You play sports, go on a diet, see and feel how kilograms and volumes go away, but your belly does not go away. Let's look at the reasons why belly fat doesn't go away when you lose weight.
Belly fat forms in two places: under the skin (subcutaneous fat) and around the abdominal organs (visceral fat). Usually, when losing weight, subcutaneous fat is burned first, and then visceral fat. Moreover, the rate of combustion of visceral fat is faster, but getting to it is more difficult. Luckily, there are a few simple habits that can help you reduce that stubborn fat.
Consider 12 reasons why belly fat doesn't go away when you lose weight. You probably already adhere to most of them. Therefore, you just need very small changes that will have an impact not only on your waist size, but also on your health.
You skip meals
Why doesn't belly fat go away when losing weight? You're probably not eating. Do you feel like if you skip breakfast or dinner you can cut calories? Nothing like this. Skipping meals slows down your metabolism. Your diet should always include a combination of proteins, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. Be sure to eat plenty of vegetables and other high-fiber foods.
Start your day off by making omelettes! Here we have prepared 9 delicious recipes for you.
The man's belly hangs. Why does the belly grow in men and what is a belly: it’s not just about fat
Many men rush to get rid of a big belly without first understanding the most important thing - what exactly is a belly? And the point here is not only about fat, as many people think. Let’s break down the large, protruding belly literally into “components”. There will be SEVEN of them. Then it will become clear to us what exactly we need to fight.
What does a big belly in men “consist” of?
Subcutaneous fat
The simplest and most understandable. This is the fat that everyone usually means when talking about the belly. Fat found just under the skin. The reasons for the appearance are familiar to everyone: excess calories and decreased overall activity. We spend more calories than we take in, and the fat soon disappears - this is almost the easiest way to get rid of belly fat.
Visceral fat
This fat is no longer located under the skin, but “after” the abdominal muscles - it accumulates around the internal organs. If its quantity is within normal limits, then it does not harm the body. But a person with a large belly has much more visceral fat. It is important that it is quite difficult to fight it. As a rule, it goes away only after a person burns subcutaneous fat.
Fecal-fat fossilized masses
Not the most pleasant, but very important topic. The concept speaks for itself. Sometimes these masses are mistakenly called “slag”. The main thing: with age, such deposits become more and more numerous. The solution to the problem is to cleanse the body, but you should not do it yourself; in this case, visiting a doctor is mandatory.
Photo: @pavel_ladziak Instagram account
Distended stomach
There may be two options here. Or the stomach is stretched by large portions of food. Or - even if the portions themselves at each meal are small - general overeating.
If we talk about a specific meal, it is important to let yourself feel full with food. Take your time! After eating one dish, take a short break and drink water. Ideally, you need to distract yourself from food for a few minutes - during this time the brain and stomach will “realize” that satiety is about to appear.
Weak abdominal muscles
For this reason, the stomach simply falls forward - flabby muscles are not able to prevent this. If you spend the whole day sitting - at work, in the car, on the couch at home, etc., then very soon you will encounter this problem.
When a person is not in an upright position, the abdominal muscles (essentially stabilizers) do not need to maintain this very position, and also do not need to hold the stomach. So over time, the tone of these muscles is lost.
Photo: @fitnadalge Instagram account
Gas formation
Even if the previous points do not apply to a specific person, he can still walk around with a round protruding belly. Excessive accumulation of gases is to blame. There can be four reasons: 1) excessive consumption of well-known foods like beans, etc.; 2) serious overeating of any food; 3) frequent stressful conditions (a very important aspect, they don’t always pay attention to it!); 4) tendency to bloating - only a doctor can help here.
Time
The reason why belly fat does not go away when losing weight may be that you are simply in a hurry to get results. Perhaps only a short time has passed and you just need to wait to see a flat stomach.
If you have set a goal for yourself - to lose weight and get your body into a beautiful and athletic shape - then in this matter, the most important thing is not to deviate from your plan. There is no point in endlessly asking yourself why belly fat doesn’t go away when you lose weight. Change your habits to healthy and healthy ones, continue to eat right and exercise. And you won’t even notice how your waist will acquire the necessary slimness!
What to do
There is no easy way to get rid of belly fat on your own! You will have to completely change your lifestyle and get used to dietary restrictions and regular exercise. If the stomach is your constant problem, then you will have to develop a comprehensive approach that will include diet, abdominal exercises, general physical activity, massages, and the use of additional cosmetics!
Moreover, you should not expect that even this approach will give an instant visible result! Think for yourself, after all, your tummy did not appear in one day, it grew gradually, and just as gradually it will go away. Some people require several years of training!
Exercises for a flat stomach
What exercises should you do to get rid of your stomach and sides?
There are no special exercises for burning belly fat. Abdominal exercises cause muscle growth underneath the fat layer. As a result, the stomach may even increase in volume. Fat is lost when the intensity of the workout increases and the heart rate increases. You need to be prepared for the fact that the stomach and hips will be the last to lose volume. After all, this is where the body stores a strategic reserve of energy in the form of fat in case of hunger.
To quickly burn fat from the belly and other parts of the body, you need to combine high-intensity cardio training and strength exercises. Cardio training uses up blood sugar and glycogen in the first 20 minutes of exercise. Then reserves of subcutaneous fat begin to melt. Strength training burns fewer calories during exercise. But it is good because it activates the body’s metabolism at rest. Growing muscles require nutrition. Therefore, the rate of burning belly fat during rest remains high.
How to get rid of belly fat
Cardio training is carried out 2-4 times a week, for 45 minutes. The simplest cardio training is running, jumping rope, shuttle running, or a cycling machine. For obese people, it is better to engage in fast, long walking.
