Keep Track Of What You Eat And Your Exercise
Studies show that by keeping a food diary and logging your exercise, youre setting yourself up for success.
For people who are trying to lose weight, if they self-monitor their food and exercise, they tend to do better, says Dr. Creel. We dont know all the reasons why, but what it probably comes down to is awareness and being intentional about our health behaviors.
And using fitness trackers, whether its a smart watch or an app, can motivate you to lace up those sneakers and take a walk around the block.
Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs
Kleiner says for salty cravings, deviled eggs are a great healthy snack that will satisfy your craving without totally going overboard on sodiumwhich inevitably causes belly bloat.
“When you’re craving something salty, sure you could reach for a high-sodium snack, but all that salt may leave you feeling bloated, thirsty, and justblah,” says Kleiner. “Instead reach for something like Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs. The eggs and smoked salmon provide a hefty dose of protein, important for muscle building and repair. Plus, this tasty snack twist provides some gut-boosting probiotics thanks to yogurt and heart-healthy omega-3s from the salmon.”
Limit Added Sugar And High
Consuming too much added sugar is associated with excess weight thats likely to accumulate around your waist. Sugar-sweetened beverages and drinking too much fruit juice can be particularly harmful.
When we drink our calories, especially with soda or juice, we dont feel as full or satisfied compared to chewing those calories, notes Dr. Creel. For instance, you may eat three oranges for the same amount of calories as a large glass of orange juice and feel much fuller for a longer period of time.
Watch how much of these liquid calories you consume and try to cut back where you can.
You May Like: How To Stop Hormonal Hair Loss
How Will I Know Which Fat Burner Will Work For My Lower Belly Fat
There are a few things you can look for when choosing a fat burner. First, make sure the product contains thermogenic ingredients. These are compounds that help increase your body temperature, which in turn helps to boost your metabolism.
Another thing to look for is an ingredient called cayenne pepper. This spicy little herb has been shown to help increase fat burning.
Finally, make sure the product you choose contains green tea extract. Green tea is a great source of antioxidants and has been shown to help with weight loss.
With these three things in mind, you should be able to find a fat burner that will help you get rid of your lower belly fat for good.
Have You Tried Everything And Are Still Struggling To Get Rid Of Belly Bulge It Turns Out Your Hormones May Be The Answer Find Out Why A Hormonal Imbalance Can Cause You To Hold Onto Fat In Unexpected Places And How To Get Rid Of Hormonal Belly Today
Unexplained weight gain can be frustrating, especially when you feel like youre doing all the right things. Sometimes, though, a sudden belly bulge or stubborn abdominal weight you cant seem to lose is a sign of something deeper going on with your hormones. Your hormones actually play a big part in regulating metabolism, hunger, fullness, and energy. And because your hormones are always talking to each other, they form a tangled web of communication to keep your body regulated.
A number of hormone-related conditions can cause abdominal weight gain including an underactive thyroid, polycystic ovary syndrome , or menopause. Outside of specific conditions, general hormone imbalances, which can be the result of obesity, environmental triggers and toxins, chronic stress, or medications, may also be at the root of your resistant hormonal belly fat. If you think youre dealing with a hormonal belly, here are a few signs to look for.
Read Also: What Does Melatonin Do To Your Body
How Does The Stress Hormone Cortisol Sabotage Weight Loss
How is this overproduction of cortisol related to weight gain? First of all, heightened cortisol is linked to overeating. Ever notice how you eat when youre stressed? A study published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology found that higher than normal cortisol levels were linked to overeating and weight gain. Another study links elevated cortisol levels to an increase in belly fat.
Avoid Foods That Contain Trans Fats
Trans fats are created by pumping hydrogen into unsaturated fats, such as soybean oil.
Theyre found in some and spreads and also often added to packaged foods, but many food producers have stopped using them.
These fats have been linked to inflammation, heart disease, insulin resistance, and abdominal fat gain in observational and animal studies .
A 6-year study found that monkeys who ate a high trans fat diet gained 33% more abdominal fat than those eating a diet high in monounsaturated fat .
To help reduce belly fat and protect your health, read ingredient labels carefully and stay away from products that contain trans fats. These are often listed as partially hydrogenated fats.
SUMMARY
Some studies have linked a high intake of trans fat to increased belly fat gain. Regardless of whether youre trying to lose weight, limiting your intake of trans fat is a good idea.
Alcohol can have health benefits in small amounts, but its seriously harmful if you drink too much.
Research suggests that too much alcohol can also make you gain belly fat.
Observational studies link heavy alcohol consumption to a significantly increased risk of developing central obesity that is, excess fat storage around the waist .
Cutting back on alcohol may help reduce your waist size. You dont need to give it up altogether, but limiting the amount you drink in a single day can help.
One study on alcohol use involved more than 2,000 people.
- meat
- beans
26 ).
Recommended Reading: Where Do You Get Testosterone
Limit Fructose And Glucose
Fructose is the most metabolically hurtful sugar. It goes straight to your liver, where it makes fat and triggers insulin and leptin resistance. Fructose doesnt tell your brain that youre satisfied, so you still feel hungry and keep eating. The net result is inflammation, a stressed-out liver, and more visceral fat.
