How To Get Rid Of Lower Belly Fat After Having A Baby
Toning your abdomen after pregnancy may pose additional challenges. Wait until you get clearance from your doctor before jumping into any kind of diet and exercise routine.
Its not uncommon to have loose skin or an additional fat layer over your belly after pregnancy, especially if you had a cesarean delivery.
During pregnancy, many women gain weight. After delivery, youll most likely have an extra layer of fat left as an energy store for breastfeeding and the birth recovery process.
This is part of your bodys natural instinct and is normal. Its important to be patient with yourself.
You can, for the most part, follow the same protocols as you would before you were pregnant to lose postpartum weight, with a few exceptions.
Dont restrict calories while youre breastfeeding. It can reduce your breast milk supply.
If it appears that the muscles in your lower abs have been separated by pregnancy, you may have a condition called diastasis recti.
It can worsen with traditional crunch exercises. Ask your doctor about workouts and physical therapy options if you believe you might have this condition.
Your sex may have something to do with the reasons why you gain belly fat. Females tend to store fat in the lower belly because of hormones, genetics, and age, and may be difficult to reduce in some cases.
However, everyone should take the same basic approach to lose weight, regardless of sex or gender.
You’re Eating The Wrong Fats
The body doesn’t react to all fats in the same way. Research correlates high intake of saturated fat to increased visceral fat, says Patton. On the other hand, monounsaturated fats and specific types of polyunsaturated fats have anti-inflammatory effects in the body, and if eaten in proper portions may do your body good. But Patton warns that eating too much fat of any kind increases your calorie intake and could lead to weight gain, so enjoy healthy fats in moderation.
Eat Plenty Of Soluble Fiber
Soluble fiber absorbs water and forms a gel that helps slow down food as it passes through your digestive system.
Studies show that this type of fiber promotes weight loss by helping you feel full, so you naturally eat less. It may also decrease the number of calories your body absorbs from food .
Whats more, soluble fiber may help fight belly fat.
An observational study in over 1,100 adults found that for every 10-gram increase in soluble fiber intake, belly fat gain decreased by 3.7% over a 5-year period (
Make an effort to consume high fiber foods every day. Excellent include:
- flax seeds
- blackberries
SUMMARY
Soluble fiber may help you to lose weight by increasing fullness and reducing calorie absorption. Try to include plenty of high fiber foods in your weight loss diet.
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Think Eating Plan Not Diet
Ultimately, you need to pick a healthy eating plan you can stick to,Stewart says. The benefit of a low-carb approach is that it simply involveslearning better food choicesno calorie-counting is necessary. In general,a low-carb way of eating shifts your intake away from problem foodsthosehigh in carbs and sugar and without much fiber, like bread, bagels andsodasand toward high-fiber or high-protein choices, like vegetables, beansand healthy meats.
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You’re Not Exercising Enough
Nobody said shedding belly fat was going to be easy. If your gut is stretching the tape measure too much — for men, that’s more than 40 inches around the waist, and women, more than 35 — you need moderate physical activity for at least 150 minutes a week, or vigorous for 75, and strength training at least twice a week. Check with your doctor first before starting any exercise program.
Go For High Intensity Intervals
Any type of exercise can help you torch more calories and burn more fat. But high intensity intervals can be particularly potent.
Why? Alternating between hard and easy seems to help keep your insulin levels lower. That can encourage your body to use up fat instead of squirreling it away in your cells for the future.
Youll also keep burning more calories even after you finish a workout. Best of all, you can turn almost any workout into HIIT.
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If Your Body Needs More Adjust Your Intake
If you are training for a focused athletic accomplishment or an elite athlete, youll certainly need more protein. Your protein intake should be custom-fitted to the specific activity youre engaging in. Most weightlifters and bodybuilders consume whey protein, where as heavy cardio and individuals with other food preferences may call on pea protein or brown rice protein.
You’re Not Lifting Weights
While bodyweight resistance training is highly effective, pumping a little iron pays dividends when it comes to blasting belly fat.
A few weight training sessions a week will set you on a path for a speedier metabolism, as according to the NHS muscle burns more calories than fat, thus the more muscle you have, the more fat you torch, and the benefits continue after youve left the gym too, as resting metabolic rate improves, meaning that you burn more calories throughout the day.
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Getting Rid Of Lower Stomach Fat
First, throw out the idea that you can spot treat areas of fat on your body. You can do thousands of reps of toning exercises to tighten your waistline and not see fat loss.
