on the treadmill, whereas you can burn many more calories by lifting weights for the same amount of time. Having said that, your workout routine should be flexible and include bodyweight exercises, cardio, weights, and yoga as well. Check out fitness workout videos on Rati Beauty for more details.
8. Wrong Posture: Slouching and sitting with the shoulders rounded up will give the appearance of tummy bulging out. It also weakens back muscles and cause an anterior pelvic tilt, which creates an illusion of belly fat. So, try to sit and stand straight wards, in short, just improve your posture.
9. Eyeballing Food Portions: Portion control is extremely important to lose weight. Practice portion control with everything you eat, even with healthy food, fruit juices, and even with salads. Read about “10 Tips to Portion Control Food for Weight Loss.”
10. Eating Too Much Added Sugar: Excess sugar (refined white sugar as well as those that come from processed foods such as biscuits, cookies, cakes, pastries, etc.) have high number of empty calories, raise blood sugar, cause inflammation, increase appetite – all these factors add up and make it quite difficult to get rid of belly fat. So, limit your intake of sugar and see the extra pounds melt off.
11. Compromising on Sleep: Sleep deprivation ranks as one of the top reasons you have gained that belly fat in the first place. Lack of sleep is directly linked to increase in waist circumference because sleeping for less than 7 hours increases appetite, increases inflammation, and also raises cortisol which makes flat belly a distant dream. So, 6-8 hours of sleep is good for your body.
12. Eating Too Many Processed Foods on a Daily Basis: We all know this – processed food is not only bad for the waistline, it’s equally bad for overall health. Cut down consumption of processed food from today itself.
13. You are Allowing Stress To Run the Show: Chronic stress and a constantly elevated cortisol level encourages the body to store fat—particularly around the abdominal region. So, find ways to de-stress, engage in a hobby, exercise, go for a jog or just listen to music. Finding a way to vent out stress will help you a great deal in fighting the battle of bulge.
14. Lower the Salt Intake: Excess salt can lead to fluid retention and bloating too. Cut down sodium intake and do not use extra salt to add flavour to the food.
Summing up, eliminating these small things can really help you a lot in the long run.
15 Food Sources of Lean Protein that Can Help with Weight Loss
14 Real Reasons Why you are Exercising and Still Not Losing Weight
Source: Makeupandbeauty
