Why Belly Fat Is Not Reducing Even After Exercise

Sweating it out for several hours in a gym or eating a bland diet with no fat, but still your belly fat is not budging? You are not alone. Several people indulging in regular workouts, eating a calorie-controlled diet, and following a healthy lifestyle might find that there is no change in their abdominal fat. Even though your overall body weight may decrease, belly fat will not necessarily reduce, as the fat in your abdominal area is stubborn and is influenced by your metabolism and hormones. So, even if your face, arms, and legs become leaner, your belly region will be bulky and protruding. Losing abdominal fat can be challenging, even if you perform spot reduction workouts or strict diets. Losing belly fat can be more challenging as your metabolism slows with age. So, as a reality check, it is important to look beyond your workouts and diets. Considering advanced treatments to lower belly fat will be a wise choice. Keep reading to know why your belly fat refuses to decrease despite eating mindfully and working out regularly.

Reasons Why You Can’t Lose Belly Fat

1. Performing Wrong Workouts

When trying to ditch unwanted fat, it is natural for you to follow cardio workouts like 45-minute jogs every day. However, these long jogs, when done consistently, might help you lose extra pounds initially, but soon your metabolism will adapt, and calorie burning will begin to stop. So, how will you lose that belly fat? An effective way would be weight training. When you begin to lift weights, it will cause tiny muscle tears that will use up more energy while the body heals after workouts. This effect will last for two more days after the workout session.

A specific study has revealed that HIIT or high-intensity interval training is effective for losing excess belly fat[1]. HIIT workouts will increase your heart rate while working on your abdominal muscles. A United Kingdom study showed that participants who engaged in sprint training for 2 weeks lost inches in hip and waist measurements[2]. Another study held by the University of Arkansas revealed that participants who performed high-intensity workouts faced a 20% decline in belly fat[3].

2. Low Magnesium Intake

Your body needs magnesium to support over 300 chemical reactions, like maintaining blood sugar levels and regulating heart rhythm. Maintaining healthy levels of this nutrient will help with weight loss and reduce belly fat. The Journal of Nutrition published a study showing that taking magnesium regularly helped lower insulin and fasting glucose levels[4]. Another England study showed that taking magnesium supplements is highly beneficial for lowering fluid retention during periods to prevent bloating[5].

3. Not Managing Stress

When the production of cortisol is high due to extreme stress, it is natural for you to experience weight gain, specifically in your abdominal area[6]. This stress hormone will not only trigger cravings and increase appetite but will also contribute to fat accumulation[7]. If you are eating low-calorie foods and doing the right workouts but don’t see any changes in belly fat, check your stress levels.

4. Not Sleeping Enough

A recent study by Better Sleep Council showed that over half of the female population in the US is not getting adequate sleep[8]. Not getting proper sleep will trigger several health issues, and it is not advisable when trying to cut down belly fat. The results of a study featured in the American Journal of Epidemiology showed that about 32% females who slept for less than 5 hours at night are more prone to weight gain than their counterparts who slept well[9]. Another study by the New York Obesity Nutrition Research Center showed that females who sleep only for 4 hours consumed over 300 calories per day, especially from fat-loaded foods[10]. Very little sleep also increases ghrelin levels, which increases appetite.

5. Calorie-Deficit Diet Is Not Your Thing

Creating a calorie deficit diet will help lower abdominal fat, as it will be lower than the amount burned. You will have to be burning more calories through exercise to lower belly fat. Consulting a fitness expert will help you know how many calories you need to consume and create a calorie deficit diet to lose belly fat quickly.

6. You Love Carbonated Drinks

If you are a soda lover, it is essential to know that this carbonated drink is full of empty calories, making it a diet wrecker, as it can increase your waistline. Research by QJM: An International Journal of Medicine in 2017 showed that consumption of both diet soda and regular soda increased obesity[11]. The presence of artificial sweeteners in the diet soda will not fulfil your craving for a sweet drink. So, it will make your body feel energized, which wouldn’t occur as there are empty calories in the soda. It will interact with the hunger signals of your body and trigger cravings to consume extra calories, leading to abdominal obesity[12].

7. Using More Salt in Diet

If you enjoy a bit of extra salt in your everyday food, you will naturally feel boated. Too much salt in your diet will not only enter your bloodstream but will also get into your skin, which is why you tend to look puffy. According to the reports by the CDC, or Centers for Disease Control, over 90% of people in the US consume way beyond 2300 mg of sodium, which is the recommended level[13]. Even if you don’t add extra salt to your foods, consuming a lot of canned foods, processed foods, deli meats, and dressing for salads will increase sodium consumption.

8. Drinking More Alcohol

If you are keen on reducing abdominal fat, stop your alcohol intake. Alcohol contains a high amount of calories and sugar, which can negatively affect your metabolism[14]. A lot of studies have found that there is a link between alcohol consumption and an increase in food consumption[15] or increased appetite[16], causing an increase in abdominal fat[17]. A Denmark-based study held in 2013 showed that drinking beer is related to abdominal fat[18].

