The type of abdominal fat known as hormonal belly fat results from an imbalance of hormones (an increase or decrease in hormones). Humans have many hormones that help the body function correctly. The endocrine glands produce these hormones, and they enter the bloodstream and other body parts to determine the effectiveness of specific cells and organs.
Why Do You Have Belly Fat?
When you’re stressed, cortisol, a hormone that manages how you respond to stress, can increase and cause fat in your abdomen. Women reaching menopause can also have belly fat because their estrogen and progesterone hormones, which are helpful for reproduction, are reduced.
Moreover, if the hormone known as the thyroid is reduced, a term called hypothyroidism, it cannot effectively manage the body’s metabolism, which helps to burn the food you eat and convert it to energy. As a result, there will be excess fat, which can be stored in your belly.
Other reasons related to hormonal belly fat are insulin resistance and high leptin. However, if you’re worried about removing this belly fat, don’t worry; there’s a way.
Also Check: How Does Fat Leave Your Body? The Science Behind Fat Loss
Tips For Reducing Belly Fat
It’s time to burn those belly fats with the following strategies:
🔹 Eat A Balanced Diet
Avoid or reduce fatty and sugary foods that can cause fat in your belly. Instead, eat foods with fewer calories, such as oranges, grapefruits, lemons, brown rice, quinoa, barley, skinless poultry, fish, tofu, legumes, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, spinach, kale, Swiss chard, etc.
Eating these foods doesn’t mean you should overfeed yourself because excess food that is hard to digest can store fat in your body. Learn to eat moderately and add snacks to your diet. You can schedule how you will be taking your meals daily.
Apart from foods, some drinks can cause belly fat. These include sugary and alcoholic beverages. That’s why it’s preferable to drink water because it has fewer calories. However, don’t rush it. Take it slowly and moderately, but don’t be dehydrated.
🔹 Try To Reduce Stress
Please take note of factors that are causing you stress and find ways to manage or avoid them. Is it your job, children, school, relationship, anxiety disorder, etc.? If your job is demanding and giving you stress, it’s better to quit it and find a less stressful job because too much stress can kill you.
Since cortisol rises as a response to stress, it can cause fat in your belly. So, you can consult a doctor if you have a nervous disorder or consider stress-relieving techniques like yoga, meditation, and deep breathing. You can also listen to cool music and close your eyes to enjoy its rhythm. Use these techniques, and it will decrease your cortisol level, including your belly fat.
🔹 Get Enough Rest
Sleep is an effective method to reduce fat, and belly fat is no exception. The more sleep you get, the better your chances of burning fat. However, this sleep should be done at night, and it should be above 7 hours.
Therefore, endeavor to engage in activities such as reducing coffee, relaxation techniques, not using your phones before going to bed, etc., that will help you sleep better at night, and you’ll see positive changes in your belly fat.
🔹 Exercise
This is one sure method most people use to burn calories in their belly. While there are various exercise options to try, some exercises can specifically help you burn your belly fat, and they include:
- Rollups
- Forearm plank
- Leg raises
- Burpees
- The hundred
- Superman pose
- Bicycle crunches
Doing these exercises regularly will not only help you reduce your belly fat but also improve your health.
🔹 Consult A Healthcare Provider
If you feel you want to rely on the expertise of a healthcare provider, then it’s also the right thing to do. You can be prescribed some medications like Meridia, Phentermine, and Xenical. Alternatively, you might consider surgery such as a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) and liposuction.
Your healthcare provider may also give you different therapies like dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which can teach you how to maintain your stress, diet, and lifestyle changes.
Conclusion
While belly fat can be caused by specific hormone imbalances related to stress, menopause, metabolism, etc., it doesn’t mean it cannot be reduced. You can try eating a balanced diet, exercising, getting adequate sleep, using stress-relieving techniques, etc. You can also meet with a healthcare provider for more assistance.
Read More: Does Creatine Make Your Face Fat? Side Effects Of Creatine
