Under-eating and skipping meals have various links to weight gain, not weight loss. Alyssa Ardolino, RD, Nutrition Communications Coordinator, International Food Information Council Foundation, explains that hunger is a pendulum—and restrictive diets cause people to go from one end to the other. “When we’re extremely famished, we’ve swung the hunger pendulum so far back, the only natural reaction is to have it swing hard in the other direction, which means we’re more prone to overeating,” she says. “Opt instead for a healthy medium by eating regularly to keep your hunger at bay.” Here are 15 things you don’t realize are sabotaging your weight loss.
Visceral fat is also called “organ fat” or “intra-abdominal fat” — and it’s one of the primary reasons why you must learn how to lose belly fat. This stubborn fat lies in close proximity to the vital organs of the body, including the liver, kidneys and other digestive organs, meaning it’s a real health concern. Fat is actually similar to an organ, in that it releases compounds in the blood and alters hormone levels. (4)
Frozen meals are super-convenient. They’re cheap, easy to throw in your bag as you’re running out the door, and take just three minutes to cook. While your 300-calorie Lean Cuisine may seem like a waist-friendly option, it’s not. Most frozen meals are loaded with sodium—as much as you should eat over a full day, not just in one meal—and lots of other synthetic additives. Sodium packs on water weight, as the body needs to maintain a balance in the body, and when you’re thirsty, you could reach for a sugary beverage, which adds hundreds of more calories. Salt also makes food taste better, prompting you to shovel more of it in your mouth. Another problem with frozen meals is they frequently lack sufficient fiber to keep you full, so you’re likely to find yourself sneaking back into the kitchen shortly after you’ve eaten. If you must eat a frozen meal, consider adding a serving or two of frozen vegetables to boost the fiber and fullness quotient and dilute the sodium.
It’s clear from hundreds of different studies that effective long-term weight loss that results in decreased visceral/belly fat depends on permanent changes in dietary quality, calorie (energy) intake, lifestyle habits and also physical activity. These changes are how to lose belly fat but aren’t always easy to make initially. However, with time, healthier habits can become much more manageable, plus the effort to sustain them is well worth it in the end!
Chronic stress may increase levels of stress hormones such as cortisol in your body. This can cause increased hunger and result in weight gain. If you’re looking to lose weight, you should review possible ways to decrease or better handle excessive stress in your life. Although this often demands substantial changes, even altering small things – such as posture – may immediately affect your stress hormone levels, and perhaps your weight.
If you want to lose weight you should start by avoiding sugar and starch (like bread, pasta and potatoes). This is an old idea: For 150 years or more there have been a huge number of weight-loss diets based on eating fewer carbs. What’s new is that dozens of modern scientific studies have proven that, yes, low carb is the most effective way to lose weight.
Hot peppers contain capsaicin which has thermogenic effects. It boosts your body’s heat production and thus uses more energy or calorie. A study published in the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” says that when capsinoids are consumed daily, it reduces abdominal fat and improves fat oxidation. So spice up your foods with hot peppers to lose belly fat. Eat peppers raw, cooked, dried, or in powdered form. Red peppers contain different amounts of capsaicin, making some peppers hotter than others. Habanero pepper has the highest amount of capsaicin but cayenne pepper too can be a good choice. Although not as hot, cayenne pepper do have a significant amount of capsaicin which can increase fat burning and lead to your belly fat loss. Don’t be shy to add as much cayenne or hot sauce as you can to your soups, eggs, gravies and meats.
The best way to get rid of belly fat is a combination of strength training and cardio. The cardio will help burn fat from all over your body, including your belly, while the strength training will help you build more muscle, which burns more calories at rest than fat does. For weight loss, aim to fit in at least 300 minutes of cardio per week and at least two strength-training sessions.