4 reasons why belly fat does not disappear even with diets and exercise

Today we will touch on one of the most pressing topics among those trying to lose weight - why weight does not come off when dieting! Why does this happen: you go on a strict diet, go to the gym, go to work, but it doesn’t do any good...

The most offensive thing is that the person is really trying and wants to lose weight!

Imagine such a terrible dream for anyone starting to get rid of extra pounds: several weeks have passed after a strict diet, there is not a single candy in your mouth, in your bag there is a receipt from the gym that you regularly visit... And now, drum roll! You take out clothes from the closet that were too small, but it’s all in vain. The kilograms are still the same, and the clothes treacherously pinch in those places that you paid special attention to when playing sports. Horrible, in a word. ?

Now let's look at everything in detail so that this doesn't happen to us.

We should probably start with how we lose weight in general. Do you think there are any patterns at all in this process?

Of course there is.

Nature has planned everything very seriously, you can’t remove extra pounds in a few days, everything must be done gradually!

At the very first stage of your weight loss, you notice a large decrease in body weight and rejoice in the fact that you will soon become the slimmest person on the planet! But, you need to take into account the fact that weight is lost due to the fact that all excess fluid leaves the body, and not fat as such.

Then the process slows down a little, the volumes begin to go away, but the number of kg remains unchanged. In this case, you don’t need to worry and torment yourself even more with stress and reduce your diet. You need to continue as you intended.

See also: How to train yourself not to eat a lot?

Finally, the cherished figure on the measuring device is getting closer, but the decrease is happening so slowly that it seems to have stopped completely. Don't panic!

During this period, you get rid of the deepest layer of fat, which is not so easy to remove. Does your body believe that it is simply needed in case of an emergency, which may or may not come someday...? Slowly but surely you continue with your diet and exercise routine.

General information

Very often, a person strictly following a diet begins to notice that the excess weight does not go away.
At the same time, the weight stops, despite the correct caloric intake and a healthy diet. Why don't you lose weight when you diet?
The thing is that many people are not even aware of the mistakes they make. In addition, it is important to take into account some individual characteristics of the body, due to which weight does not fall. If you understand what is happening and eliminate these causes, then the dietary plateau can be successfully overcome. What exactly these reasons may be and how to overcome them will be discussed in this article.

High expectations from training

Many ladies are sure that if they do morning exercises for a week, switch to proper nutrition, and here it is, a wasp waist. With such expectations, disappointment is inevitable.

Excess weight, which has sometimes accumulated for years, cannot easily and simply dissolve in a short time without harm to health. Therefore, you should avoid diets that promise to make you a model in a couple of weeks - this can result in a hospital bed.

And even if such a disastrous result does not follow, lost through a low-calorie diet and exhausting workouts will return a hundredfold: with such a diet, the weight loss is explained by the loss of water and muscle mass, and not fat at all. Sooner or later the diet ends, the woman returns to her usual diet. Weight inevitably begins to grow, despite training , because the body, which has experienced prolonged stress, seeks to store energy in case of another hunger strike. It's a vicious circle , diets don't work, remember.

Proper nutrition and moderate exercise will definitely help you achieve slimness, but the process can take quite a long time .

The main task is to create conditions for fat burning and not disturb them. Gradually, the body will adopt a new regime, the metabolism will speed up, and the hated fat will finally begin to burn.

The path to an ideal figure will most likely take more than one month , during which time proper nutrition will become a healthy habit, and training will begin to bring pleasure. Patience, just patience.

Dietary plateau

If initially weight loss was very active, then at some point stagnation is inevitable - the so-called “plateau” stage. The person notes that the weight is not being lost. As a result, his mood deteriorates and the motivation to lose weight gradually disappears. Despite all dietary efforts, weight may not decrease for weeks or even months. This phenomenon can be caused by the following reasons:

• Very strict hypocaloric diet .
• Insufficient protein intake.
• Too much activity with too little calories.
• Diet monotony.
• Lack of excess weight.

If, nevertheless, the weight does not go away even after eliminating some of the reasons, you just need to wait a while, eating in such a way that the body is comfortable. During this period, eating breakdowns are not allowed. When the internal adaptation of the body to the new state takes place, the person will begin to lose weight again.

Reason 1. Time

This is the most common reason that many people face when losing weight. They went on a diet, started going to the gym - and within a week they want the fat from their stomach and sides to begin to melt before their eyes.

You need to understand that this is simply technically impossible. Even if you follow proper nutrition and carry out regular workouts, you can actually lose 2-3 kg in a week (this is the maximum, if, of course, you don’t starve at all). Moreover, the weight first leaves the most unproblematic places - arms, calves, back and even chest. But on the lower abdomen, buttocks and thighs, the telltale folds do not disappear for a very long time.

So, too little time has passed - that’s why the stomach is not losing weight. But what to do? Be patient and wait. And there is no need to reassure yourself that tomorrow, finally, you will see in the mirror your flat tummy and the long-awaited abs of perfect abs. The actual time frame for the results to be noticeable is only after 2.5-3 months. And you need to be mentally prepared for this, otherwise you can break down and complete the weight loss you have started without achieving anything.

