Wondering why is belly fat hard to lose? Don’t worry since we’ve all been stuck in the same vicious cycle that you find yourself in now. Even though you have been watching what you eat and adding more exercise to your daily activity schedule, the extra pounds you want to get rid of at your waist just won’t budge.
Why is it that belly fat likes to hang on so tight? Let’s discover why this fat is so hard to get rid of, and what you can do to make the process of getting healthy easier than ever before.
Why is Belly Fat Hard to Lose?
Your body actually stores fat as a source of back up energy, and the ways that fat can be stored differ depending on the cell type and the area of the body where it is stored.
When it comes to belly fat, the fat stored there has a higher percentage of stubborn fat cells compared to other parts of the body. The hips and thighs tend to have a similar composition. This means that even with more exercise and a good diet, it can be hard to see significant changes in the amount of fat in the belly region.
Of course, this will differ for everyone. Our bodies all store fat in slightly different ways, so you may find that your fat sticks in different places than your friends. The real key to succeeding on your fitness journey is to learn how to target stubborn areas.
How to Get Rid of Belly Fat?
Now that you know why is belly fat hard to lose, you should start learning how to get rid of it, and we have five great tips for you.
#1: Eat More Protein, Less Sugar
Simply cutting calories out of your diet is not enough to improve your overall fitness; you also need to adjust what types of foods you are eating.
There are two general rules that apply when trying to get rid of body fat:
- Eat more protein. Your body basically needs protein to build muscle, and you want your body to get rid of fat cells and build muscle instead. Plus, protein is a more lean source of energy than most refined food.
- Eat less sugar. Sugar triggers reactions in your body that slow your metabolism and prevent fat cells from breaking down as efficiently. Eating less sugar will help you see a more substantial change in your overall fitness.
By making these two changes to your diet in addition to reducing your overall calorie intake, you’ll see changes sooner than you can imagine.
#2: Try Weight Training
Have you ever tried lifting weights or another type of weight training? While it’s not the first type of exercise that everyone will turn to when trying to lose weight, adding weight training to your regime can help you get rid of stubborn belly fat.
Weight training is known to increase the basal metabolism rate of your body for a few days following training sessions. Since your body will be focused on muscle growth and repair, your metabolism rate will increase. This increased rate may cause your body to pull on extra fat reserves, such as those in your stomach, to keep the pace up.
The best way to implement this type of workout is to work up to being able to do heavy, compound weightlifting since it has been shown to be more effective at burning calories than lifting lighter weights for longer periods of time.
#3: Do Vigorous HIIT Exercises
HIIT, also known as high-intensity interval training, is a superb way to do a quick burst of cardio that can trigger the breakdown of fat cells. This type of workout is known to burn as much fat as possible in the shortest amount of time.
There are a number of ways that HIIT can help your body cut the belly fat:
- Helps muscles learn to burn fat for energy
- Lowers post-exercise hunger
- Only need to be 20 to 25 minutes in length for effective results
- Can increase metabolism rate for a full day after HIIT training
- Helps body better absorb food eaten rather than turning it into fat cells
Overall, by doing HIIT workouts as a quick cardio workout with a heavy emphasis on strength training, you’ll be able to get rid of body fat more effectively.
#4: Focus on Your Entire Body
Though these tips will help you to get rid of your belly fat, the best way to get rid of fat in every stubborn area of your body is to focus on lowering your overall body fat percentage.
Yes, it is true that you will see more significant changes in your health journey in areas other than your stomach, but keep up with it. Your body will first cut fat from easier-to-burn places like your face and arms before moving to belly fat.
But with regular fitness and a healthy diet, your belly fat, too, will begin to be burned away by your hard work and effort!
#5: Be Patient
The final and most important tip that you have to remember about cutting out stubborn belly fat is it is going to take time to see significant results in your belly area.
Most fitness experts and doctors say that it can take 12 weeks or more to see substantial changes in this region due to the nature of the fat stored in the area. This fat takes longer to be burned away since the cells are often the stubborn variety, so you must be patient with your workout program.
Do not give up simply because you don’t see immediate results. The burn that you are seeing all over your body will reach your belly region in time, so be patient and look forward to your a more fit future!
Belly Fat is Tough, But So are You!
The fat cells in the stomach are often composed of a higher percentage of beta fat cells that are more difficult to break down. Sure, these cells are tough to target and tough to get rid of, but you’re tough, too!
Don’t let the fear of your belly fat sticking around forever keep you from achieving a healthier lifestyle. By following through with your fitness plans, you will be able to surpass your health goals in no time!