Neither your belly is shrinking nor your waistline is shrinking, nutritionist reveals 6 hidden reasons and solutions

Overview: If your weight or belly fat isn't reducing despite diet and gym, these are the reasons behind it.

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If you're dieting and hitting the gym, yet you're still struggling to lose weight, it could be due to some unintentional mistakes. Maintaining a balance between sleep, water, stress management, and proper exercise will make losing weight easier. Small changes can lead to big results.

Fastest Way To Lose Weight: Nowadays, people sweat it out for hours in the gym and follow strict diets , yet their bellies don't shrink and their waists don't slim down. Often, the reason isn't lack of motivation, but rather hidden habits and factors that often go unnoticed. Nutritionists believe that understanding and correcting these small things can speed up the weight loss process. Let's explore six major reasons and their easy solutions.

Lack of sleep

Lack of adequate sleep increases the hormone cortisol in the body, which contributes to fat accumulation, especially around the belly.
Solution: Get at least 7–8 hours of deep sleep daily. Reduce screen time before bed.

Excess stress

Stress also slows down your metabolism, leading to weight gain instead of weight loss.
Solution: Incorporate meditation, yoga, and deep breathing exercises into your daily routine.

Staying hungry for a long time

Not eating for long periods of time puts the body into "starvation mode," and fat begins to be stored instead of burned.
Solution: Eat a light and healthy snack every 3–4 hours.

Water shortage

Drinking too little water slows down the body's metabolism and prevents the elimination of toxins.
Solution: Drink at least 2–3 liters of water throughout the day. If desired, include coconut water and herbal tea.

Processed Foods and Hidden Sugars

Hidden sugar in packaged foods, sauces, and drinks can sabotage your weight loss efforts.
Solution: Eat natural, home-cooked foods. Read the labels before purchasing packaged foods.

Focusing only on cardio

Treadmill or cycling alone won't help you lose belly fat quickly. Strength training is also essential.
Solution: Include weight training, HIIT, and core exercises along with cardio.