Not losing belly fat despite exercising your ass off and eating clean?

Exercise alone cannot help you lose belly fat. Spending hours on a treadmill and sweating too much may aid in overall weight loss but not in reducing the fat in your midsection as it is stubborn and takes extra effort to go.

If you are trying hard and still not achieving that flat tummy, you need to shift your 50 per cent focus to your lifestyle as it contributes significantly to the weight loss.

Here, we tell you about 10 lifestyle mistakes that are not letting you lose belly fat

1. Protein Myth

For the longest time, we have been made to believe that we need more protein in the human body to lose weight.

Now the problem is when we start consuming more protein, a lot of that protein never gets utilized by the human body and it converts into fat and slows down your metabolism. This is why a lot of people who consume protein also bloat up and they have flatulence and acidity. 

We can’t behave like athletes if we don’t train like athletes!

So it’s extremely important for you to start cutting down your protein intake and if you want to increase your protein increase it from sources which are wholesome and natural.

You can get quality protein from green leafy vegetables, broccoli, spinach, green peas, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and whole grains.

Also read: 6 Plant-based Foods with complete essential amino acids

2. You’re not eating enough or Fad

When it comes to weight loss, being in a calorie deficit is the go-to approach for one and all. For the uninitiated, it means consuming lesser calories than you need daily so that your body can derive the remaining energy by burning your body fat.

There is no denying the fact that Fad diets help you lose the first two to three kilos and then after that you put it all back on or you just plateau. You need to understand that any fad diet that’s deficient in a macronutrient cripples your metabolism and metabolism is the most important thing when it comes to burning fat.

That’s why when you carry lean mass and muscle your metabolic rate is always high. To maintain muscle tone it requires a lot of energy and that energy comes from your body burning fat constantly.

3. Overtraining

If you think that the more you work out the more you burn fat, you are highly mistaken.

Most people today assume a workout of six days out of seven with one rest day. It is designed to sell gym membership. Everyone is promoting a one hour work out because it’s easy to cycle trainers. The most powerful athletes and people with the best bodies don’t train for more than 30 minutes at one time because it produces cortisol which is a stress hormone which then starts storing fat in your abdominal region.

You should look at doing high interval training, squats, burpees, pull-ups, push-ups and movements that are natural to the human body.

4. Sleep 

This is where India has it all wrong. It is so rare to come across a person who’s sleeping seven to eight hours at night when they’re training so heavily.

This is why most people who train well and don’t sleep well may develop arms and legs and a big chest but they still carry that potbelly or that midriff fat around them.

The more you sleep the more body fat you burn, especially in the abdominal region.

Also read: How sleeping more reduce weight

5. You Are Having Wrong Food

Eating unhealthy foods is the biggest contributor to belly fat. Having food items that are extremely rich in starchy carbohydrates and bad cholesterol expand your midsection. Therefore, you must change the way you eat and start adding plenty of green vegetables, lean proteins, and healthier fat-containing foods to your daily diet. Moderate cutting back on carbohydrate intake can also help you in this regard.

6. Hormonal Balance

If you have the right hormonal balance your body will allow you to lose weight. If you have the wrong communication between hormones you can’t lose weight easily.

Our country has the highest count of pcod, diabetes and thyroid issues. These are all hormonal imbalance diseases. Men and women who have hormonal imbalances, exhaustive workouts and intense workouts are not your answer. You will lose more weight by just walking, by doing a little bit of yoga, maybe a little bit of Pilates and by slowly supporting your body to balance your hormones because it’s more rest and recovery that will help you balance your hormones.

Also read: 15 common myths about diabetes diet

7.You Are Addicted to Smoking

You must be aware of the harmful effects of smoking. But do you also know that this habit of yours can increase the abdominal and visceral fat in your belly?

Yes, you read it right!

So, if you wish to have a flat tummy, stop smoking immediately.

8.You Are Taking Too Much Stress

Stress is one of the most harmful factors that can impact your overall health in ways you cannot even imagine. As per science, when the level of your stress hormone called cortisol increases, the level of fat in your belly also increases.

To reduce your stress level, you can try meditation, yoga, and can even consult a mental health professional.

Here we have 5 bedtime drinks to reduce stress & anxiety

9.You Are Not Drinking Enough Water

Various studies in the field have revealed that consuming enough water can help you lose weight and trim your belly fat. This means, not having enough of it can do the opposite. So, drink as much water as you can and stay away from sweetened drinks as they are packed with calories.

Also read: 11 Weird Things That Happen to Your Body When You Don’t Drink Enough Water

10.Too much salt

Many of us feel bloated after a meal. High intake of sodium might make you bloated and make your stomach fat more stubborn. Salt is important but should only be had in limited quantity.

If you are addicted to high salt intake, add other flavours and herbs that will help in enhancing the flavour of your food.

Here we have a salt guide with their types & uses

You need to understand that you have to break away from the mind pattern of heavy workouts and strict nutrition. It’s got to be balanced in all forms of life.

To lose weight there are four verticals that you need to look at which are balanced nutrition, adequate exercise, quality sleep and your emotional health.

If you are on a weight-loss journey or are trying to lose belly fat, take help from a health expert for effective results or book our free online nutrition consultation.