Despite Heavy Work: Why You’re Not Losing Belly Fat!

People who've dealt with weight woes can tell you that taming belly fat is one of the most tedious aspects of weight loss. No matter how hard you strive that stubborn belly fat just doesn't budge. But don't give up yet. Consider these reasons to figure out why you're not losing belly fat.

Age can be the reason
As you age, your body changes and the human growth hormone (HGH) level begins to drop down. HGH is an essential hormone that helps fat metabolism and muscle building. Therefore weight loss is much more difficult when you're older.

You're doing the wrong exercise
Many people engage in cardio workouts for most part of their workout sessions. Engaging in cardio exercises like treadmill workout and running hardly does your waist size any good. Instead, opt for a balance of cardio and weight training in order to reduce belly fat.

You don't get enough sleep
You may wonder how and why would sleep affect your weight right? But in reality, sleep affects your overall health and functionality. Not getting enough sleep can directly affect your metabolism. This will cause you to burn less fat and raise your food cravings at the same time. Ensure that you get at least 8 hours of sleep each night to make the most of your workouts.

Manage your stress
Stress causes your body to produce cortisol, the stress hormone. This hormone is known to deplete lean muscle and make your body retain fat in the belly area. It can also enlarge your fat cells thus making them store more fat. Therefore, managing stress is an important factor when trying to lose belly fat or weight in general.

Your eating the wrong foods
The body reacts to different foods differently. Eating too much processed foods and refined grains will pose a problem to your weight loss goals. Consuming too many fats in your diet will also make losing belly fat difficult. To maintain a healthy fat rich diet, opt for monosaturated fats over saturated fats.

Men with belly fat are ripe candidates for bone loss and decreased bone strength, says a new study.

"It is important for men to be aware that excess belly fat is not only a risk factor for heart disease and diabetes, it is also a risk factor for bone loss," said Miriam Bredella, radiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and associate professor at Harvard Medical School, Boston.

More than 37 million American men alone over 20 years are obese, according to official statistics. 

Obesity is tied to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, high cholesterol, asthma, sleep apnea and joint diseases. Yet it was commonly accepted that men with increased body weight were at lower risk for bone loss.

"Most studies on osteoporosis have focused on women. Men were thought to be relatively protected against bone loss, especially obese men," said Bredella, who and her team evaluated 35 obese men with a mean age of 34 years, according to a Massachusetts statement.

But not all body fat is the same. 

Subcutaneous fat lies just below the skin, and visceral or intra-abdominal fat is located deep under the muscle tissue in the abdominal cavity.

Genetics, diet and exercise are all contributors to the level of visceral fat that is stored in the body. 

Excess visceral fat is considered particularly dangerous, because in previous studies it has been linked to heightened risk for heart disease.

After the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study -- a multi-centre observational study designed to determine risk factors for osteoporosis -- indicated that male obesity was linked with fracture risk, the researchers wanted to quantify belly fat and study its impact on bone strength.