Belly Fat Cause – Why Do You Have That Belly?

Belly Fat Cause – Why Do You Have That Belly?

What causes belly fat? Is it just eating too many calories? Not exercising enough? These are definitely contributors, but there are also causes that you may not be aware of.

Below are three major causes of belly fat, along with helpful tips for eliminating them from your life:

Belly Fat Cause #1 – Processed, Refined, Fast Food

Do most of the foods you eat come ready-to-eat in a package? If so, you are likely ingesting many more calories, fat, carbohydrates and sodium than you realize. All of these things have a bloating effect on your body, which can make your stomach appear to be fatter than it really is. Beyond that, just eating a fatty, high-calorie diet will indeed cause fat deposits to be stored on your body, and one of the first places fat is stored is on your mid-section.

Eliminating this cause of belly fat is as simple as “cleaning up” your diet! Get rid of the chemicals, preservatives, excess fat, sugar and sodium. Start preparing your own meals, including plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fat like those that come from olive oil, avocados, salmon, and flax. Drink plenty of water so your body releases any excess fluids it may be retaining as a result of a poor diet. Just doing these things alone can have a dramatic slimming effect, not just on your belly but all over.

Belly Fat Cause #2 – Too Much Alcohol

If you are in the habit of partying regularly with friends, you are probably taking in a lot of extra calories from alcoholic drinks. Not to mention the fact that drinking lowers your inhibitions so you see no problem with downing a big plate of high-calorie foods on top of the alcohol. Do this often enough and belly fat is inevitable. You’ve heard of people having a “beer belly” right? That’s where that phrase comes from – lots of calories equals larger gut!

Needless to say, if you drink a lot you will need to cut that down if you want to slim your stomach. If you don’t want to give up alcohol altogether, maybe compromise and have just one drink and then switch to club soda with lime.

Belly Fat Cause #3 – Stress

Stress is a major cause of belly fat, due to a stress hormone called cortisol. Every time you feel stressed a flood of stress hormones is released in your body to prepare for “fight or flight”. If you were in physical danger, this would give you the adrenaline you need to defend yourself or get away from the threat. Once the danger has passed, your body returns to normal. If this only happened once in awhile it wouldn’t be a problem at all because your body is equipped to manage these stress hormones. But for most of us in our high-stress world, we’re in a state of constant stress every single day, which keeps releasing more and more cortisol into our systems. One of the side effects of excess cortisol in the bloodstream is storage of fat in the abdomen.

To eliminate this belly fat cause from your life, it’s important to manage your stress every day. Take long walks to burn off tension, sit quietly and breathe deeply, and spend time doing things you enjoy. This will help balance out those times when you can’t avoid feeling pressured, at work and elsewhere.

Belly Fat Cause – Why Do You Have That Belly?

Belly Fat Cause #1 – Processed, Refined, Fast Food

Belly Fat Cause #2 – Too Much Alcohol

Belly Fat Cause #3 – Stress

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