What Causes Belly Fat and Best Ways to Lose It

Belly fat is more than just a cosmetic issue.

It can seriously affect your health as well.

What many people don’t realize is that even slim individuals can be at higher risk of heart disease if they carry excess fat around the abdomen.

Belly fat is linked to the release of certain proteins in the body that promote inflammation, which can damage the arteries and the liver over time.

It can also disrupt how your body processes sugar and stores fat, increasing the risk of metabolic problems.

Of course, belly fat is often associated with excess body weight—but it’s not limited to overweight people alone.

What Are the Main Causes and Best Ways to Lose It

Don’t have time to read the whole article? Here is the qfuick summary:

Nutrition tips to lose belly fat:

• Eat high-protein foods
• Eat frequent small meals
• Don’t eat bad carbs
• Don’t eat after 7 pm
• Avoid beer and sodas

Workout Tips to Lose Belly Fat

• Cardio Workouts – cycling, running, jogging
• Weightlifting – squats, deadlifting
• Bodyweight exercises – plank, reverse sit-ups, leg scissors

The best natural supplement to get rid of belly fat and lose weight is PhenQ.

6 Main Causes of Belly Fat

1. Stress

You may think this is absurd, but stress really leads to gaining weight.

Anxiety can produce extra cortisol, a hormone that can be the reason why your body stores fat.

Try to take a few minutes break after working for half an hour, concentrate on breathing and relaxing.

Of course, walk a few times per week in nature.

2. Eating unhealthy foods

Belly fat is one of the pointers that something isn’t working well, but it’s not that easy to fix it.

One of the main reasons for piled-up fat are refined sugars that are a source of simple carbs.

If you don’t want belly fat you need to avoid delicatessen, sweets, and salad dressings.

Start by cutting down on these ingredients and gradually eliminate them from your diet.

You’ll see the results around your belly pretty fast.

You should also avoid sodas and diet sodas, too.

They also lead to weight gain.

It takes only a glass or two per day to end up with belly fat.

Bottom line: Reduce the intake of carbs so that you reduce the number of calories and sugars that turn into fat layers.

Cut out fast food, greasy food, and eat more fruit, vegetables, food high in fiber.

A diet low in fiber is one of the reasons for weight gain.

3. Drinking too much alcohol

Alcohol is fat-free, but when your body absorbs it your metabolism slows down and that’s not good if you want to lose weight.

Your metabolism breaks down fat more slowly and fat piles up around the belly.

You should avoid beer especially.

4. A lack of physical activity

People are less and less active and the number of obese people increases.

You need to do crunches if you want a flat belly and you need to work on the core and the pelvic muscles, too.

They give your body support and they are necessary for moving your body.

5. Genes

We can’t talk about our bodies without mentioning genes.

If everyone in your family has an apple-shaped body, you need to be careful with what you eat and you need to exercise.

Want does an apple-shaped body mean?

If you have a wide torso and fat usually piles up around your belly, you probably have an apple-shaped body.

6. Sleep deprivation

If you don’t sleep enough your metabolism can slow down because your body keeps the energy and stimulates the cells to pile up fat.

Sleeping 5 hours or less per night can cause belly fat.

On the other hand, sleeping more than 8 hours can also cause weight gain.

There is no good explanation for that, it simply means that we have less time to be active and to burn calories.

How to Get Rid of Belly Fat?

1. Change Your Nutrition

Before you start exercising you need to take care of your diet.

You need to have a healthy diet and a good abdomen training program to get good results.

You can’t work out as crazy and expect to lose weight if you have a bunch of fat layers beneath your belly.

So, you need to lose weight.

That’s why you need to eat food with fewer calories so that you can lose weight faster.

These are the most important things regarding your diet:

Eat more proteins

It’s not clear enough to many people out there how important proteins are when you try to shape your body.

A lack of proteins can lead to a negative nutritious balance which leads to losing muscle mass and eventually slowing down your metabolism.

Eating proteins can help you get rid of fat layers, too since it takes more energy to process them compared to fats and carbs.

Divide your meals, eat more often

It’s very important to intake 5-6 smaller meals if you want to reduce your body fat.

That way, you eliminate cravings and prevent the release of the catabolic hormone cortisol.

