If you want to lose fat then one of the most problematic areas is your stomach This article looks at some of the reasons why you can’t lose stomach fat and provides a solution.
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Why Can’t I Lose My Stomach Fat
Stomach fat often gets more attention than the fat the builds up in other areas of the body (with the exception of arm fat and fat around the face) and everyone who has it wants to lose it.
Not only that; they want to lose that stomach fat fast.
However, sometimes what you perceive as a lack of progress may not be a problem at all.
If your bathroom scales are at a standstill or the dial is going the wrong way, your problem is real.
If your weigh-ins show progress, all you need to do is stick with what you are doing.
The human body works to a plan.
The instructions are hidden deep in our DNA and our DNA contains instructions that are very specific to us on a personal level.
Although a lot of people who gain weight first become aware of it when they see their stomach swell, other people may initially start putting on fat in other areas first.
For instance, some people’s fat first begins to show around the hips.
With others, it may be their bottom that takes the first hit.
When we take steps to lose weight and are successful, we throw the process into reverse.
If we initially began putting on weight around the stomach area and then began “growing” fat in other areas of our body, it’s the other areas that will lose weight first.
So, if you are losing weight don’t worry, you are making progress and moving in the right direction.
However, sometimes weight-loss stalls. This is sometimes known as reaching a “plateau.” Your level of effort may be the same but progress stops.
There are a number of reasons this may happen but don’t worry, there are steps you can take to get things moving again.
5 Things You Can Do to Lose Stomach Fat Faster
1. Review your Calorie Intake
If you are starting a new diet the first thing to do is modify your energy intake so you are getting less calories than you need.
You have to do that or you won’t begin burning fat.
The average man needs 2,500 calories per day to power his resting metabolism.
The average woman only needs 2,000 calories per day. Regardless of your sex, you will need less calories (every day) to make weight loss progress and burn that belly fat.
Consuming around 500 calories less than you need is a good way to progress.
If you have been losing weight and your progress has stopped, even though your diet and exercise levels are the same, you may need to further reduce your calories per day.
Lighter bodies require less energy to maintain than heavier ones.
That means what was working before may be no longer sufficient.
2. Look at Your Drinking Habits
Not all your calories come from food. The beverages you drink provide calories too.
Tea and coffee are not too bad unless you add milk, cream, or sugar. All three add extra calories.
Soft drinks and fruit juices can be surprisingly high in calories.
So can energy drinks and alcohol is particularly bad. [source]
Don’t kid yourself there are low-calorie options. Each gram of pure alcohol contains seven calories.
That’s only two calories less than you’d get if you ate a gram of pure fat.
It may sound boring, but the best option is water. It does not contain any calories at all.
Imagine what a difference it would make if you stopped drinking higher-calorie options and switched to water instead.
3. Increase Metabolism
When your metabolism increases so does your body’s energy requirements. That means you burn more calories.
Physical activity increases metabolism. That’s why exercise is so good for weight loss.
Certain foods increase metabolism too. As do some beverages.
For instance, red peppers and green tea are both proven fat burners. Both of them have the ability to increase metabolism.
Fat burning diet pills work by increasing metabolism too.
Many of them contain concentrated extracts taken from red peppers and green tea.
The thing to remember is, fat-burning compounds can increase metabolism for several hours.
That means you can still burn a few extra calories when your body is at rest.
4. Put More Focus on Protein
Adding extra protein to your diet may also help you to burn that unwanted stomach fat faster and lose weight.
Low-fat meats, such as chicken breast and turkey are high in protein but Vegans may still see benefit by eating more of the lower-calorie vegetarian protein options such as tofu and quinoa.
Protein is very filling. That makes it good for warding off hunger. It’s also harder to digest than other nutrients.
That means your body needs to use more energy digesting it than it does digesting carbohydrates and fat.
Protein also builds muscle. Eating more of it can help you heal faster after exercise and improve muscle mass. When muscle mass increases metabolism increases too.
5. Increase Training Intensity
Another good way to lose stomach fat faster is to increase your training intensity.
You can do this by adding a few extra kilometers to your run, modifying your workout routine, or doing extra sports sessions.
If your diet is right, every extra calorie you burn should be coming from your fat.
You can also burn extra calories by walking more instead of traveling on wheels and using the stairs instead of the lift.
Why Can’t I Lose My Stomach Fat – Final Thoughts
Many dieters find that their progress slows or stalls when they get further into their diets.
It’s also very common for people to become overly focused on losing their belly fat.
When weight loss stalls, a few simple tweaks to diet and lifestyle can make a surprising difference.
Becoming preoccupied with stomach fat is counterproductive.
Just concentrate on losing fat from your body, rejoice its loss, and be confident you will lose your stomach fat in due time.
Think fat-loss not belly-fat loss. All fat loss is good.
