10 Reasons why you cannot lose your belly fat

One of the most common reasons why people come to Pilates is wanting a flat tummy. but while Pilates can strengthen your abdominal muscles, it might not be enough to ensure you get flat abdominals.

In reality, you need to look at the bigger picture and understand how multiple factors can come into play and influence each other.

In my experience, most of my clients feel more motivated to make positive changes and prioritize their health once they understand how deeply their lifestyle can affect their well-being.

Chronic stress

Chronic stress can cause a ripple effect of metabolic and hormonal changes that affect most systems in your body.

Stress hormone cortisol helps release sugar in the bloodstream, causing an increase in insulin the hormone that allows your cell to utilize sugar.

The problem is that the sugar that is not used up by the cells, ends up being stored as fat in the form of triglycerides. This type of fat is often stored around the waist and your vital organs, forming visceral fat.

Chronic stress can also cause a relapse in “unhealthy habits”, like drinking that extra glass of wine, snacking more often or eating more highly palatable, high-calorie foods.

Your circadian rhythms are out of sync

Circadian rhythms are 24-hour biological cycles, that regulate your wake/sleep rhythms, energy levels, meal rhythms, and timing release of important hormones like cortisol and melatonin.

They are regulated by a small gland in the brain called the hypothalamus, which acts as an orchestra director of the metabolism, and it is also implicated in hunger signaling and weight control.

Circadian rhythms are mainly regulated by light/darkness. When our lifestyle does not align with our biological circadian rhythms, for example, if you are a shift worker or have erratic sleeping habits, you can experience weight gain, increased inflammation and hormonal disruption.

You had a baby in the past few years

If you had a baby recently and still look like you are 5 months pregnant, it might be a sign that your body needs some help getting back into shape.

The first thing to look at is to check whether you have an abdominal separation also called Diastasis Recti, which is a thinning or an opening of the “fascia”, the connective tissue behind your rectus abdominis aka your six-pack.

In this case, you do not need to “strengthen your abs”, but to gently reconnect to your deepest core muscles and improve functionality before going to more strenuous exercises. I have described this process more in detail HERE. While this may sound difficult, do not fret: this is what we do in a standard postnatal Pilates class or session,

My best advice is to get a postnatal Mummy MOT at your local women’s physio clinic, where they can check for Diastasis Recti and other possible issues and then move on to specialized postnatal Pilates sessions.

It is worth to notice, that you may need Postnatal Pilates exercises even after years after a pregnancy because your body needs to be re-educated in engaging your deep core abdominals and correct faulty muscles and breathing patterns.

Bad posture

Bad posture can make your tummy stick out. With time, consistent “bad posture” can lead to a weakening of your postural muscles including your deeper “core muscles”. This is in fact, one of the most common reasons why people come to Pilates.

Staying hunched on a computer all day, can lead to a whole host of muscle and postural compensation, that can lead to a body that looks out of shape and in need of weight loss, while you simply need to correct your overall posture, which is good news!

Posture can be corrected and it is something you can work on. Pilates for example it is very effective at corrective posture and also at reshaping the female body. To book online one-to-one sessions with me contact me here

Gut issues

Gut health is fundamental for the whole body, but especially if you want a flat tummy! Digestive problems are common nowadays due to a host of reasons including too much sugar, bad quality food, too little fiber, bad posture, stress, and so on, so if you want a flat tummy it is important to assess if this could be relevant to you.

As a health coach though, I am bound to tell you that if you experience digestive problems the first port of call is a visit to your GP, to exclude more serious conditions.

Read more of my article on my blog

You can read the rest of my article on my website Claudia Armani Wellness.

Are you making your best efforts with your diet and exercise, but not seeing the results you hope for? Health and well-being are holistic, and many lifestyle factors can come into play.

You can book a consultation with me here or schedule a quick and complimentary chat at www.calendly.com/claudia-armani