Belly fat is one of those tricky things: It’s easy to put on, but kind of a nightmare to get rid of. So, if you’re doing everything you can and still not losing belly fat, find out if you’re ‘guilty’ of some of these non-sins below.
Sometimes, you might be trying so hard to lose weight that what you actually lose is the sight of some of the details you might be getting wrong. No! Wrong is a wrong word for this because nobody was born knowing everything. But if your goal is losing belly fat, these following things are clues as to what you might change about your lifestyle!
5 reasons you’re not losing belly fat
1. You consume too little magnesium
We need plenty of magnesium to function properly and feel good about it. I’m talking about over 300 chemical reactions that are happening right here, right now, in your system. Magnesium regulates blood sugar levels and keeps your heart rhythm steady as can be. Because of that, this mineral might even have a hand in the way your body loses weight. Some studies found a correlation between fluid retention and magnesium during the menstrual cycle.
So what should you be eating more of? Read about these magnesium-rich foods and then add them to your diet as fast as possible.
2. You’re not getting enough sleep
According to research by the Better Sleep Council, if you’re American and a woman, you have more than a 50 percent chance of not getting nearly enough sleep for your needs. And sleep has a huge impact on your mood, your diet and basically everything else. Too little sleep leads to your body seeking out fattier foods, to give it an energy boost that it will pay for later with an energy crash. So try to make the most of your nights and go for a target of 7-9 hours per night. Find out what works for you.
Find out more about how sleep influences your diet, here.
3. You’re having too much salt
Did you ever notice that when you have too many processed food, deli meats, or cook with canned goods sometimes you have symptoms like jitters and heart palpitations? I should think so because it’s one of the signs that you’re overdosing on sodium. The excess salt makes you look puffier and definitely leads to water retention because it makes the water move from your bloodstream into your skin.
What can you do about reducing sodium? Use more spices and herbs like turmeric, chili powder, paprika, basil, and rosemary.
4. You’re having too much alcohol
Ah, booze. It can help you forget a pretty crappy week at work. But what it won’t wash or melt away is the extra bloatiness that it helps create. Of course, it dehydrates your body and puts stress on it, but there are myriad other reasons why you’re drinking alcohol and not losing belly fat. As we know by the phrase ‘beer gut’, drinking beer is heavily associated with abdominal obesity.
According to some studies, alcohol can even increase your appetite and make you eat so much more than you would have. What can you do about it? Try not to have cocktails mixed with soda or other sugary mixers.
5. You’re on the wrong workout
Your metabolism tends to always adjust to the type of workout you’re doing. So, if you’ve been doing the same old routine for months and months, then that might be the reason you’re not losing belly fat. You’re just too used to it. Inject some newness in your relationship with your workout, just like it’s recommended for interpersonal human relationships, too.
