If you have been exercising and still have belly fat, you could be doing the wrong style training, your stress levels may be too high, or you may have an endocrine disorder like polycystic ovary syndrome. If you are still confused why you can't lose that stubborn belly fat, keep reading.
Contrary to popular opinion, it is possible to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. It's a process known as body recomposition, or "recomping," Ben Carpenter, a qualified master personal trainer and strength-and-conditioning specialist, told Insider.
Muscle weighs more than fat, for one thing. Extremely muscular individuals could actually have BMIs that classify them as overweight or even obese. Increasingly, health experts say a better measure of overall health includes not only BMI but a test of "fitness," too.
But belly fat can be independent of overall body fat. In other words, someone who's not overweight could still have a lot of excess fat around their waist. Also, it's normal to carry some weight around your middle.
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.
When you gain muscle, you'll notice that your muscles naturally look more defined and are more visible, Berkow said. (To see your abs specifically, you'd have to also lose fat.) Your muscles would also be larger in size or feel "harder." If you gain fat, you'll notice more softness, she said, and you'll gain inches.
beefy. adjective. informal a beefy person has a large heavy body and strong muscles.
It's a myth that you can turn fat into muscle. During weight loss, fat is taken from fat cells and used to produce energy in the body along with other byproducts. Ideally, muscle is preserved through strength training and consuming a protein-rich diet.
The most effective way of flattening your stomach is a combination of strength training (with a extra focus on mid-section), cardiovascular exercise (short, hard workouts), and stable blood sugar (keeps you from adding additional fat and makes it easier for the body to use body fat for fuel).
You should bulk first if you are skinny fat. A 10% caloric surplus is optimal to build muscle while ensuring you don't put on a lot of excess body fat. Stay in a surplus for a minimum of 4 months and then begin a slow, gradual cut.
Almost everyone has some kind of nice looking ab muscles. It's just that most people's are hidden beneath layers of fat. If your stomach isn't flat, it might be because you have too many layers of fat on top.
You can have strong abs and not have a flat stomach, and vice versa. Exercising your stomach through targeted abdominal exercises can get them stronger, but depending on the exercises used, and your nutritional habits, your efforts might not be contributing to belly fat loss.
Muscle is denser than fat, and as it is more compact within your body, as you gain muscle mass, you end up looking thinner, no matter your physical weight. So, if you've been doing a lot of strength training lately, it's likely this is the reason that you're looking fantastic but not dropping those numbers.
Heavier people not only have more fat mass but also more fat-free mass, likely making them stronger (in absolute sense) compared to normal-weight people. Heavier people are more positive about strength exercises compared to (1) normal-weight people and (2) aerobic exercises.
Because when you gain weight, you naturally gain some muscle along with the fat, even if you are sedentary. Your body will naturally convert some of the excess calories to muscle mass, even if you never work out. This is more true for men than women, due to testosterone.
A new exercise regimen puts stress on your muscle fibers. This causes small micro tears, also known as micro trauma, and some inflammation. Those two conditions in your muscle fibers are the reason you may gain some weight.
Common reasons for someone to have belly fat even when they're skinny is: Being too sedentary (inactive), which builds visceral fat around the organs and abdominal fat. Eating too many processed foods, which stores at the belly.
Y'all also know of the common causes of excessive fat around your belly such as eating more calories than you burn, consuming excessive sugar, refined carbohydrates, and packaged foods, and finally—living a sedentary lifestyle that involves no physical activity.
Gaining muscle and not losing fat often comes down to diet. It's possible that you're eating too much and may need to decrease your calories slightly. You'll also need to analyze your workouts and overall daily activity levels and consider adding in more calorie-burning activities to boost your fat loss efforts.
However, if you're on a lean bulk, you can still maintain a visible six-pack much longer. What is this? You can still build the foundation of six-pack abs while bulking as it's still a muscle group like any other in your body. However, your abs won't be visible until you have a low body fat percent.