Updated on April 1, 2024.
Carrying extra weight around your abdomen (belly) can raise your risks for diabetes, heart disease, and even some types of cancer. If you're looking to shed excess pounds from your waistline, though, it can be a challenge. Here are some of the potential reasons why.
Stress: Stress hormones not only encourage your body to gain weight, but that weight gain may be in the form of belly fat in particular.
Age: With age, the balance of your hormones tends to shift. That can cause changes to the way your body stores excess energy in the form of fat.
Eating habits: Packaged, processed foods often contain simple, refined carbohydrates and excess sugars. Both of these, can lead to accumulation of fat around the belly.
Three ways to get closer to your waistline goal
Unfortunately, you can’t target one specific part of your body for weight loss. To lose fat anywhere on your body, you’ll need to eat less and move more. It's easier said than done. Remember to be patient with yourself.
“This fat didn't come on overnight," says personal trainer Jeff Croswell, so it won't come off overnight, either.
Try these tips to speed your success:
Eat healthy fats. When trying to lose weight, you don't need to eliminate all fats from your diet. There are some fats that are an important part of a healthy diet. Make sure your diet includes healthy monounsaturated fats, found in foods like nuts, seeds, olives and olive oil, and avocados.
Watch your overall intake. It can be easy to take in more calories than you mean to. Watch portion sizes and steer clear of added sugars and empty calories. (Empty calories come from foods that are high in calories but don't provide other nutritional benefits. These include food like packaged snacks, chips, and cookies.)
Get more sleep. According to sleep expert Michael Breus, PhD, lack of sleep affects levels of several hormones that influence appetite. When your sleep is consistently disturbed, your hormones may be as well, which can cause you to crave foods and may contribute to weight gain. Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep a night.