The main culprit for most Americans is excessive amounts of high fructose corn syrupthe Department of Agriculture estimates that Americans consumed an average of about 27 pounds of high-fructose corn syrup in 2014but I found that I probably have a problem with even higher-fructose fruit such as bananas, dates, and dried apricots.
The main takeaway is that in contrast to glucose, fructose doesnt trigger insulin secretion or leptin production. These two hormones dampen appetite by telling your body youre full and to put the fork down. Limit your fruits to lemons, limes, avocados, and olives. Dial down the fructose to lose belly fat.
Estrogen And Belly Fat
When we think of the hormone estrogen, we usually thing of just one hormone when in fact, estrogen is a group of three hormones: estriol estradiol and estrone. In women, estrogen is mostly produced in the ovaries. Smaller amounts are produced in a woman’s adrenal glands and fat cells.
Estrogen levels fluctuate from woman to woman before menopause. The same is true for women who begin to transition through menopause, a period that can last up to four years. However, after a woman is fully transitioned through menopause, estrogen levels drop dramatically. This is where the door opens for hormonal belly fat.
Low estrogen levels do not inherently mean immediate belly fat, however, low estrogen levels are closely tied to insulin sensitivity. Decreased insulin sensitivity creates a blood sugar roller coaster, calling insulin into action far too often. Remember, insulin is the anchor that pulls rising blood sugar back down to a normal level. When insulin is engaged too often, belly fat gets stored and the risk for type 2 diabetes increases.
Don’t Miss: What Hormone Makes Your Penis Grow
Cortisol And Your Midsection
Stress is odorless, colorless and tasteless…but wow…does it ever contribute hormonal belly fat. Cortisol is a hormone released from your adrenal glands. When you wake up in the morning, cortisol is at its highest, and when you go to sleep, cortisol is at its lowest. This makes sense because you need to be more alert through the earlier hours of the day, then less alert as the day comes to an end and you need to get ready for bed.
But thanks to stress from certain beverages we drink and other lifestyle variables, that’s now always the rhythm of cortisol!
Cortisol gets called into action like a group of soldiers primed to go into battle when you experience stress. When stress is high, whether for real or perceived reasons, belly fat may follow.
Let’s say you’re out for a long walk and you run into a lion. It’s ferocious, you’re scared, and remember, this is just a story. The lion is in front of you. You see it with your eyes and your eyes send a signal to the brain saying, “fight or flight”. When your body goes into fight or flight, cortisol surges, then knocks on your liver’s door. Your liver has extra sugar stored for when you need it most. Your liver immediately releases sugar to your arms and legs and lungs…a few of the areas that can help you either fight the lion or get out of there.
Your body still responds in the same way! But because you won’t be fighting or running away, the extra sugar in your blood needs to get regulated.
Take Steps To Reduce Stress
Research shows that stress can take a toll on your hormones, primarily the stress hormone cortisol, and taking steps to reduce your stress levels can help you balance your hormones. Stress-reducing activities such as yoga, meditation, exercise and listening to relaxing music are all great ways to help manage stress.
Read Also: Can Dogs Take Human Melatonin
Why Is Hard To Get Rid Of Lower Belly Fat
Your body was designed to store excess calories as fat. In the early days of humanity, food was scarce and our bodies adapted to store fat in order to have an emergency reserve of fuel to burn during lean times. Because we evolved to store fat as a last-ditch effort against starvation, your body will burn all other kinds of first sources first–including muscle tissue–burning fat last of all. So when you’re trying to get rid of belly fat, you’re working against millennia of evolution.
Furthermore, if you’re anxious, your body will continue to secrete cortisol. This contributes to the development of more abdominal fat. Women also have a tendency to carry extra midsection fat as a result of pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Aging also works against you. Testosterone is a hormone that promotes muscular development in males. As men age, their bodies lose muscle mass and acquire weight as a result of a declining testosterone level.
Estrogen loss throughout perimenopause and menopause can alter fat distribution in a woman’s body, even if she doesn’t gain much weight. Instead of collecting in the breasts, hips, and thighs, additional fat collects around the waist.
Eat Sufficient Clean Protein
Undereating protein and overeating carbs can lead to weight gain. Make sure your protein is anti-inflammatory, i.e., lentils and other legumes, if you tolerate them cold-water, low-mercury, wild-caught seafood like salmon, cod, and steelhead trout and pastured and wild meats, if you eat them, like elk, bison, and grass-fed beef.
Also Check: How Can I Balance My Hormones To Stop Acne
Getting Rid Of Hormonal Belly
Yes, it is possible to flatten hormonal belly. Follow the routine set up by a medical practitioner. Every person has specific requirements, no everybody needs the same set of rules to follow. However, some basic things must be kept in mind when you are looking forward to flattening a hormonal belly.
- Eat a healthy diet. Focus on plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and choose lean sources of protein and low-fat dairy products.
- Limit added sugar and saturated fat.
