What Are The Signs Of Losing Belly Fat
10 signs youre losing weight Youre not hungry all the time. Your sense of well-being improves. Your clothes fit differently. Youre noticing some muscle definition. Your body measurements are changing. Your chronic pain improves. Youre going to the bathroom more or less frequently. Your blood pressure is coming down.
Eat More Veggies And Vitamin B
Overall, when speaking about weight loss and fitness, I always point out that you cant spot-reduce fat. However, when it comes to belly, a proper det is even more essential for this area than for the others. Have you heard a saying:
Abs are made in the kitchen
If so, you know that your diet has everything to do with how your belly looks.
The reason is two-fold.
Mainly, you cant see your six-pack behind a layer of fat. Plus, bloating does little to highlight its beauty.
When it comes to stress fat, a clean and healthy diet lowers cortisol levels, says Medical News Today.
Thus, if you know that your cortisol level is too high, regulate your diet immediately.
You can also see in this 2010 study that low-calorie dieting increases your level of cortisol. Which is the exact opposite of what we are aiming for. Thus, consuming just the right amount of calories is the best practice.
As for the vitamin B-rich foods, there has been preliminary evidence that an increase of vitamin B in the daily ration aids in cortisol management.
Cut Back On Carbs Especially Refined
Not all carbohydrates are bad, and you need to keep this in mind when putting together your diet plan. Oftentimes people try to completely eliminate carbohydrates from their diet, but this is not exactly the right approach. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for your body. Weight gain, which is often blamed on carbohydrates, is not due to carbohydrates per se, but due to their excessive content in modern foods.
A distinction is often made between good and bad carbohydrates. Carbs found in sugary drinks and foods, refined grains, white bread, and others are high in calories but low in nutritional value. These refined and simple carbs have been linked to abdominal fat deposition and should be avoided.
Simple carbohydrates trigger a rapid rise in blood sugar levels, often referred to as the blood sugar rollercoaster. This activates insulin, which quickly lowers glucose levels, converting it to fat. This leads to the so-called sugar crash, which aside from weight gain, makes you tired, worsens your mood, and increases your appetite. Not all carbs are simple and refined though. It is recommended to substitute them with complex carbs, which occur in fruits and vegetables, and whole-grain products. Those complex carbs often contain fiber as well, which is helpful for weight loss.
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Why Does Your Body React To Stress
This is because your body has evolutionary programming telling you that when you feel stress, its because of danger. Unfortunately, the ancient part of your brain doesnt know the difference between an invading rival tribe or your boss telling you they need that report by the end of the day.
When you feel stress, your body senses danger, and signals to itself, OK, were in danger. We need lots of calorie-dense food now so well have the energy to run from this danger or fight back.
Obviously desk job weight gain is a real thing because we keep getting the internal signals for the high-calorie foods, but we dont burn any calories running away or battling a strong enemy. We just sit at our desk, stare into our spreadsheet, feel panic, and gain weight.
What Might Cause A Stress Belly
Many people turn to junk food in hopes that it will make them feel better or reduce their stress levels. And while sweet treats and salty snacks may give some of us a sense of satisfaction its temporary at best. In fact, sugar and junk food can actually contribute to stress making our stress levels even worse. In addition, it can also cause us to experience serious health issues and unwanted weight gain.
But the biggest culprit when it comes to excess belly fat is thought to be a hormone known as cortisol. Produced by the adrenal glands located in the kidneys, cortisol is the trigger for the bodys fight or flight response to stress. This slows the bodys metabolism, putting it on hold.3
While you need cortisol to deal with stress, too much of it can cause issues. High cortisol levels might increase the amount of visceral fat, the type of fat that surrounds your organs, in your body. According to one study, women with stress belly may have exaggerated responses to cortisol.4
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Will Ginger Help Reduce Bloating
Ginger has a long history of being used as a digestive aid.
The phenolic compounds in ginger stimulate the production of digestive enzymes.
Ginger also reduces inflammation and muscular tension within the gastrointestinal tract. This helps release trapped gas as well as relieve constipation.
Ginger tea is a great way to harness the power of ginger. The stronger the better. You can also add a knob of fresh ginger to your smoothie.
Using Collagen To Help A Bloated Belly
For many these days, bloating is a symptom of a condition known as a leaky gut. Essentially, the tight junctions between your small intestinal cells loosen. This affects your ability to successfully digest your food and absorb critical nutrients. It also allows partially digested nutrients and pathogens to leak into your bloodstream.
Therefore, when youre bloated, its important to consume foods that will soothe and help heal the lining of your digestive tract. I cant think of anything better than collagen. My favorite sources of collagen are bone broth and collagen protein supplements.
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Why You Gain Belly Fat When Youre Stressed
Im still looking for this kitchen in which abs are madedo you know where it is?
