Why Belly Fat Can Be Extremely Stubborn During Weight Loss

Pills, potions, powders and belts that promise to melt away belly fat in a jiffy are just marketing gimmicks that wouldn’t move an inch of that extra fat around the waist. Even after losing considerable weight from everywhere else in the body, what’s baffling is that the paunch still remains. Around 99% of people who want to lose weight, want to do so because they want to get rid of that belly fat, and it’s extremely disappointing when much of it still remains, even when you have seen a lot pounds on the weighing scale drop. Belly fat can be of two types – subcutaneous fat (layer beneath the skin) and visceral fat (around the muscles and around abdominal organs). Visceral fat is considered dangerous because it predisposes you at a risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and other life-threatening disorders. Visceral fat can also heighten one’s risk of developing insulin resistance. This bulge refuses to budge even with intense exercise and dieting, and that’s why we all call it “stubborn” because no matter what you do, the fat on the belly remains. In this post, we will find out why belly fat is called stubborn and ways to activate the fat-burning process around your mid section.

belly fat

Why Belly Fat is Different and Stubborn?

As we have mentioned above, it’s a bit difficult to trigger burning of belly fat and that’s why spot reduction is a remote possibility. The breakdown of fat happens through a process called “lipolysis.” Elaborating the fat-burning process further – Certain chemicals such as adrenaline and noradrenaline get inside fat cells and attach themselves to alpha or beta receptors on these cells and stimulate the release of fat molecules from within. These fatty acids are then utilized as fuel when there’s calorie deficit. Now, studies have revealed that alpha receptors obstruct the process of fat burning whereas beta receptors facilitate it. The fat cells that have beta receptors are more sensitive to fat burning while those with alpha receptors don’t respond actively. That’s why, belly fat, which is comprised mainly of fat cells with more alpha receptors do not get stimulated by lipolysis much. We now know that fat cells around the belly don’t respond that well to this process because abdominal fat cells have more alpha receptors rather than beta receptors which respond readily to the fat-burning process, and that’s why belly fat is stubborn.

12 Effective Ways to Burn Belly Fat:

1. Maintain Calorie Deficit: If there are excess calories available, your body will hardly reach out to fat stores, in fact, it will start storing up surplus calories, particularly around the waist. Lower down calorie intake by 500 calories to lose fat safely and to reach out to stubborn fat.

2. Say no to Transfat: Fried foods, margarine, certain baked goodies, junk food contain transfat that not only shoot up calories, they build fat around the abdomen, and here’s the bummer, they move fat from other areas of the body to the belly area! Totally avoid them!

3. Reduce Chronic Inflammation: Inflammation makes the body insulin resistant, and as a result, pancreas continuously pumps up insulin to lower blood sugar levels. Insulin, apart from being a blood sugar regulating hormone, is also a fat-storage hormone which triggers the creation of new fat cells. So, inflammation triggers insulin resistance, which in turn leads to more insulin production, and larger creation of fat cells which converts all extra calories into fat, and stores it particularly around the belly area. Belly fat is particularly dangerous because it increases the production of cytokines, which are released as body’s immune response, and continue to keep the body in chronic inflammatory status. Release of cytokines increases the risk of heart disease and even cancer. Read how you can reduce inflammation in the body to reduce belly fat.

4. Increase Blood Flow to the Adipose Tissue: The best way to increase blood flow to the fat cells in order to mobilize them is by doing exercise. Even basic stretching can help boost blood circulation. Alternate between low intensity, moderate, and high intensity exercises to increase blood flow and target fat cells.

5. Grab some Caffeine: There’s a reason why caffeine is extensively used in fat-burning products. Caffeine boosts metabolism But a simple cup of black coffee can boost the whole weight loss process.

6. Increase Green Tea Consumption: Certain active compounds such as norepinephrine can boost the activity of fat-burning hormones which can target belly fat.

7. Is Calcium that Secret to Burn Belly Fat: Calcium is an important mineral that helps you burn more fat stored in the body, prevents body from storing fat. Within the body cells, if there is adequate calcium, that cell will burn more fat. Adequate calcium in the body increases breakdown of fat in the bloodstream and preserves thermogenesis, accelerating the weight loss process. That’s why weekly diets on Rati Beauty include a lot of calcium-rich food to boost overall weight loss. Here’s a list of calcium-rich food that one can include in the diet to fight belly fat. 

8. Include Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Diet: Nuts, seeds, flaxseeds, chia seeds, fish oil are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids that improve insulin sensitivity and help flatten the belly.

9. Reduce Stress Levels: High levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, increases insulin resistance, and buildup of fat around the waist. Find ways to destress to cut the flab effectively, here are some ways to destress.

10. Sleep Tight for 7 Hours: It’s a fact that people who sleep for less than 5 hours every night tend to put on more abdominal fat compared to those who complete 7 or more hours of shut eye.

11. Workout on Empty Stomach: Exercising in a fasting state or with an empty stomach helps the body reach out to fat storages much more easily and also increases the amount of fat burning. Exercising on empty stomach increases the level of fat oxidation and lipolysis.

12. Give up Refined Carbs and White Sugar: These are two primary reasons why someone gains bulge around the belly area. Refined carbs and sugar cause insulin resistance and increase in waist circumference.

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