Exercises like cardio, yoga, and crunches may tone your muscles and strengthen your lower abs, but they wont erase fat deposits.
The only way to lose fat on your lower stomach is to lose fat overall. A calorie deficit helps with this.
Why Stubborn Fat Accumulates On Your Belly Thighs And Buttocks
It seems like no matter how much you exercise or what diet youre on, the stubborn fat on your belly, thighs, and buttocks just wont go away. Genetics most likely dictates where most of your fat accumulates, although women tend to store fat in the hips and thighs, in addition to the belly and buttocks.
At Tahoe Womens Care, we know how frustrating stubborn fat can be, and were here to help you understand some of the things that cause it and what you can do to eliminate pockets of stubborn fat for good.
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You Cant Stay Away From Carbonated Drinks
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A flat stomach with visible abs cannot be achieved if poor eating habits are in place, Gonzalez says. Anything carbonated will produce unwanted bloat. In a study conducted by the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, people who drank two or more diet sodas a day had waist sizes that were six times bigger than those who didnt drink diet soda .
Your Workout Isn’t Challenging Enough
To banish stubborn belly fat, you have to ramp up your workouts. In a study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, people who completed a high-intensity workout regimen lost more belly fat than those who followed a low-intensity plan. “You need to exercise at full intensity because the end goal is to burn more calories, and high intensity exercise does just that,” says Natalie Jill, a San Diego, Calif.-based certified personal trainer. High intensity workouts mean you’re going all out for as long as you can. If this sounds intimidating, think of it this way: You’ll burn more calories in less time.
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You’re Not Tracking Your Progress
Another important point from Dr Luke. While every person is different and what weight loss plan works for them will be different, tracking your progress can serve as an encouraging reminder that what you are doing is working.
“There are some great apps and wearable tech devices available that make it easier to stick to your plan. They can help you monitor your goals, your food intake and the calories burned during exercise. If these arent an option, write down a meal and exercise plan. This will help you stick to your goals and remain focussed,” he explains.
Processed Foods Are Your Weakness
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Any processed foods, particularly those that are high in saturated fat and sugar, should be avoided if you want to shed pounds around your middle, Gonzalez says. Processed foods have a lot of sodium which leads to fluid retention. For this reason, many trainers never eat this kind of food. It can also have a lot of Trans fats. Labels are allowed to round down Trans fats grams to 0 if they have less than 0.5g per serving, but most people eat more than what they determine a serving is.
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Try Curbing Carbs Instead Of Fats
When Johns Hopkins researchers compared the effects on the heart of losingweight through a low-carbohydrate diet versus a low-fat diet for sixmonthseach containing the same amount of caloriesthose on a low-carb dietlost an average of 10 pounds more than those on a low-fat diet28.9 poundsversus 18.7 pounds. An extra benefit of the low-carb diet is that itproduced a higher quality of weight loss, Stewart says. With weight loss,fat is reduced, but there is also often a loss of lean tissue ,which is not desirable. On both diets, there was a loss of about 2 to 3pounds of good lean tissue along with the fat, which means that the fatloss percentage was much higher on the low-carb diet.
You Have An Unhealthy Relationship With The Scale
If you step on the scale multiple times a day, chances are that you’re going to drive yourself insane with trying to get that number lower after all, your weight is naturally higher at certain points of the day so that doesn’t necessarily reflect your weight-loss progress. But, ditch the scale completely and you’ll lose track of your progress. Researchers at Cornell University found that weighing yourself just once a day can help tip those numbers down without making you lose your sanity.
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Your Sweat Sessions Don’t Involve Sweat
Research has shown that high-intensity interval training, or HIITbursts of vigorous activity followed by short periods of gentle activity or restboasts belly-shrinking benefits. “High-intensity exercise seems to be more effective at reducing insulin, triglycerides, and cortisol, and it burns more calories in less time, too,” notes Shawn Talbot, PhD, a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine.
Belly blaster: If you enjoy biking or running, for example, accelerate to a pace that makes it hard to talk for two minutes then slow down for a minute, and repeat until you’re done. Like resistance training? Try a series of moves like squats or push-ups for two minutes each with a 60-second break between them.
Is There Really One Trick To Losing Belly Fat
When ads claim a “one trick” solution, remember that their main objective is to sell their product rather than to help you. Good marketing means one message, because it is hard to follow too many things at once. So they focus on one fad, and that tickles your curiosity and you click on the link to go their website.
