By Belly fat = One of the biggest problems people have today. You don’t have to be overweight to have a belly fat issue. Sometimes, lean and healthy ones can have one, too (which is a lot more frustrating). Diet can be one thing, that’s 100%, but what about the issue of certain foods we eat, hormones, digestion and even the result of particular medications? I think many people dismiss any of these factors and head straight to the ab crunches, or worst still, trying and failing with their dietary choices. I am touching on this subject because it’s affected my abdominal size, and diet is just one small part of the whole belly fat equation.
Hormones and disease can cause a big belly.
Here are some of the many things which can cause belly fat accumulation, as well as bloating and a constant protruding gut:
For women
- PCOS, Endometriosis, PMS
For Men & women
• Hyporhoridism, Cushing syndrome, Ascites, Food allergies, Medications, Alcohol & stress Any of these occurrences can have you working hard at the gym and in the kitchen but not officially seeing any results. This may even be apparent for those with none of these conditions but who have food allergies or intolerances. One that comes to mind is having coeliac disease. I was once close to a young girl who had the disease, and no matter what she ate, her stomach would always look bloated and protruding. Even though she followed a strict diet, her gut was constantly inflamed, which hurt her confidence. Any ailment can be relieved with a proper alteration of diet, including some exercise too. It’s a matter of trying out adequate nutrition plans to see which one works best for your life and something you can stick with long term. Controlling symptoms or eliminating diseases takes a lot of persistence in the nutritional department – and you must be willing to change your way of eating altogether at first. This can be a real challenge, but well worth the effort for the results it brings.
What if there is nothing wrong with you?
Those on the other side of the fence without the above problems – then I hate to tell you this. There is no excuse on your part for some kind of ailment in your body. The issue here is the quality and quantity of the food your eating. You can have too much of a good thing, and what I mean by overdosing on the good stuff. Our bodies still convert energy to fat if we eat more than we’re using up at any one given time. I had this problem with the number of nuts I was eating. It would be too much, yet it sometimes gets to a point where you can’t stop chewing on something delicious, even though it’s supposedly healthy. Eggs are healthy too, but eating 12 egg whites when you’re body doesn’t even need that much energy is heading for disaster. Sadly, many of us fall into this trap, and I just wanted to bring that to your attention before it happens to you.
Ab crunches
Let’s say that ab crunches are a waste of time unless you have a lean midsection. A lean torso is a result of cleaner eating – which is a term used to describe eating wholesome foods that are portion-controlled at all times. Then there is a case for having excellent gut health (or somewhat decent) and eliminating foods or medications that may be causing some bloating. I see one person in my gym who constantly does ab crunches and wonders why her abs aren’t showing. I kindly pointed out to her that abs are a result of nutrition – and without that proper commitment on a day to day basis, those abs will never show up. Those abs will be hidden behind layers of fat. This is stating the obvious here, but I think a lot of people need to hear it. My advice is to stay clear of ab crunches and focus on your nutrition. The best thing you can do in the gym is weight training and HIIT. Those two tips will help you a whole lot more – only with controlled nutrition. If you want more fat loss tips, as well as a bonus portion control guide, then feel free to click here to download these two valuable resources. Please feel free to upvote this post and come along to my Instagram account to connect with me over the social media site. I look forward to hearing more about your journey ahead. I hope this has been useful.