So, you’re going to the gym on a daily basis and eating healthier than ever, but you’re still not seeing any improvement in your belly pooch?
I know how irritating it is!
But don’t worry; it’s quite possible that you’re undermining your efforts to get the fit and toned body of your dreams due to these frequent lifestyle behaviors.
1. Choosing Soda When Thirsty
A single glass of soda or other sugary beverage might lead to weight gain, particularly in the abdomen.
Instead of juice or soda for breakfast or when you’re thirsty, drink water flavored with fresh fruit, herbs, and vegetables.
2. Consuming Chinese or Japanese cuisine without the use of chopsticks
When you eat with a fork, you consume much faster than when you eat with chopsticks.
Eating slowly encourages you to consume fewer calories. What, no chopsticks? Not a problem!
To get a comparable effect, simply grasp the fork with your non-dominant hand. Isn’t that a great tip?
3. Getting Late-Night Cupcakes
Cupcakes are sugary snacks that aren’t good for your abs.
A cupcake may contain up to 20 grams of sugar, which leads to extra tummy fat.
Replace them with some healthy alternatives.
4. Gluten-Free Food Obsession
Sarah-Jane Bedwell, RD, LDN, revealed a little-known fact to us: most gluten-free bread has twice the carbohydrates of whole-wheat bread since they are prepared from processed grains like white rice flour.
If you must consume gluten-free bread, seek one produced with a combination of whole grains and seeds, such as amaranth and millet.
5. Consuming Only Mini Meals
Mini meals like two squares of dark chocolate, a handful of almonds, or a stack of multigrain crackers aren’t necessarily the ideal method to boost your metabolism.
According to Lisa Hayim, MS, RD, founder of The Well Necessities, while those meals moderate your appetite, eating more than three times a day can have an effect on your overall food consumption.
As a result, always make sure that your little meals are modest and within your calorie consumption.
6. Apples and bananas should be avoided.
It is a mistake to remove bananas and apples from your menu.
The potassium in them naturally debloats the body, and their natural sugar behaves differently than added sugars.
So, no longer say “No, thank you” to apples or bananas.
7. Using Olivia Pope’s Glasses to Drink Wine
A woman’s daily alcohol intake is one glass of 5 ounces — far from the size of an Olivia Pope’s glass, which carries up to 23 oz!
A glass of wine has 120 calories, and your body burns alcohol calories first in order to get them out of your system as quickly as possible.
This implies that dietary calories are placed on hold, making weight loss more difficult.
And, of course, alcohol increases your appetite, causing you to consume more food with each sip.
8. Suffering from Partner Comparison Disorder
Comparison of Partners Although the disorder is not a recognized diagnosis, the battle is genuine, especially when it comes to weight reduction.
Perhaps it has happened to you! You and your spouse make a commitment to health, well-being, and weight loss.
You both work out and eat properly for a while and then your spouse starts to go off the wagon.
You continue your adventure, and after a while, you see that he is sleeping in, not working out as much, and getting better results!
The goal is to recognize that, despite ingesting fewer calories, women will always have a larger percentage of fat than males.
Women should have a healthy body fat percentage of 20% to 25%, while males should have a body fat percentage of 10% to 15%.
So, don’t compare yourself to your spouse, and don’t be too hard on yourself if you aren’t getting the same outcomes!
9. Do You Remove the Egg Yolks?
Egg yolks are high in vitamin D, which has been shown to aid in the prevention of belly fat.
Furthermore, because the yolk contains healthful fat, you will feel filled for longer, making you less prone to overeat later in the day.
So, remember to show some love to the yolks!
10. Socializing at Restaurants or Bars
Even if you select a healthy meal from the menu, you have no influence over which items are used.
Restaurants and bars, of course, want their food to be great, so it’s probable that they’re adding extra fats and sugars to the menu items.
According to Dr. Taz, persons who cook their own meals consume fewer calories than those who go out.
As much as possible, try to prepare your own meals in the kitchen where you know precisely what components are going into each dish.
11. Constantly Eating the Same Thing
Most dieters eat the same meals over and over.
This behavior increases your metabolic rate while decreasing the probiotic variety in your gut.
Item variety, according to Dr. Tasneem Bhatia, popularly known as Dr. Taz, challenges the gastrointestinal system by providing fresh sets of bacteria with each new food, raising your metabolic rate.
12. Late Night Binge-Watching
Researchers have consistently shown a substantial link between being overweight and receiving insufficient sleep.
The less sleep a woman gets, the higher her BMI is likely to be.
So, instead of binge-watching your favorite Netflix series, clean your teeth and try reading a book in bed the next time.
Get 6 to 8 hours of beauty sleep every night, and you’ll find yourself shedding pounds without altering anything else!
13. Pre-Workout Nutrition
You must have been advised by your trainer to consume something before and after a workout.
These phrases might become so established in your mind that you eat whether or not you are hungry.
However, you may have had enough fuel from previous meals and might not want more calories, especially if you ate a heavy meal the day before.
If your previous meal was more than three hours before your next activity, take a nutritious carbohydrate-rich snack like a banana and you’ll be fine!
14. Starbucks Addiction
The new Christmas flavors available at Starbucks and other coffee shops include up to 300 calories and more than a day’s worth of sugar.
