FORGET a six-pack, do you just long for the day when you can do up your jeans without performing a gymnastics routine worthy of Olympic gold?
For ladies and gents alike, the tummy area presents a problem for many of us, with belly fat stubborn and notoriously hard to shift.
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No matter how much you tweak your diet, or the number of sit-ups you attempt, it just won’t budge.
But, as with many things in life, the answer might be surprisingly simple.
And with a few lifestyle tweaks you can consistently maintain over time you might just notice the pounds dropping off.
Just imagine a world where you don’t have to run the risk of a muscle injury every time you pop your favourite denims on!
So, we asked the experts to help you remove the frustrating barriers standing between you and that trim tum…
1. Snooze you lose?
It’s recommended that adults get between seven and nine hours of sleep every night.
But, according to research by YouGov, one in five Brits get just six hours of sleep a night, and only one in four people get eight hours or more.
A lack of sleep can make it harder to hit your weight loss goals.
Research in the journal Nutrients states a lack of sleep can lead to more snacking, especially on high-fat and high-carb foods (think processed foods such as crisps, cakes and chocolate).
Plus, research in the American Journal of Epidemiology found women who slept five or fewer hours per night were 32 per cent more likely to experience major weight gain over 16 years compared to those who got more sleep.
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When your body doesn’t get the sleep it needs, your hunger hormones soar, so you may find yourself reaching for processed snacks, which will do your belly fat zero favours.
In fact, a fascinating study from the New York Obesity Nutrition Research Center found that when women got four hours of sleep instead of eight, they consumed more than 300 extra calories a day.
2. There’s a supp for that…
The mineral magnesium plays a part in over 300 chemical reactions within your body.
So if you aren’t getting a sufficient amount, all sorts of symptoms may appear.
Charlotte May, nutritional therapist at Wellgevity.com, explains that magnesium “is an essential mineral for fat metabolism”.
“It regulates insulin, reduces stress (lowering the stress hormone cortisol, aka the belly fat hormone) and improves sleep, which directly impacts weight and belly fat,” she tells Sun Health.
“My top sources of magnesium are dark leafy greens such as spinach and kale, nuts, seeds, avocado and dark chocolate.
“If you supplement, choose magnesium glycinate or threonate which is easily absorbed and gentle on digestion.”
If bloating is making you feel heavy around your midsection, then a magnesium supplement, which costs just 10p, might offer a helpful solution.
Past research published in the journal of Women’s Health found that it could help to reduce fluid retention during the menstrual cycle.
3. Dodge the metabolism killer
Can’t resist a glass (or two, or three!) of alcohol in the evenings?
Maybe you spend your weekends down the pub, losing track of how many drinks you consume but telling yourself it’s fine because you’ve been ‘good all week’.
The odd tipple won’t have too much of an impact on your belly fat -but boozing too often can hamper your efforts to trim your waistline.
But Charlotte says: “Alcohol is a metabolism killer.
“It disrupts your blood sugar, stops fat burning, and adds empty calories to your diet.
“When your liver is busy breaking down alcohol, it slows the release of glucose into the bloodstream, which can lead to low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), especially if you haven’t eaten.
“This can lead to increased hunger and cravings for sugary and fatty foods as well as insulin resistance.”
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Why is belly fat so dangerous?
CARRYING too much body fat and being overweight or obese affects around one in three people in the UK.
It’s a common problem and one that can increase a person’s risk of various health issues, from type 2 diabetes to heart disease, stroke and 13 different types of cancer – including breast and bowel,
But like lots of things in life, not all fat is created equal.
GP Dr Simon Theobalds, from Manchester, says that the appearance of our middles can reveal a significant amount about our health – even if you’re not overweight or obese.
“Stomach shape may reveal health clues, but it’s not the full story,” the doctor tells Sun Health.
That said, there is a fair amount you can tell about someone just by looking at their abdomen.
“Various illnesses can influence stomach appearance,” Dr Theobalds says.
“Fat accumulation could indicate potential health risks like heart disease, while a bloated stomach might signal digestive issues.”
To understand the key indicators, it’s important to distinguish between the different types of fat.
There are two main ones: subcutaneous and visceral.
“Subcutaneous fat lies just beneath the skin and is relatively harmless, while visceral fat surrounds internal organs, contributing to health risks,” the GP says.
“Visceral fat is associated with higher chances of heart disease, diabetes, and metabolic issues, while subcutaneous fat is often considered less harmful.
“Excess fat in both areas can lead to an increased waistline.”
Explaining the link to insulin resistance, Charlotte adds: “Excessive alcohol consumption can reduce your body’s sensitivity to the hormone insulin, making it harder to regulate blood glucose levels, potentially contributing to metabolic dysfunction.”
Too much blood glucose can lead to stored fat, especially around the belly.
“Beer and sugary cocktails are the worst offenders because they’re loaded with sugar and carbs,” says Charlotte.
