If you identify with any of these scenarios, listen up: Are You losing sleep worrying about why it is that belly fat just will not go away? No matter how much you try. If you have concerns about this, then you come to the right place? We will break down what causes stubborn belly fat. First, what is Belly Fat?

This is subcutaneous fat that you can literally grab and pinch in a spare-tire area around your torso. Visceral fat: it is a specific type of fat that forms on the inside around organs, and deep within the abdomen. Having too much visceral fat is not only unappealing but additionally it poses a health risk.

So, it is that often despite our best intentions the hassle feels like clingrap and refuses to peel off. Identifying the root causes of stubborn belly fat can facilitate its effective resolution. Read on to find out more about the eight reasons as to why you may be suffering from this tire around your tummy!

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1. Irregular Diet:

The human body operates best with routine, especially in terms of diet. If we eat irregularly, we can screw up our metabolism, such as skipping a meal, etc.  If we under-fuel our body consistently then this is where binge eating or overeating will likely kick in later in the day. Most of us will go for high calorie and unhealthy foods, like fast foods, chips, and etc.   

Moreover, when we eat irregularly it can interfere with our hunger hormones — ghrelin and leptin— which is in turn going to make that intuitive sense of true hunger versus fullness a whole lot harder. Balance your diet with regular meals and snacks to restore metabolism. Letting a considerable amount of time pass between your last meal and bedtime will allow mashed foods to cleave, your remaining sugar stores kindle & irks just cook away. Thus, maintaining regular eating patterns and adopting healthy diet choices becomes a sure-shot way to lose belly fat.

2. Bad Liver:

Learn more on how to get rid of stubborn belly fat.

The metabolism of many nutrients and fats, detoxification of harmful substances all happens in your metabolic powerhouse — the liver. The toxic build-up in our bodies due to a diet that is less than optimal, like too much alcohol (one of the causes can be), and other factors of unhealthy foods can cause something called fatter liver.  This is where the liver becomes clogged with fat and damages its capacity to metabolize fats properly. 

That is why our abdominal area may look puffy because of the fat formed from fatty liver.  Liver must be healed ASAP to reduce liver fat and help guard against a fatty liver while fighting that stubborn belly bulge.  That is why it’s important to keep your diet in check by eating fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, limiting your alcohol intake, and avoid processed or trans fat foods.

3. Alcohol:

While some people can benefit from moderate alcohol consumption (e.g. an occasional small glass of red wine for its antioxidant benefits), too much alcohol can definitely be a belly fat killer and will destroy all your hard work of trying to lose that stubborn stomach fat.  Therefore, if you’re serious about getting a flat tummy, avoid drinking!  These empty calories provide virtually no nutritional value and the alcohol itself is not good for your immune system. 

Further, the body will opt to burn alcohol before it burns anything else; including burning belly fat.  Alcohol can also damage the liver’s ability to metabolize fats.  If you want to get rid of belly fat, limit your intake and fill it with healthier alternatives like water, herbal tea, or infused water (such as cut fruits or herbs into a pitcher) will also be great.

4. Poor Sleep:

Having a good night’s sleep is getting tougher to have in this face-pace world.  We hardly pay any attention to the quality of sleep.  Our work, social meets, or late-night-binge-watching our favorite series seem to take more priority than having a good night sleep.   

Yet as it turns out, skimping on sleep can disturb our metabolism to burn stubborn fat, which will cause our waistline not to come down.  Sleep deprivation disrupts the fine-tunes of hunger hormones (including ghrelin and leptin), causing an increase in appetite and cravings, especially in sweet carb foods.  Poor sleep also increases cortisol (the stress hormone) levels that leads to stored fat in the stomach region.  

You can sleep better by making a rule to go to bed at the same time every day and create a comfortable sleeping environment.  By doing that, you can have a better sleep and help lose weight and trimming belly fat.

5. Cortisol:

Cortisol, often referred to as the “stress hormone,” is a key regulator of metabolism and energy balance. The fight-or-flight response is an automatic bodily reaction to stress.  When we are stressed or emotional, it will influence our cortisol level.   Through this reaction is crucial for survival in the short term, but chronic stress causes a continual rise of cortisol secretion and hence an increase in abdominal adiposity.  You can lower your stress level by daily meditation, deep breathing when you feel you are stressed. 

6. Stress:

Stress not only disturbs cortisol levels but it also impacts our eating behavior.  When we are stressed, we get emotional.  And when we get emotional,  we tend to lean toward comfort foods that are high in sugar and fat that can make us feel better in the short-term.  In the long run, it’s bad for our body, especially since most women will be packed on pounds (especially around our belly).  

Breaking this cycle is key to developing healthy stress management habits, like exercise, mindfulness practices or time with friends and family. To prevent emotional eating from causing belly fat, work on stress reduction at its source and enhance your ability to cope in a more healthful manner.

7. Sugary Foods and Beverages:

Today sugars hide in many processed foods as well as sugary beverages and treats.  Excessive consumption of sugar can lead to weight gain and collect fat around the stomach organs.  When we eat sugar, in a food or drink, our blood glucose levels soar and the body produces insulin to get it into our cells for energy. But when insulin levels are constantly high due to an abundance of sugar that we intake, our cells eventually stop responding properly to this hormone. 

This makes it easier for glucose to stay in our bloodstream, eventually ending up as fat, especially the mid-section.  To reduce belly fat, focus on minimizing sugars in your diet and eat more healthily like with whole, nutrient-dense foods, and beverages such as fruit plus veggie, lean protein, and water.

8. Lack of Physical Activity:

Most of us live a sedentary lifestyle.  We spend most part of the day sitting down behind a desk or screen. This lack of physical activity leads to weight gain and increase in visceral fat which is the type of abdominal cavity-deep stored fats around organs. 

Exercising regularly is crucial for calorie burning, metabolism enhancement, and toning the muscles like the abdominal. As you age, incorporate a combination of cardiovascular exercise (brisk walking, jogging or cycling), strength training exercises to develop lean muscle mass  that can help your metabolism work better along with basic core-strengthening moves that tighten the midsection.  Doing a little bit more activities throughout the day can help alleviate some of the impacts from chronic sitting and help reduce belly fat. 

Trying to lose those stubborn belly fat can be frustrating.  However, if you understand what can be the root causes, such as eating irregularity, poor liver health, excess alcohol consumption, an sleep deprivation on one extreme, chronically elevated cortisol levels due to chronic stress, and sugar-filled food, you can know where and how to adjust your daily habit to build a healthy tomorrow and be free of nasty belly fats!