Belly fat is simply the fat around the abdomen. Everybody has one form of belly fat or the other regardless of their body size but this belly fat can be dangerous because not all belly fat is healthy and it can lead to several diseases although it is very hard to reduce belly fat there are some combinations of ways which can help to do it.
Causes Of Belly Fat
A lot of things can cause belly fat but the major causes are listed below
Inappropriate diet
Belly fat generally forms from eating many calories, especially from sugary foods such as sweets, cakes, ice cream, and soda drinks. This food reduces the rate of body metabolism and encourages weight gain.
Inadequate sleep
Not getting adequate sleep can lead to weight gain which subsequently leads to an increase in belly fat
Stress
When the body is stressed it produces excess cortisol which reduces the rate of body metabolism hence causing fat to store around the belly
Alcohol
Excessive consumption of alcohol is generally known to increase belly fat due to its high-calorie content and also the fact that alcohol consumption leads to the production of the hormone cortisol which reduces the rate of body metabolism.
Lack of physical activities
Generally physical activities like walking and running increase the rate of body metabolism it also helps to reduce fat storage in the body but when a person isn’t involved in physical activities the body starts to store more fat hence increase in belly fat
Ways To Reduce Belly Fat
Proper diet
This is the biggest step in reducing belly fat because your body generally reacts to your consumption of food hence proper dieting will help to reduce belly fat a lot. Here are some tips for dieting to reduce belly fat.
- Eat foods that have high amounts of soluble fibers.
- Avoid foods containing trans fat.
- Increase protein consumption.
- Avoid sugary foods and beverages.
- Reduce the carbs.
Exercise
This is a way of burning fat and speeding up body metabolism. Exercises will help use up body fat some of these exercises include
- Weightlifting
- Aerobic
- Exercise
- Crunches
Adequate sleep
The average human requires 7 hours of sleep daily to function properly. Sleep can also help boost metabolic rate, study shows that people who got about 7 hours of sleep per night gained less visceral fat compared to those who slept for less than 5 hours or more than 8 hours. Sleeping too much or too little is not advisable healthwise. “Sleeping too much is probably not great for you healthwise.
Intermittent fasting
Let it be known that nobody gets fat from not eating, cutting back on food generally will help reduce belly fat and put the entire body in proper shape. Studies have shown that people who fast intermittently tend to lose belly fat quickly
Vitamin D
A little sunlight will do the body a whole lot of good which includes helping it to reduce belly fat 15 minutes of exposure to morning sunlight daily will help in cutting down the fat
Reduce The Intake Of Alcohol
When attempting to reduce excess belly fat, monitoring alcohol intake Is considered important as beverages containing alcohol are known to have high sugar content which is linked to weight gain. Consumption of excess alcohol has been attributed to increased belly fat. If reducing belly fat is the goal, cutting back on alcohol consumption is a necessity.
Reducing belly fat is not an easy feat but adhering to proper dieting, regular exercises, getting adequate sleep, reducing or avoiding stress, exposure to morning sunlight, and reducing overall alcohol consumption will help reduce belly fat.