Thats what one client said to me during a discussion in which she informed me that her belly was fat and nothing she did would get rid of it and she was gross and disgusting.
The wine we were having was not helping our bellies, but it was definitely helping our attitudes.
Look, I dont want anyone out there to feel gross and disgusting, but I know what its like when you do and Im not going to lie Its not easy to get rid of the feeling AND the belly fat. If it were, I would not be having a wine-versation about gross and disgusting bellies, nor would I be writing this article.
And yes, diet is one of the most important aspects of losing belly fatwell get to that. But there are other things we need to work on too and working on All of Them At The Same Time can make your eyeballs fall out of your head, roll across the floor and become your cats next favorite toy.
We dont want that.
So lets deal with things one thing at a time.
One major contributor to belly fat is:
STRESS
You need stress management. I know the word management is an ugly one, so lets just say stress management is all about pulling your s**t together.
In a previous article, I talked about how to tame your stress in several easy steps. In this one, were digging deeper to find out what stress is, what it does to your mind and body and, most important, how it affects your belly fat.
Can You Lose Weight Despite Stress
Your stress isnt likely going to go away anytime soon. Its just part of life.
So can you lose weight even if youre busy and feel stressed?
The answer? Yes!
Take my client Tree as an example.
Tree has an extremely stressful job at a Fortune 500 company.
Her weight had been creeping up and she knew that she needed to change things, but she was just too busy.
After enrolling in my program, she lost 20 pounds, just by making simple lifestyle changes. Oh, and she did it while enjoying her chocolate cake and without a single sit up.
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Eat 10 Servings Of Vegetables:
The more vegetables the better when youre under a lot of stress. Vegetables are packed with an abundance of vitamins C, magnesium and fibre which help relax the body, reduce tension and regulate blood sugar. Not to mention it boosts immune function which cortisol may suppress.
Solution: Eat at least 10 servings of non-root vegetables. Choose dark leafy green and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower , kale, spinach, and cabbage.
How To Break The Cycle Of Stress And Weight Gain
When you’re stressed out, healthy behaviors likely eating properly and exercising regularly can easily fall by the wayside. Maintaining a schedule and/or routine can help make these healthy behaviors a habit and combat stress-related weight changes. Here are a few strategies that can help you break the cycle of stress and weight gain:
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How To Relieve Stomach Pain Symptoms
There isnt necessarily a cure for the stomach pain symptoms themselves. When your body is under stress, your stomach tends to hurt based on the acids in your stomach and the foods youve already eaten. If you have stomach pain as a result of an anxiety attack, you may need to wait it out.
Water can help a little, however. So consider sipping cool water. Antacids may also be beneficial in some cases, but if you have stomach pain often, you may not want to depend on antacid treatments.
SUMMARY:
Stomach pain from anxiety can be caused by several stress-related issues, including abdominal tension, digestion issues, and irritable bowel. Although the stomach pain may be caused by anxiety, the acids in the stomach are still very real. There are ways to treat both your stomach discomfort and anxiety.
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What Causes A Big Hard Stomach On A Man
When your stomach swells and feels hard, the explanation might be as simple as overeating or drinking carbonated drinks, which is easy to remedy. Other causes may be more serious, such as an inflammatory bowel disease. Sometimes the accumulated gas from drinking a soda too quickly can result in a hard stomach.
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Types Of Bellies: Hormonal Belly
If your belly feels like a cushion on each side, this means that you have a hormonal failure. In order to get rid of this belly, you need to limit low-fat food and to eat moreavocados, fish, nuts andeggs. There are many hormonal changes that can lead to weight gain, from hypothyroidism to PCOS. If you suspect that youre gaining weight due to hormones, be sure to visit your doctor only with their help you can determine if this is the real cause.
Have A Cheat Day Or At Least Dessert One Day A Week
You dont have to eat perfect ALL of the time. If you really miss chocolate cake or ice cream, allow yourself ONE cheat day or just a cheat dessert on Saturday for example.
Thats right! Im talking about even refined food!
This has been an essential part of how to lose stress weight for me. I love my cheat day. I dont feel deprived, and then my body is so used to healthy food, that Im excited to go back to my anti-inflammatory diet the next day.
Make sure this is something you plan for, not an impulsive decision that keeps happening over and over again. That will defeat the purpose and you wont lose the weight.
For a good mid-week treat, I recommend at least 70% or 80% dark chocolate because its lower in sugar, high in antioxidants, and its so decadent.
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Use Green Tea If You Are Feeling Bloated
Green tea is one of the best anti-bloating teas. It promotes digestion, helps release gas, and is a natural diuretic.
Green tea is also packed with antioxidants, which can help repair the lining of your gut and reduce inflammation.
For best results, consume 2-3 cups per day. However, green tea does contain caffeine, so if youre sensitive, try ginger tea instead.