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You’re Into The Wrong Foods
Unhealthy eating is the biggest driver of big bellies. Too many starchy carbohydrates and bad fats are a recipe for that midsection to expand. Instead, get plenty of veggies, choose lean proteins, and stay away from fats from red meats. Choose healthier fats in things like fish, nuts, and avocados.
Even a moderate cutback on carbs can help, too.
You’re Eating More Than You Think
Cutting calories is the only way to shed pounds. If you are eating less than you burn, you will lose weight. This is the single most important thing you can do for fat loss – eat fewer calories!
If you aren’t dropping pounds, you may be eating more than you think. Are you staying on track all week long, counting calories during weekdays but allowing more wiggle room on the weekends? If this sounds familiar, you may be giving yourself too much freedom on off days. It is entirely possible to undo a week’s worth of hard work with a few days of excess calories, especially if alcohol is involved. Your body does not work in 24-hour increments, and what you eat every day plays an important role in the success of your diet.
The Fix: Figure Out How Many Calories You Should Be Eating
Your calorie needs are directly related to your current weight, lean mass, and fitness needs. And finding out exactly how much you should be eating each day is not difficult. You can easily calculate how many calories you need a day using an online calculator or when signing up for a food tracking app. This is a crucial step in helping you be successful.
Use a Calorie Counter App
If you arent tracking your daily food and drink intake, you should start. This is probably the best step you can take towards achieving your fat loss goals. And if you are tracking already, here are a few important things to keep in mind:
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You’re Stressed Or Exercising Too Much
“Cortisol directly affects fat storage and weight gain in stressed or adrenal-fatigued people, and fat can be stored around the midsection as visceral and subcutaneous fat tissue,” Tuck said.
But it’s not just work, family life or money problems which can cause stress in the body. Excessive exercise can be quite stressful, causing excess cortisol production, which often causes weight gain.
Solution: manage stress levels and reduce stimulants.
“Cut down on stimulants , particularly coffee and caffeine,” Tuck said.
“Aim for one coffee a day and avoid drinking caffeine after 12pm. Increase herbal teas such as chamomile, lavender, ashwagandha and ginseng to support the nervous system.
“Look at ways to manage stress if stress levels are high. For example, try mindfulness, meditation, yoga and walks.”
The Risks Of Excess Abdominal Fat
“Women are more prone to gain weight around the hips and thighs, but women can also be prone to abdominal fat gain — as can men,” nutritionist Fiona Tuck told HuffPost Australia.
“When the waist thickens and begins to exceed hip girth, it can lead to an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, raised triglycerides and high blood pressure.”
“In a way, it’s good that we naturally don’t want stomach fat to be there because carrying extra weight around our abdominal area is much less healthy for us,” accredited practising dietitian and sports dietitian Chloe McLeod said.
“This is where it’s called visceral fat, which is in and around our organs — whereas the fat present all over our body under our skin is subcutaneous fat. When there’s high amounts of visceral fat, it increases the risk of developing those diseases like metabolic syndrome and heart disease. Being aware of, and managing, this is incredibly important.”
So why is stomach fat so hard to get rid of for many people?
“Fat may gather here for a number of different reasons, such as high stress levels, hormonal imbalance, ageing and a poor diet high in alcohol, refined carbohydrates and saturated fats,” Tuck said.
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You’re Eating The Wrong Foods
While calories in vs. calories out is the number one factor in determining weight reduction, the quality of your food choices is important when it comes to body composition. If your macros are out of whack, you may be hindering your fat-burning capabilities. In addition, eating nutritionally poor foods could slow your progress further by messing with your energy, mood, and appetite.
The Fix: Foods That Burn Belly Fat
Okay, technically there aren’t any foods that specialize in burning fat more than others. But some types of food can potentially give you an edge when it comes to improving lean mass and burning fat more efficiently.
Studies are continuing to show that what you eat plays a role in losing fat. The best fat-burning diets should include lots of vegetables. Most non-starchy veggies – anything except peas, corn, and potatoes – provide few calories and loads of good nutrition you need. Micronutrients, or vitamins and minerals, in vegetables are an important factor in weight management because they help control appetite and support a healthy metabolism.
To clean up your diet, try the following:
Macros for Fat Loss
Getting your macro balance on point will ensure you are utilizing the food you eat as efficiently as possible so that more fatty tissue is broken down for energy.
While your overall macro diet can play a key role in fat loss, protein is the most important. Figure out how many grams of protein you need each day and make it a priority to get this amount.