When you are in the middle of health and fitness journey, it’s likely that you will be doing a million different things at a million different times of the day and week because of all of the different opinions and advice on the internet. There is almost too much information to try to comb through with regards to what is and what isn’t the best way to go about losing belly fat, but something I can guarantee is that you will have come across more than a few tips that are just plain wrong. Here are ten **mistakes you make when trying to lose belly fat. **
If you operate on a really limited sleeping schedule, you don’t give your body enough time to do all of the metabolic work that it likes to in periods of rest. Also, a lack of sleep also leads to making bad food choices for temporary energy.
For stubborn belly fat, there are only certain types of exercises that really work. You shouldn’t just be doing concentrated area sit-ups, but rather a fuller body HIIT workout to make your body start pulling from the fat reserves in your tummy.
It might be the case that you are consuming too much sugar, more than you actually think. Things like sports drinks might give you energy, but they also give you a lot of sugar that has a tendency to go right for your belly.
Try to add more protein to your diet. It helps to build up lean muscles and preserve that healthy tissue, which in turn increases the number of calories that you are able to burn. Eat things like chicken breasts, eggs, and tuna.
You might be hanging on to that belly fat as a result of stress and anxiety. When we are stressed, our bodies produce too much of something called cortisol, which can make you crave sugary foods. The less cortisol you have in your body, the less likely you are to snack and preserve that belly fat.
You are not going to lose that belly fat overnight, and having those expectations is only going to set you up for failure. Lots of people fall out of their healthy pattern because they don’t see results in a week, and they go right back to the belly fat preserving habits.
It might be the case that you aren’t tracking your progress well enough, and identifying areas where you could be doing better and making adjustments to shift that stubborn fat. Keep a food and exercise journal to see if you can notice chances for improvement.
Perhaps you are engaging in a series of crash diets where you eliminate entire food groups or drastically limit your calorie intake. These diets might have a quick temporary impact, but they aren’t sustainable and you are likely to stray from them.
Doing too much with your body in terms of exercise and diet can produce the same amount of cortisol as stress and anxiety, and can have the same stalling effect in terms of fat burning. It’s all about finding the perfect balance.
Maybe you have lost your motivation. Something as tough as belly fat loss isn’t going to happen unless you are fully committed, so take some time out and try to refocus to come back with a full enthusiasm for the task ahead.