Lose Up To 4 Inches In 6 Weeks: A Simple Plan That Specifically Slims Down Stress Belly After Fifty
June 8, 2017 by Alicia Jones
Fat, especially belly fat not only seems impossible to get rid of but it increases your risk of major chronic diseases and reduces quality of life.
But what if the only reason it was so hard to get rid only because you were given the wrong advice to target the type of fat you had? Thats right, not all fats are created equally.
With a few simple changes that focus on a specific exercise and nutrition plan that targets the belly fat you have, youll notice a quick drop in inches and a surge of healthy energy.
STRESS BELLY:
How You Know Youve Got Stress Belly:
Youve tried everything, from low calorie diets to fast paced fitness plans. You get sweaty, youre out of breath but no matter how hard you try the pounds wont budge Worse off, you may have gained more weight than when you first started. That extra weight gain snuck up on you suddenly too.
You really believe youre doing everything right. After all, you followed the fitness or nutrition plan to the letter. You may have felt tired but you pushed through the workout. You felt hungry but you forced yourself to stick to the plan.
Its fair to say you may be viewed as a bit of a type A personality
You thought you were being pretty healthy but youve recently been diagnosed with type II diabetes, metabolic syndrome or high blood pressure.
You wake up feeling exhausted and sometimes you stay that way all day.
Often when you stand up you feel light headed. you feel your blood pressure drop.
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How Can I Have A Flat Tummy
The 30 Best Ways to Get a Flat Stomach Losing the fat around your midsection can be a battle. Cut Calories, but Not Too Much. Eat More Fiber, Especially Soluble Fiber. Take Probiotics. Do Some Cardio. Drink Protein Shakes. Eat Foods Rich in Monounsaturated Fatty Acids. Limit Your Intake of Carbs, Especially Refined Carbs.
Cut Back On Carbs Especially Refined Carbs
Reducing your carb intake can be very beneficial for losing fat, including abdominal fat.
Diets with under 50 grams of carbs per day cause belly fat loss in people who are overweight, those at risk for type 2 diabetes, and women with polycystic ovary syndrome .
You dont have to follow a strict low carb diet. Some research suggests that simply replacing refined carbs with unprocessed starchy carbs may improve metabolic health and reduce belly fat .
In the famous Framingham Heart Study, people with the highest consumption of whole grains were 17% less likely to have excess abdominal fat than those who consumed diets high in refined grains .
SUMMARY
A high intake of refined carbs is associated with excessive belly fat. Consider reducing your carb intake or replacing refined carbs in your diet with healthy carb sources, such as whole grains, legumes, or vegetables.
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What Causes Stress Belly
Excess fat around the midsection can be attributed to a variety of factors. Genetics, aging, and eating habits can all play a part, but this fat can often be attributed to a cortisol imbalance.
Cortisol is a stress hormone that helps control blood sugar and metabolism. Further, it helps us get motivated and focused. Cortisol is usually elevated in the morning, when many of us need to perform at our best. In addition, exercise and periods of acute stress also help release cortisol and regulate energy.
Perhaps more notably, cortisol is also part of our bodys fight or flight response. The sympathetic nervous system activates in times of crisis, with the adrenal cortex then releasing cortisol. The body also gets a surge of glucose, which is meant to give our muscles an immediate supply of energy. At this point, insulin is also released to prevent the surge of glucose from being stored as fat.
In an ideal world, our stressors would be short-lived and our hormones would soon balance out. But in reality, many of our stressors stay persistent, leaving cortisol levels consistently high and stress belly fat in its wake.
Chronic Stress Feeds Belly Fat
Some underlying triggers for this weight shift may be out of our control, but other aspects are very much within our control. One factor that we can influence is stress. Belly fat contains receptors for cortisol, our bodys main stress hormone. When we’re stressed our adrenals release cortisol and this stimulates these belly fat receptors resulting in the formation of even more belly fat.
Constantly feeling stressed out may seem like the norm in today’s fast-paced society but that does not mean that it’s healthy. To tame your cortisol levels, do whatever works for you to slow down and de-stress: unplug, delegate, meditate, stretch and relax. Taking a high quality adrenal supplement also helps to support balanced cortisol levels.
Keep in mind that stress can also be physical, mostly due to inflammation. Chronic inflammation alone can make it hard to lose added weight because it inhibits some enzymes that normally break down fats in the body. So, get some help to optimize your health and tackle inflammation. Take care of gut imbalances and other inflammatory conditions, like thyroid disease or hashimotos. Slowing of your metabolism, weight gain and trouble losing it commonly go along with low thyroid function.
These issues may not produce symptoms until you hit menopause, so it’s a good idea for any woman hitting menopause to get her thyroid function checked, including thyroid antibodies, especially if there’s a family history of thyroid problems.
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