Losing belly fat is one of the hardest things to do. In fact, it requires a lot of perseverance to be successful. Regrettably, not everyone is fortunate to easily lose belly fat. In fact, some of the hurdles, you are likely to encounter, are listed below.
Alcohol
First, if you are used to having a drink regularly, it’s hard to give that up. Moreover, when you drink alcohol, your body needs to metabolize the alcohol as soon as it’s in the body. As a result, the body doesn’t need to burn fat and postpones it.
Genes
Next, genetic disposition gives some people an apple shaped body. Consequently, these people, may likely end up with excess fat around their middle than their hips and thigh.
Getting Older
Now, your metabolic rate drops as you get older. Because your body needs less calories to function normally, less body fat gets converted to energy. As a result, the percentage of body fat increases. In addition, the distribution of the body fat changes with age. Regrettably, this means more fat around the belly. Meanwhile, the elderly, who may be somewhat sedentary, can get some exercise using pedals in the comfort of their home.
Menopause
When women enter menopause their production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone slows down. Also, their testosterone levels start to drop, but at a slower rate. As a result of these changes, women hold on or gain visceral fat in the belly.
Microbiota
By the way, microbiota are microbes living in our intestines. Also, microbiota, in the guts is different from one person to the next. Consequently, “a calorie is a calorie” no lengthy holds true. As a result, each person’s gut microbiota absorbs different amounts of calories from the same food.
Motivation
Next, it takes discipline and time to lose belly fat. Indeed, it may take several years for some. As a result, it’s hard to stay committed for such a long period of time. Therefore, the desire to lose belly fat needs to become a lifestyle.
Over Exercising
Now, it’s rational to think that the more you exercise the more you will burn calories and lose fat. However, over exercising or endurance training creates physical stress in the body. And this physical stress disturbs the body’s cortisol balance. Consequently, the high cortisol levels, results in more belly fat.
Sleep
Next, if you are among the 30 percent of Americans who sleep less than six hours a night, it’s hard to lose weight or belly fat. In fact, there is a 16-year study of 70,000 women which collected sleep hours and weight. And the study reported that women sleeping less than five hours were 30 percent more likely to gain 30 or more pounds than women sleeping seven hours.
Stress
As most people can agree, it’s hard to avoid stress. Regrettably, stress may result in increasing fat around the belly and increasing your weight. By the way, in response to stress, your body produces the hormone, cortisol. Moreover, many studies show cortisol leads to an accumulation of fat around the abdominal area. In addition, stress encourages eating when you don’t feel so well. Meanwhile, one of the ways to get a break from the stress is to take a 15 to 20-minute nap.
Testosterone
Meanwhile, if your testosterone levels are high you might have difficultly losing weight. By the way, high levels of testosterone can occur in anyone with Polycystic Ovary syndrome.
Unbalanced Exercising
Now, cardio exercises can result in heavy breathing and sweating. So, it’s logical to think cardio exercises are going to make you lose weight and burn fat. Unfortunately, cardio by itself is not enough. In fact, cardio needs to be balanced with strength training. Because, strength training builds muscles. Incidentally, muscles burn more calories than cardio, and they burn fat all 24 hours. Whereas, cardio burns calories mostly from glucose in blood during the cardio workout.
Work
Finally, work can hurt in at least four ways. First, by the stress that work may create. Second, by potentially preventing you from getting the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep. Third, by preventing you from getting your cardio and strength workouts. And, fourth by messing up your diet.
Takeaway
Be that as it may, these hurdles are not insurmountable. But these hurdles make it harder because you need to diligently manage your food intake. Furthermore, you need to put in your cardio and muscle building workouts to burn off the excess calories and fat.