Why doesn't the weight come off on a diet?

If your weight stays the same during a diet, you need to analyze the reasons why this may be happening. Some of them can be eliminated, some can be accepted as objective factors.

Diet errors

Often the answer to the question: “Why am I on a diet and not losing weight?” can be obtained by analyzing your diet and finding certain errors. Sometimes the caloric content of the diet is too high, or a person consumes the bulk of the menu in the evening. Also, some people, even when practicing dietary nutrition, snack on fairly high-calorie foods, for example, nuts or seeds. In this case, a food diary or special programs for a smartphone will help to conduct a thorough analysis and eliminate errors, in which records of all foods eaten throughout the day are recorded.

Sometimes the reason the weight loss process stops is due to the fact that a person begins to eat more than necessary. When practicing dietary nutrition, many people believe that they can consume as much healthy food as they want. Accordingly, portions become larger, and this leads to the fact that a fairly impressive amount of calories is consumed throughout the day. As a result, weight loss stops.

It is equally important to pay attention to a few more important points:

• Both those who are on a diet and those who practice a relatively healthy diet should pay attention to the amount of salt they consume. After all, salt is in most dishes, and as a result, a person eats too much of it. In turn, salt retains fluid, and weight does not decrease.
• It is important to pay attention to those dressings that are usually added to salads and other dishes. Healthy olive oil, soy sauce, and sour cream are additional calories to the overall daily menu. And they can also negatively affect the weight loss process.
• Another insidious product is sweet water. Lemonade, juice from packages, iced tea - all these drinks, even in small quantities, can slow down the process of losing excess weight.
• Everyone knows that fruits and berries are healthy foods. But their abundance in the daily menu also increases the amount of calories consumed. In addition, fruits contain a lot of sugar, which can also slow down weight loss.
• The reason that the weight has risen may be insufficient consumption of clean water. If the body receives too little of it, then cleansing and restoration are not as intense as necessary when losing weight. Therefore, you should follow the recommendations and drink at least 2 liters of clean water per day. It is perfectly acceptable to add a little lemon juice and mint to the water.

Lack of excess weight

Sometimes kilograms do not want to go away just because there is no excess weight as such. It often happens that those who are initially low in weight go on a diet. In addition, many women in adulthood strive to remove those deposits that are natural during the premenopausal period . It is important to correctly calculate your body mass index and determine whether losing weight is really necessary.

Sport

Without a doubt, sport stimulates the process of losing weight, especially if a person eats right. However, those who, in the process of losing excess weight, began to play sports too actively, should take into account that gradually, as a result of physical activity, muscles will increase. The weight of muscle tissue is much greater than that of fat. So the result of active sports may be actual weight gain, although in fact the amount of fat in the body decreases and the amount of muscle increases.

In such a situation, you need to relax and wait a couple of weeks, without giving up the sport. You shouldn’t fanatically step on the scale every day. It is important to understand that sport cannot harm you. In addition, you can navigate not only by weight indicators, but also by volume. If the waist, hips and other circumferences decrease, then everything is going well.

In addition, it is quite natural that active sports increase appetite . I feel especially hungry after strength training. Therefore, you need to monitor the amount of food consumed.

Lack of sleep

Proper and sufficient rest is also the key to successful weight loss. If a person sleeps little, works at night and does not get adequate regular rest, the weight loss process slows down due to metabolic . To effectively lose weight, you need to sleep at least 8 hours a day. In addition, you need to fall asleep no later than 23 hours. A person who has not slept well will not be able to train normally. In addition, people who lack sleep have an increased appetite.

It is also important that night owls, who are accustomed to falling asleep late, tend to snack on something late at night. But even nightly sweet tea ultimately “counts” toward the total number of calories and interferes with effective weight loss.

Stress

Very often, the cause of the “plateau” is the stress experienced by those losing weight. Moreover, overcoming it is not so easy. After all, when you limit food intake and intensive training, the weight initially comes off, but later protective mechanisms against stress are activated, and weight loss stops. In such a situation, methods that allow the body to relax can help. These include regular warm baths, yoga classes, and meditation.

Menstrual cycle in women

The second half of the menstrual cycle is the period when fluid is actively stored in the body. At this time, many women notice: “I’m on a diet and not losing weight.” And in some cases, even a slight increase in body weight occurs - by 1-2 kg. There is no need to fear such “stagnation”. After your period ends, your weight will return to normal in a few days. Therefore, there is no need to drink diuretic teas and tablets during the period before menstruation.

Pregnancy

A woman often begins to gain weight after conception has occurred. This is a natural process of preparation for motherhood, and the restructuring of the body begins from the first weeks of pregnancy . Therefore, if the weight remains the same or increases, and a woman suspects that conception may have occurred, she needs to take a pregnancy test. If it is positive, dietary restrictions should be stopped. Indeed, in the first weeks after conception, it is important to eat well so that the embryo receives all the necessary elements.

Health status

Often the answer to the question of why diets don't work is the person's diagnosis. After all, if you have certain diseases, losing weight can be problematic. Therefore, if the diet is ineffective, you should go to the doctor and get examined. Having established a diagnosis, the doctor will tell you how to proceed to get the desired result.