9. Not Into Strength Training

When trying to lose weight, incorporating strength training will help tone up your belly muscles. Strength training will help build more muscle mass, which helps with burning more calories apart from the basal metabolic rate. Even as a weight loss beginner, begin a basic weight training routine to cut down the fat in your belly quickly.

10. You Have Weak Ab Muscles

Though you maintain an ideal body weight, your midsection might be protruding. The major reason behind the big bellies of people who aren’t obese is that they have weak ab muscles. They might tend to slouch while they stand or sit, making it difficult to ditch the unwanted abdominal fat. Including oblique workouts and a plank routine will help you have a trimmer midsection.

11. Absence Of Fibre in Diet

Foods high in fibre will promote satiety and help with digestion. Eating a diet containing high fibre will help you lose belly fat more quickly than those who don’t eat fibre[19]. Aim to consume 25 g of fibre per day if you are a female to lose belly fat quickly.

12. Hormones Go Awry

Your hormones, like thyroid, testosterone, and estrogen, decide how your body fat is metabolized and how it is stored. Women in their menopause or perimenopause stage will face shifts in hormone levels, which will contribute to the increase in abdominal fat storage. It is a similar scenario for older males having lower testosterone levels. Identifying the imbalances in hormone levels through the support of health experts at Kolors will help enhance your metabolic efficiency.

13. Not Taking Hydration Seriously

It is no secret that drinking a minimum of 8 cups of water every day will help you stay hydrated, which is essential to lose excess fat. Studies have also found that lower body weight is linked to drinking water regularly[20]. Switching sugary soda drinks and sweet juices with water will help in the consumption of low calories while contributing to a trim midsection. Water will keep your body well-hydrated without including any harmful compounds or sugars that might be harmful for overall health.

14. Role Of Genetics

There is no denying that your genes have a key role to play in why you have a big belly. Your genes determine how the fat is deposited and the level of obesity[21]. However, it is not impossible to create a balance between the calories burned and calories consumed to achieve belly fat loss effectively.

Non-Surgical Belly Fat Removal Treatment Options

Several non-surgical treatments are specifically created to target the unwanted fat pockets in the belly and reduce them without having to opt for surgery. When your stubborn abdominal fat doesn’t respond to a low-calorie diet and targeted exercises, these advanced treatments can offer a defined and contoured look to your abdomen.  Rather than performing a surgical belly fat removal procedure, these treatment options will destroy stubborn fat pockets using heat or cold energy. Kolors Healthcare offers various non-surgical, minimally invasive, and non-invasive procedures that can target the stubborn fat deposits in the abdomen to eliminate them. These advanced treatment options can enhance body contouring and tone your core muscles without any surgery or anaesthesia[22]. These belly fat reduction treatments are suitable for individuals who have a puffy midsection despite trying targeted exercises and a balanced diet.

At Kolors Healthcare, you can choose from any of these advanced non-surgical treatments to get rid of belly fat:

1. Fat Freezing Cryolipolysis

It is an advanced method that relies on controlled cold energy for targeting the fat cells and freezes to dissipate it. The fat cells in the abdomen will get crystallized and will go through a natural cell death process called apoptosis. Later, your body will flush the dead cells gradually in a couple of weeks. This fat freezing treatment will cut down up to 25% of the stubborn fat deposit in the abdomen, flanks, and waist. This non-invasive procedure reduces fat permanently to maintain a trim midsection. It is a short procedure that does not require downtime.

2. Lipo Gel Procedure

This non-surgical treatment for reducing belly fat is applied on the abdomen using a laser to target the unwanted fat. The gel contains powerful ingredients like phosphatidylcholine and deoxycholic acid in the abdominal area to dissolve the fat cells by triggering adipocytolysis. Lipo gel treatment is a painless procedure that lasts for just 20 minutes and is performed without making any incisions. It is effective to treat unwanted fat pockets in the abdomen and to cut down on belly circumference.

3. EvolveX Treatment

It is a combination treatment that combines the power of Electromagnetic Stimulation as well as radiofrequency to tone belly muscles and reduce belly fat and cellulite effectively. It is a comprehensive treatment that offers a contoured effect, cuts down excess fat, and tightens ab muscles while promoting muscle definition.

4. Cryomatic Procedure

This revolutionary procedure is a short one that takes just 3 minutes to pass very cold air within a special chamber for freezing unwanted fat deposits to eliminate them. This quick procedure for belly fat reduction is quick, effective, and has no recovery.

At Kolors Healthcare, you can get customized belly fat reduction programs after a thorough body composition analysis and accurate evaluation of your medical history to meet your specific goals. These medically supervised belly fat treatments use advanced technologies with very little recovery to get back to routine activities. The results will be visible within a few weeks, and you can flaunt a contoured midsection with confidence.

Reference Links:

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