Research published in the journal Nutrition Reviews found beer is associated with abdominal obesity, while a German review also found that lifetime consumption of alcohol is positively related to abdominal fat in both men and women.
If you are drinking, Charlotte suggests going for a quality dry red wine or clear spirits such as vodka or tequila with soda water or low sugar kombucha.
These tend to have less sugar than other drinks.
“You can always jazz up your drinks with berries, bitters and citrus,” she adds.
4. Step away (YES, AWAY) from the cardio
If running or cycling has always been your go-to weight loss workout then it might be time to put the brakes on.
Even if you have lost weight with cardio, it may not have any long-term benefits for your goals.
Will Duru, PT and founder of fitness app, 12 Reps tells Sun Health: “Whilst long steady-state cardio workouts, such as a 45-minute jog, are good for fitness, they won’t necessarily help with weight loss in the long term.
“Cardio (without any weight training) can burn away muscle, which won’t support your metabolism, but it can also make you hungrier, so you might end up eating back the calories your burned anyway.
“You’d have to be doing very long, intense cardio sessions to keep your weight off and for the majority of people, this just isn’t possible.”
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He says running “won’t shape your body”, but weight training (lifting weights or using resistance of some kind), will.
“Although you might not burn as many calories during a weightlifting session as you would during a cardio session, weight-lifting builds muscle.
“Having more muscle means you have a quicker metabolism and you burn more calories at rest,” Will says.
Research published in the journal Sports Medicine analysed 58 different studies and found that those who included resistance training into their regime for at least four weeks saw their body fat percentage drop by about 1.46 per cent.
Their body fat mass decreased by 0.55 kg and their visceral fat AKA, harmful belly fat, was also significantly reduced.
Combine weight-lifting with high intensity training (HIIT) and you’ve got yourself a belly-burning winner.
A study published in The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research found that 30 minutes of HIIT training burned up to 30 per cent more calories than 30 minutes of weight training, running or biking.
Will explains: “During the high intensity part of your HIIT workout, you want to be going flat out, making your heart rate soar.
“You’ll burn more calories as your heart, lungs and muscles are working hard to keep you going.”
A study published in the journal Nature found that when males and females did three evening treadmill HIIT workouts each week for eight weeks the women lost an average of 5.75kg and the men lost an average of 6.92kg.
Participants ran for four minutes at 85 to 95 per cent of their maximum heart rate before slowing the pace and running for three minutes at 50 to 60 per cent of their maximum heart rate. This was repeated four times.
5. Watch those stealth calories
The fundamental rule of weight loss is counting calories in versus calories out, so if you consume more calories than you burn, you will struggle to lose weight anywhere on your body, including your tummy.
But it’s not just food that counts. What you drink counts too, and you might not even realise just how many calories you’re consuming in liquid form.
A Caramel Frappuccino with whole milk at Starbucks for example can contain up to 403 calories, while a large oat milk latte at Costa packs in 263 calories.
If you’re a fan of a fizzy drink at lunch, a 330ml can of Coca-Cola contains 139 calories – and a staggering 35g of sugar.
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The recommended limit per day for adults is 30g a day, so even if you have just one can of Cola a day, you’re overdoing it.
“Sugar spikes insulin, drives cravings, and tells your body to store fat, especially around your midsection,” says Charlotte.
It’s not easy to remove all the drinks you love from your diet – instead, can you swap out one each day for something lower calorie with less sugar?
Instead of sugary coffees, go for smaller coffees and add your own sweetener instead.
You could also try swapping fizzy drinks for water or soda sweetened with fresh fruit.
6. Stand up tall
If you spend all day slumped over a keyboard then you may have poor posture.
Whilst bad posture won’t directly make you gain weight around your middle, it could lead to weaker core muscles.
“Your spine takes more of the slack when you’re hunched over, whereas your core should be working to keep you upright,” says Will.
“Poor posture can also make you feel more tired, which can then cause you to eat more quick-energy food which could then lead to belly fat.”
For perfect posture, keep your core engaged when you’re sitting and standing and pull your shoulders round and back.
Your body will thank you for it!
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7. Stress less
If your body is constantly in a state of stress, then burning your belly fat will become even more of a challenge and you may end up with a ‘stress belly’.
This is because your body is flooded with the stress hormone cortisol.
In small amounts, this won’t be a problem, but when your cortisol levels are consistently elevated, your body will be more likely to cling onto fat.
Research in the Archives of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences states that stress hormones can impact weight gain.
The research adds that ACTH, a hormone released by the brain’s pituitary gland, triggers a chain reaction in the body which affects hunger, fat storage and insulin resistance.
To reduce your stress, devote a few minutes a few times a day to deep breathing.
If you can, incorporate calming exercises to your weekly regime too, such as yoga or Pilates.
A 20-minute walk in nature has also been shown to reduce cortisol levels according to research published in the journal Frontiers.
Good for your brain, and your belly!
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