The following diseases can lead to stagnation or excess weight gain:

• disorders of the thyroid gland;
• hormonal imbalance;
• diabetes mellitus type 2, prediabetes condition.

Also, excess weight is difficult to lose if you have Down syndrome .

People with hypothyroidism , that is, reduced thyroid function, have a very difficult time losing extra pounds. This problem can be suspected if a person exhibits severe fatigue, apathy, blues, or depression. In such a situation, you need to conduct a blood test to determine the level of the hormones thyroxine T4 and triiodothyronine T3 .

In insulin resistance, which is a pre-stage of type 2 diabetes, glucose does not enter the cells because they become insulin resistant. Accordingly, glucose circulates in the blood, and the cells do not receive energy. The same energy that is not used up by cells is converted into fat deposits. Therefore, people with this problem, even without overeating, can gain excess weight, and it is very difficult for them to lose it.

You should learn more about how to act with such diagnoses in order to lose weight from a specialist. Also, people with such diagnoses share their experiences in relevant videos and reviews.

Health problems

In some cases, it happens that even months of hard training and stable proper nutrition not only do not bring the desired weight loss, but even on the contrary, are marked by an increase in extra pounds.
The reason for this may be health problems identified through a medical examination. They may be as follows:

Hormonal imbalances arising from taking contraceptives, thyroid diseases, and the onset of menopause. A lot of deviations lead to a single result - the inability to lose weight. Therefore, when diagnosing hormonal abnormalities, it is necessary to discuss with your doctor the possibility of changes in the training complex and nutrition principles.

And the most universal recommendation would be to give up sweets, because it is precisely this that provokes the appearance of an uncontrollable feeling of hunger.

• Polycystic ovary syndrome , which affects about 10% of the female population of the planet. Disturbances in communication with the pancreas are only the beginning of a long chain of emerging pathologies, the consequence of which is a change in blood sugar levels, which in turn leads to the degeneration of consumed carbohydrates into fat deposits.
• Hypothyroidism is a deficiency of a particular type of hormone, leading to a rapid gain of extra pounds. Its characteristic symptoms are excessive dry skin, brittle hair, frequent constipation, and discomfort in the form of increased chilliness.

Reference . The occurrence of malaise during the period of weight loss is a reason to visit a doctor. Otherwise, attempts to lose weight may pose a health risk.

What to do if you lose weight while dieting?

If the “plateau” is not associated with natural female problems and diseases, and changes have been made to the diet, nutritional habits and daily routine, you can try to intensify the process of losing weight.

Nutritionists offer the following methods to activate the process of losing weight on a diet:

• Spend a fasting day. During this day you can drink kefir, eat vegetables or fruits. Such unloading will “shake up” the body.
• Be active in sports. During periods of stagnation, it is important to slightly increase the load to activate metabolism . There is no need for extra effort - just exercises should become a little more intense. You can also try changing the nature of your training. For example, instead of working out in the gym, you can run in nature or swim. It is also recommended to alternate aerobic and strength exercises.
• Drink clean still water. Sometimes a person consumes too little fluid, which negatively affects metabolism.
• There are low-fat fermented milk products. The probiotics they contain activate the breakdown of foods.
• Try consuming different amounts of calories on different days. In this case, the differences should not be too strong. But still, on one day you can reduce the total calorie content to 1300 kilocalories, on another day you can increase it to 1800 calories. This “zigzag” diet will help activate your metabolism.
• Increase the frequency of meals. You need to divide your regular diet into smaller portions and eat not 4, but 6 times a day.
• Include more green vegetables in your diet. They activate the intestines. It is also useful to include sprouted grains, lemon, and ginger in the menu.
• Visit the sauna. Regular bathing procedures or visiting the sauna will also have a positive effect on your metabolism. On the days of bath procedures, you need to reduce the amount of salty and fatty foods in your diet.

Incorrect calorie calculation

The first and main step when switching to proper nutrition is drawing up a daily diet with calculating calories. Such programs can be compiled with the participation of a nutritionist, fitness trainer or endocrinologist. For stable and problem-free weight loss, the body should receive from 1300 to 2000 kcal per day .

A more accurate figure can be derived by taking into account:

• age;
• amount of excess weight;
• lifestyle;
• health indicators.

Incorrect calculation of calorie content leads to the effect of weight loss . Therefore, it is imperative to take into account the body’s daily need for proteins, complex carbohydrates and fats, the percentage ratio of which should be as follows: 30 to 60 to 10.

Important! A complete rejection of fat-containing foods will lead to disruption of hormone synthesis and vitamin absorption.

conclusions

So, in order to prevent weight stagnation, you need the right approach to sports and dietary nutrition. If the so-called “plateau effect” occurs, you should not panic and quit the diet. You just need to correctly assess the situation and try to eliminate those reasons that can slow down weight loss. It is necessary to review the diet, diversify training and use other additional methods of influence described above. It is also important to make sure that your weight loss problems are not caused by health problems. And, despite the temporary stagnation, you should maintain a positive attitude and believe that losing weight will be successful.