Jumping rope for 15 minutes a day works all muscle groups and burns fat. The muscles of the abdomen, legs, and arms tense. A simple workout with a jump rope replaces cardio exercises. If you train daily, the results will become noticeable within a week.
Plank
The plank is one of the most effective exercises for eliminating belly fat. You can start with 1-2 minutes daily, gradually increasing the time to 10 minutes.
Leg raises
While lying on your back, you need to lift both legs up at the same time. The pelvis is pressed to the floor, legs are straight. 2 sets of 25 reps. To remove the sides, the legs are raised alternately.
Crunches
In the supine position, the head and shoulders are lifted off the floor. Hands are held behind the head. Raising your legs bent at the knees, alternately stretch your right elbow to your left knee and vice versa. 2 sets of 25 reps.
Vacuum
One of the best exercises for losing belly fat in men and women is the “vacuum”. The movement engages the transverse muscle, which forms a slender waist. It activates metabolism, starts bowel function, removes toxins and burns fat reserves. It should be performed in the morning, on an empty stomach. Execution steps:
Vacuum for belly slimming
- Sit with your back straight and legs crossed. Begin to exhale deeply and slowly, while simultaneously drawing in your stomach. For convenience, you can rest your straight arms on your knees.
- Pull your stomach towards your spine, pointing it slightly upward. It should feel pressed against the ribs. Hold for 20-25 seconds.
- Slowly release your stomach and inhale smoothly.
Note! The exercise is repeated 3 to 5 times. You can start with a delay of 15 seconds, gradually increasing it to 60 seconds. To eliminate belly fat, the “vacuum” should be performed daily.
How to remove a bag in the lower abdomen. In what cases does the stomach just fall out?
Easy exercises will help correct the situation. Their effectiveness is very high. If done daily, the results will not be long in coming. 2 weeks, maximum 4 and you will be able to boast of a graceful tummy.
During pregnancy, the tendons that run down the center of your abdomen can become very stretched. To some extent, this happens to all mothers. Depending on many factors, diastasis may or may not last. The convergence of diastasis may take varying amounts of time. From 6-9 to 18 months.
In order to promote the convergence of diastasis, it is necessary to eat well and not clog the abs with crunches. The “Vacuum” exercise is perhaps the best thing you can do in such a situation.
It should be remembered that some diastasis does not at all prevent the return of a flat stomach. This is not a sentence at all, but rather a reason to pay yourself a little more attention.
If the diastasis is too large and the tissue tear extends through almost all layers of the tendons, surgery may be necessary. Especially if the lower back suffers due to a poorly functioning press.
Recommendations for eliminating belly fat
What to do if the skin on a man’s face is peeling
Experienced fitness instructors and nutritionists give their recommendations:
- You need to do cardio training for no more than 45-50 minutes, since after an hour of intense training, the body begins to consume muscle tissue instead of fat.
- You need to start with strength exercises, then move on to cardio. Strength training will burn up carbohydrates. Then cardio training will begin to burn fat not after 20 minutes, but almost immediately after it starts.
- Proper weight loss is between 0.5 and 1 kg per week. With faster weight loss, muscle mass will be lost and the skin will begin to sag.
- To cleanse the body of toxins and normalize metabolism, you can try the principle of separate nutrition, based on the compatibility of products.
- You need to train yourself to maintain your posture. A straight back, shoulders pulled back, and a straightened chest make the abdominal muscles work. The stomach and chest are tightened.
- Stressful conditions should be avoided. Stress is accompanied by the release of the hormone cortisol, which slows down metabolism. Therefore, it is worth learning to relax through meditation.
- Lack of sleep leads to excess weight gain. You should go to bed at the same time and sleep for at least 7-8 hours.
Getting a flat and firm stomach again is a completely feasible task. You just need to replace bad habits with good ones and introduce them into your life. The result is never given for free, but the efforts pay off with the admiration of others and increased self-esteem.
Why doesn't my belly go away after childbirth?
While carrying a child, a woman's anterior abdominal wall undergoes incredible stretching. Perhaps, if pregnancy hormones such as relaxin and progesterone, which relax connective tissue, did not help, it would be completely impossible to carry a pregnancy to term. There would be no place for the baby to fit.
Why is the belly not removed after childbirth?
- Not only the muscles are stretched, but also the aponeuroses - this is the tendon connection of the muscles, mainly in the area of the white line of the abdomen. And if the muscles after childbirth can contract and return to normal, the stretching of the aponeuroses may be irreversible. For approximately 20% of women, a consequence of pregnancy is the occurrence of diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles, which is useless to combat with conventional methods.
- Repeated births - during the second and third pregnancies, the anterior abdominal wall is significantly weakened and takes longer to recover;
- C-section. After a caesarean section, the belly does not go away longer, because during the operation the nerve endings are damaged and muscle tone decreases. In addition, pain in the wound area makes a woman take care; she avoids pulling up her stomach;
- Excessive plumpness of an accomplished mother. As you know, fat is deposited everywhere, including in the abdominal area. So if you have gained a lot of extra pounds during pregnancy, you will have to lose weight overall in order for the belly to go away;
- Physiological characteristics of a woman. If there is a constitutional weakness of the connective tissue, the abdomen will stretch more and take longer to recover;
- Lack of training. Yes Yes. The condition of your abdomen after childbirth largely depends on how developed the muscle corset was before pregnancy. Athletes regain their figure very easily and quickly.
When does the belly go away after childbirth?
Removing the belly after cesarean The disappearance of the belly for each woman occurs individually. Even in the best conditions, the stomach will noticeably bulge within 2-3 weeks after birth, the reason is the woman’s still enlarged and hypertrophied uterus. However, recovery in 3 weeks is rare because there are many other factors that influence the time it takes for the belly fat to go away.
