Strugglin’ With Belly Fat?

17 Sep Strugglin’ With Belly Fat?

I think we’ve all dealt with this issue at one point or another – if you haven’t, you are lucky! Even after having two beautiful babies, I’ve had my share of a little belly fat. This blog really won’t focus on post-pregnancy mama’s because…..well it’s natural to have left over baby weight. Don’t be so hard on yourself, mama!

I’m talking to the stubborn, no reason to be there belly fat! You know, when you’ve struggled with this for years, it shakes when you walk or run, you’ve done everything you can to get rid of the belly fat, let’s face it – it’s one of the most hated places to carry weight. It makes us uncomfortable and self-conscious. So, how the heck can you get rid of this?

I want to talk to you about some reasons on why this stubborn belly fat wants to hang around and be your friend. And you’ve probably never even thought about these reasons before! Aren’t you ready to kick that Spanx good-bye?

1. Too much running! Yes, there is such a thing! Too much running can negatively affect our hormones and adrenals. A major hormone that is released during exercise is cortisol. While this hormone has it’s purpose, if you are chronically running for long distances and long periods of time, cortisol can be chronically elevated. It can cause your body to shift from burning fat to storing fat – especially around the abdomen. Instead of always running for long periods of time, start adding some weight training to your routine. This will help build lean muscle that actually helps you BURN fat. Plus, you’ll love the way your body is looking! A study also showed how high-intensity interval training can bring down that belly fat as well
2. Now it doesn’t have to be just from running, if you find yourself always emotionally, mentally, and physically stressed, this also can be a reason your belly fat is stubbornly sticking around. Stress can do a number on your body and keeping the weight around is one of them. A study was done watching women and their stress/cortisol levels and the higher the levels were, central fat on the body increased. Find something that helps you release stress – it’s usually something that you love to do! Make time for yourself to do things you love. If you’ve never tried yoga for stress relief, try it! It’s one of the best ways to exercise, increase flexibility, and reduce stress all in the same time!
3. Genetics also play a factor in belly fat and if you are more prone to gain weight there. You know there are people that gain weight in their hips and legs, some people gain weight in their arms, some in their belly. BUT, don’t let that be an excuse not to do anything about it. Changing your lifestyle into a healthy holistic one can be just what you need.
4. Hidden food intolerances are another pesky little reason belly fat is still lingering. Everyone is truly different and that’s why certain diets work for some people and won’t work for others. Food intolerances doesn’t mean that you are allergic to certain foods. We can have a hard time digesting it and it can cause chronic inflammation, especially if we continuing eating it. Now, food intolerance tests are still debatable in the health field, but from personal experience, my family has seen positive outcomes doing a food intolerance test!
5. Remember how I always say that our gut health is everything? Well, it is and a study showed that healthy women that has leaky gut can be more prone to having more fat in the tummy area. If there is more bad gut bacteria versus good gut bacteria, our cravings can be higher for junk foods, which leads to excessive unhealthy eating, which leads to……….belly fat. Are you getting the cycle of life with how gut health affects us? Making sure you are taking a good quality probiotic and getting fermented foods into your diet daily can really support those good guys!
6. Is your diet full of inflammatory oils? Sunflower oil, safflower oil, vegetable oil, soybean oil? These oils can inflame our body, while coconut oil (aka healthy fats) can tame that belly fat. Be careful because these inflammatory oils are EVERYWHERE – salad dressings, condiments, any type of processed food, chips, etc.
7. There are the obvious reasons of having belly fat, which is a diet high in processed foods, high carbohydrates/high sugar. These type of diets can lead to insulin resistance, which keeps that belly fat sticking around. These types of diets can lead to other health issues as well. A study  took two groups of people, one group consuming glucose sweetened drinks & one group drinking fructose sweetened drinks, and the group that drank the fructose sweetened drinks gained more abdominal fat. A fructose sweetened drink you may have is like orange juice, apple juice, etc. Are you drinking fruit juices?

Did any of those reasons come to a surprise to you? Isn’t it crazy how many factors can lead to belly fat? Well, don’t be overwhelmed. Try to eliminate one trigger at a time. You aren’t going to be perfect right away, it’s a journey and we can help you. Make that one good choice starting today!