Cortisol slows down the process of burning fats, so don’t skip meals.

If you control the hormone cortisol, you can significantly reduce the breaking down of muscle tissue.

It’s necessary to eat breakfast within an hour after getting up.

Your metabolism gets slower during the night and you need to get it moving.

Some people think it’s fine to skip breakfast because that means fewer calories, but when you skip breakfast you start feeling hungry and that makes your metabolism even slower.

The point isn’t to eat less, it’s to eat smarter.

If you eat fiber and proteins and you drink a lot of water you will feel full longer during the day and you won’t need to snack.

So, healthy eating is the key to a flat stomach.

Reduce the intake of calories

If you want to really define your abs, you need to lose the fat layers that cover them.

You can do that by creating a negative energy balance (spending more than you intake).

Don’t reduce the calorie intake suddenly since that way you risk slowing down your metabolism, blocking the process of burning fat layers, and increasing hunger.

The best thing to do is to combine exercise with a reduced-calorie intake of about 500 calories per day than your current intake.

Try to reduce the calorie intake gradually, 50 calories a day until you reach 500 kcal.

Forget about beer and sodas

What is the best way for a guy to lose belly fat?

Stop drinking beer.

If you wonder if there’s anything better than a bottle of beer on a hot summer day, to tell you the truth, I wonder the same.

Unfortunately, if you want to get rid of your belly, you’ve got to forget about beer.

You should avoid alcohol in general since it decreases your testosterone levels and your muscle mass.

When it comes to sodas, I have one word – No.

Sodas are loaded with sugar and you should cut them out not only for your belly but for your health, too.

Drink a fresh lemonade instead.

Forget about eating late at night

If you want to control the fat layers on your belly, you shouldn’t eat 3 hours before sleeping because it takes time for your food to be digested before going to bed.

When you go to bed with a full belly you risk storing fat on your abdomen.

Natural Supplement

You can reduce belly fat faster if you combine the above-mentioned exercises with the best natural supplement.

The best supplement to lose weight and belly fat is PhenQ.

The ingredients in PhenQ will boost your metabolism and that leads to an increased fat-burning rate.

This way your body will burn fat layers from your belly faster.

PhenQ Ingredients

• α-Lacys Reset – boosts your energy and metabolism.
• Capsimax powder – this is a strong thermogenic mix of capsicum, piperine, vitamin B, and caffeine. It is a fat-burning mix.
• Calcium carbonate – calcium assists your cells to store less fat and burn the stored fat.
• Nopal – a plant extract that suppresses your appetite.
• Caffeine – improves your mood and boosts metabolism.
• Chromium picolinate – reduces hunger, boosts fat loss.
• L-carnitine fumarate – turns fat stores into energy.

You can read more about PhenQ and check the price here.

2. Best Exercises to Lose Belly Fat

• Plank: Strengthens abs, hips, and the whole body. Start with 30 seconds, increase to 60 as you progress.
• Sprinter Crunch: Lie on your back and alternate bringing each knee to the chest with the opposite arm. Great for upper abs.
• Leg Scissors: Raise and lower your legs alternately without touching the ground. Targets lower abs.
• Russian Twist: Sit, lift your feet, and twist your torso from side to side. Works the side abs.
• Reverse Sit-ups: Lift and lower bent legs slowly. Effective for the lower abdomen.
• Yoga Boat Pose: Strengthens deep abs. Keep your back straight and lift legs; bend them if necessary.
• Cardio: Running, cycling, or low-intensity jogging for 30-60 minutes helps burn fat effectively, especially in the morning.
• Weightlifting: Deadlifts and squats help retain muscle while burning fat.

3. Lifestyle changes

• Sleep Well: Poor sleep can lead to weight gain by affecting hunger hormones and increasing cravings for unhealthy foods. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night.
• Manage Stress: Chronic stress can lead to emotional eating and weight gain. Practice stress management techniques like meditation, deep breathing exercises, or hobbies that relax you.
• Set Realistic Goals: Break down your weight loss goals into smaller, achievable milestones. Celebrate your progress to stay motivated.
• Stay Active Throughout the Day: Beyond your workouts, try to stay active by taking regular breaks from sitting, using the stairs, and walking whenever possible.