Here's Why You're Only Gaining Weight in Your Stomach Area

Find out why you're gaining weight only in your stomach area, as well as how you can get rid of it.

Anju Mobin - Writer for Trim Down Club
By Anju Mobin
Nevena Radulović - Editor for Trim Down Club
Edited by Nevena Radulović

Updated January 13, 2023.

There are many reasons why people gain belly fat. Genetics plays a major role in where you store excess body fat. While some people are lucky enough to get voluptuous figures with the fat being distributed in all the right places, others get them all in one place—the butt, hips, or worse, the belly area.

Although this can negatively impact your self-esteem negatively, improving your nutritional intake, regularly exercising at the right intensity, and incorporating certain lifestyle changes can help reduce belly fat and regain your figure.

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Common Causes of Belly Fat

Accumulation of belly fat is mostly the result of lifestyle choices. The most common causes of belly fat include:

  • Stress: Your cortisol levels rise when you're stressed, and high levels of cortisol are linked to the accumulation of abdominal fat.
  • Sugar: Excess intake of sugar gets converted to fat and stored as visceral fat around the organs in the abdominal cavity.
  • Medical disorders: Metabolic disorders such as diabetes that impede a fast metabolism encourage visceral fat buildup.
  • Sedentary lifestyle: Many of us spend our whole day sitting at our desks or watching TV, which can result in developing a sedentary lifestyle. The lack of an active lifestyle contributes to belly fat accumulation.
  • Poor sleep: Adequate sleep is vital for a healthy body. Lack of sleep and poor quality of sleep is connected to weight gain, especially in the midsection.

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How to Lose Belly Fat

Some of the most effective ways to reduce excess fat around the stomach include:

  • Boost overall activity—apart from a daily workout session like effective metabolic workouts
  • Eliminate added sugar and sugary drinks from your diet
  • Reduce your intake of refined carbs
  • Include more fruits and vegetables in your diet
  • Increase your protein intake to boost metabolism and promote abdominal weight loss

Effectively Lose Belly Fat by Making the Right Choices

Although doing sit-ups can help, the only way to effectively lose belly fat is to change your dietary habits and increase your activity levels. You should reduce your stress levels and improve your sleep habits as well.

As sugar is a major culprit when it comes to belly fat, cut down on your sugar intake as much as possible and avoid sugary sodas and sports drinks. Apart from increasing your protein intake, make sure to have plenty of fruits and vegetables and stay hydrated, as water can help flush out fat from the body.

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