There are many reasons why people gain belly fat, including poor diet, lack of exercise, and stress. Improving nutrition, increasing activity, and making other lifestyle changes can all help. Belly fat refers to fat around the abdomen.
If you eat too much and exercise too little, you're likely to carry excess weight — including belly fat. Also, your muscle mass might diminish slightly with age, while fat increases.
Stress triggers the release of cortisol, a hormone that makes you crave high-fat, carb-heavy foods like pizza, fries, and cookies. Cortisol also deposits fat around your belly. Another way stress leads to weight gain is by keeping you up at night. People who sleep fewer hours tend to have more belly fat.
Common reasons for someone to have belly fat even when they're skinny is: Being too sedentary (inactive), which builds visceral fat around the organs and abdominal fat. Eating too many processed foods, which stores at the belly.
Some causes may be related to stress, alcohol consumption, or medications. Other causes can be a result of health conditions like hypothyroidism or PCOS. Many causes of stomach swelling and weight gain can be treated with lifestyle changes and medications. However, others, such as ascites, can be serious.
Many women also notice an increase in belly fat as they get older — even if they aren't gaining weight. This is likely due to a decreasing level of estrogen, which appears to influence where fat is distributed in the body.
To get a flat stomach, you'll need to follow best practices to lower body fat and lose weight. It's important to eat healthy foods, exercise regularly, get enough sleep, and manage stress. Remember that rock-hard abs aren't necessary and healthy body types come in many shapes and sizes.
There are many ways in which a person can get a flat stomach. Adding extra exercise to the daily routine, increasing fiber intake, and sleeping more can all help slim a person's waistline. Before starting a new exercise regimen, people should speak to a doctor about any health concerns.
Sometimes, excess fat around the belly is due to hormones. Hormones help regulate many bodily functions, including metabolism, stress, hunger, and sex drive. If a person has a deficiency in certain hormones, it may result in weight gain around the abdomen, which is known as a hormonal belly.
You could have a condition called Diastasis Recti Abdominus, or DRA. DRA is caused by an increase in abdominal pressure and occurs when the rectus abdominus, the abdominal muscle that runs down the center of your stomach, separates.
Walking is a moderate-intensity exercise that can be easily incorporated into your daily life. Simply walking more often can help you lose weight and belly fat, as well as provide other excellent health benefits, including a decreased risk of disease and improved mood.
Pineapples too are rich in weight-loss-friendly fibres. It contains an enzyme called bromelain, which has anti-inflammatory properties. This enzyme helps in metabolizing proteins that help cut down belly fat. A bowlful of strawberries may prove very instrumental in shedding belly fat.
Women have extra padding to protect vital organs
“The design of a woman's anatomy is different than men,” Wood says. “In addition to having room for digestive organs, like your stomach, liver and intestines, it has to have space for your reproductive organs and needs extra padding to protect all of these vital organs.
Your genetics prefer storing fat in your stomach area
Visceral fat—the type of fat the body stores in your abdomen and around your intestines and is mostly responsible for keeping people from a flat belly—can be partly determined by genetics.
The American Council on Exercise says a 1 percent body fat loss per month is safe and achievable. Given that math, it could take a woman with average body fat about 20 to 26 months to achieve the appropriate amount of fat loss for six-pack abs. The average man would need about 15 to 21 months.
The most common causes are trapped gas or eating too much in a short time. The sensation of bloating can cause abdominal distention, which is a visible swelling or extension of your belly.
A diet high in added sugars, especially from sugar-sweetened beverages, may increase belly fat. Most often, stick with water, unsweetened coffee/tea, and eating a diet rich in whole, minimally processed foods.
Exercise More Often, More Intensely to Counter Midlife Weight Gain. Start with a mix of moderate and vigorous exercise to burn off menopausal weight gain. Your routine should include aerobic exercises like swimming, walking, bicycling, and running, as well as resistance or strength training.