- Cut down sugary beverages or add artificial sweetener. Drink more water instead.
- Keep the portion size adequate. Slim down your portion sizes and make healthy choices while eating.
- Be physically active and meet the required fitness goals set by an expert.
- Get adequate amount of sleep. Poor quality of sleep wreaks havoc on internal biochemistry.
- Destress yourself. Cortisol is the major player in the hormonal belly fat game. Cortisol increases when we are stressed. Follow a hobby, stay relaxed and enjoy life.
- There is a scope of mood swings while undergoing hormonal changes in our body. Eat healthy meals and exercise daily to get rid of mood swings.
Types Of Bellies: Bloated Belly
Such a stomach appears because of a bad diet or because of the intolerance of some foods, allergies. As a rule, the stomach is flat in the morning, but appears in the afternoon, because there are too many gases in the intestine and indigestion occurs. The best idea is to start exercising. You need to do morecardio exercises and to sleep better. It is also important to make adjustments to your diet. Keep a food diary to understand which foods cause bloating, exclude fizzy drinks and soda, and eat food in small portions instead of big meals.
Don’t Miss: Is Estrogen Necessary After Menopause
Can You Prevent Menopause Belly
Since belly fat is a common menopause symptom, it may not be entirely possible to prevent. This said, not everyone gains weight in the abdomen during menopause.
However, the same tips for losing menopause belly apply to preventing it, too. Eating a nutritious diet, reducing caloric intake, increasing physical activity, and reducing stress can help you maintain a healthy weight as you go through menopause.
Is The Hormone Reset Diet A Healthy Choice For You
Although the Hormone Reset Diet focuses on whole, nutritious foods, it also excludes many foods of high nutritional value. For example, the Hormone Reset Diet excludes grains. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, recommends an average of 6 to 8 ounces of grains per day, depending on your caloric needs.
Similarly, the Dietary Guidelines recommend around 2 cups of fruit and 3 cups of dairy per day, while the Hormone Reset Diet eliminates these foods. On the Hormone Reset Diet, you are restricted to 99 grams of carbohydrates or less per day the USDA recommends at least 130 grams of carbohydrates per day.
Following the diet will restrict you to approximately 1,000 to 1,200 calories per day in order to lose weight. This calorie goal is well below the level recommended by the USDA, which depends on your sex, age, and activity level.
Where the Hormone Reset Diet shines is the recommendation to consume plenty of vegetables. Many people do not meet the recommended amounts of vegetables. The USDA recommends the approximate following intake of vegetables each week:
- 1.5 to 2 cups of leafy greens
- 5.5 to 6 cups of red and orange vegetables
- 1.5 to 2 cups of beans, peas, and lentils
- 5 to 6 cups of starchy vegetables
- 4 to 5 cups of other vegetables
Don’t Miss: How Do You Know If You Have Hormone Problems
Hormonal Belly Fat: What Is It And How To Get Rid Of It
Scroll For More Info
Lower belly fat affects many people, and recognizing and understanding its causes can help you burn it off. Sometimes hormones can be the culprit for excess belly fat. As we age or experience lifestyle changes, our hormone levels can fluctuate due to several factors, such as menopause or high stress levels, resulting in a hormonal belly.
Fortunately, many tips and treatment options are available to help you get your hormones in check and lose hormonal body fat to achieve your ideal body weight.
Hormonal Belly Fat: What You Need To Know
When I set out to write The Belly Burn Plan, I wanted to not only explain how hormones can cause fat storage in different parts of the body, but also give readers the tools to lose the fat through effective meal plans and workouts. The combination worked. In the years since the book published I’ve helped all four body types: apple, pear, hourglass and inverted pyramid.
The apple-shape body, though, is the most critical to address.
Why? The apple-shape person stores most of their belly fat through the midsection. The type of fat that affects the belly area is called visceral fat. Visceral fat is hormonally active, and places unwanted stress on vital organs, like the heart, kidneys, spleen and liver.
Don’t get me wrong, anyone can store belly fat. Hormonal belly fat, on the other hand, is typically the type of fat that women refer to throughout their peri-menopausal or menopausal years.
One of the easiest ways to control hormonal belly fat is to know which hormones are the key players in creating it in the first place. From there, you work to balance the hormones that are making your body pack on the fat where you don’t want it!
I’ll explain all of this by getting into the nitty gritty of three of my favorite hormones: estrogen, cortisol and insulin. They’re my favorite because they are much easier to manage than most people realize! So if you have hormonal belly fat, take a breath, relax and keep reading!
Read Also: Does The Kyleena Have Hormones
Eating More Whole Foods And Less Processed Ones
A few studies have shown that whole foods are more effective at reducing belly fat than processed ones . Less processed meats, vegetables, and fruits can help reduce abdominal fat because they provide the body with essential vitamins and minerals it needs to function properly.
On the other hand, highly processed foods, such as chips and cookies can cause belly fat because they contain:
- Added sugar
- Added salt
- A lot of fat and calories
In addition, processed foods can contain trans fats which have been linked to a variety of health problems.