Choose a milder version of your favorite coffee taste the next time, or indulge yourself once a week.
15. Believing that Kettlebells Increase Bulk
Many women are concerned about gaining too much muscle.
There’s no need to be concerned because women naturally have high levels of estrogen, which makes muscle building more difficult, thus it’s impossible to grow excessively bulky no matter how much weight you’re lifting!
Muscle cells also burn more calories at rest than fat cells because they require more energy to sustain themselves.
Including weight training activities in your workout program can raise your muscle-to-fat ratio, making you appear leaner and toned.
16. Disbelief in Healthy Fats
Eating foods high in monounsaturated fats, such as fish and nuts, has been shown to aid in the loss of belly fat.
Simply, if you don’t get enough good fats, your waistline will suffer.
You must consume an adequate amount of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids in your diet; otherwise, you will achieve significantly less than ideal outcomes!
17. Excessive Salt Consumption
Even if you follow a low-calorie diet, ingesting too much salt causes abdominal bloating and water retention.
This might be the reason you aren’t shedding weight and yet appear bloated.
Reduce your intake of processed foods high in salt, such as pizza, bread, and any form of processed snack.
Consume more low-sodium dishes or entire foods produced with fresh ingredients.
18. You’re a Meat Head.
Although animal protein is beneficial to your body, consuming much of it might jeopardize your health and your flat tummy.
Try to integrate more plant-based foods into your diet since they contain less saturated fat and cholesterol and more fiber, potassium, magnesium, carbs, and antioxidants.
19. Putting Calories Away for Later
Saving calories for a late-night taco and margarita date doesn’t always work out as well as we’d like.
By the time you arrive, you will be extremely hungry, and you will seek high-calorie foods.
Furthermore, alcohol will prevent your body from adequately metabolizing calories and will increase your hunger.
Instead, have a normal meal before any dates, and pair your beverages with light nibbles rather than heavier things.
20. Using Too Much Coconut Milk
Consider coconut milk to be the healthiest alternative. You’re mistaken!
Although it is plant-based, it is heavy in fat and low in protein.
So, you’re better off drinking coffee with low-fat milk or simply drinking water.
21. Changing your Diet Just to Be On Trend
It’s critical to understand why you wish to make dietary adjustments.
Before making severe dietary changes, you should educate yourself and consult with a doctor.
You can avoid gluten or become a vegan but still gain weight due to the calorie-dense or nutrient-depleted meals you consume. Have you ever noticed how many vegans are overweight?
22. Failure to keep a water bottle near your bed.
Drinking too little water during the day might have a detrimental impact on your metabolism and hunger.
In addition, a lack of water combined with a high-fiber diet might cause stomach issues.
Bring your water bottle to bed with you tonight and remember to drink often during the day.
23. Beans Should Be Avoided
Women who consume beans lose weight more successfully and have smaller waistlines than those who do not.
If you’re avoiding them because of the fiber, which can induce gas and bloating, simply drink extra water and you’ll avoid those problems.
24. Lack of a Period Game Plan
Remember that hormone cycles might throw a wrench in your plans for a flat stomach.
When you’re on your period, you may experience bloating.
So, the next time you’re on the verge of your period, give yourself a break and don’t stress too much over it.
25. Consuming Too Many Post-Workout Smoothies
If you have a tendency to consume a protein shake or smoothie after every exercise, you should reconsider.
It is unnecessary to have a shake or smoothie in between a workout of less than an hour because it just boosts calorie consumption; simply wait until your next meal.
26. Believing that Vitamin D can only be obtained via the sun or milk
Low levels of vitamin D lead to abdominal fat.
Milk and the sun are great sources, but don’t forget about mushrooms! They are high in nutrients and a good source of vitamin D.
It’s especially crucial to obtain enough Vitamin D throughout the winter when you’re likely to get less sunlight.
You can also utilize supplements to ensure that you are fulfilling your daily requirements.
27. Using Smoothies as a Meal Substitute
Please keep in mind that many of the blender-marketed smoothies and juices are loaded with sugar.
Companies, of course, want their smoothies to taste wonderful and keep you coming back for more!
Make yourself a homemade nutritious smoothie with fresh fruits and veggies the next time.
You’ll know precisely what’s in your smoothie, and you’ll be able to calculate the calories.
28. Ignoring Probiotics
Probiotics have been shown to aid with digestive issues as well as reduce belly fat.
Choose yogurt with active cultures and consume it on a regular basis to ensure a healthy level of bacteria in your stomach.
29. Only on Instagram Do, I See Fruits and Vegetables
Don’t simply photograph the lovely stalls for your Instagram account the next time you go to the farmers’ market; also bring some of your favorite fruits and veggies.
Every day, we need five or more fruits and vegetables to satisfy our nutritional demands.
They are great for getting a flat stomach since they are high in nutrients and fiber while being low in calories.
30. Cravings Caused by the Internet
Cravings are difficult to avoid when you have access to the Internet.
It’s really a big part of what’s causing us to gain weight.
Try searching for a healthier version of your favorite foods the next time you want to eat them — there will be a plethora of recipes available, so there is no reason for you to eat unhealthily!