7 Habits That Cause Belly Fat

So, you’ve got yourself an absolutely gorgeous bikini to wear for a pool party two weeks from now. However, there’s a little bit of a problem – there’s no way of hiding your bulging belly fat in that skimpy swimsuit. Not sure how to trim down in order to do some justice to that awesome bikini waiting in your closet? Check out these seven habits that can cause belly fat – and be sure to do the opposite, so you can shape up and lose those unsightly bulges as fast as possible!

1. Drinking Carbonated Drinks Regularly

Can’t last a day without gulping down a can or two of soda? If this is you, then you’re certainly not being kind to your body. According to researchers, consuming one or two cans of soda daily causes your waistline to increase at least five times faster than those who barely drink soda in the course of a week. The concept behind this is that the high amount of sugar used in sodas trigger your craving for food, so you end up eating more than you should during mealtimes. Diet sodas aren’t any better than regular varieties since these contain artificial sweeteners, which can increase your appetite as much as sugar does. So if you have that serious craving for a satisfying drink, opt for healthy smoothies, fresh fruit juices, or a glass of water with lemon zest and mint leaves. You’re doing your body and overall health a favor by choosing a more nutritious drink that’s also low in sugar content. Since soda only causes you to add pounds without quenching your thirst, why bother drinking it, right?

2. Using a Larger Plate Each Time You Eat

Whether it’s a buffet dinner or just a regular meal at home, pay attention to the size of plate you use at mealtime. In a survey conducted among obese individuals, it was discovered that these people prefer larger plates over smaller or medium-sized ones. With a large plate size, they have more space for their food. So, how does this habit cause belly fat? Simple. When you have a larger space to pile up your food, you tend to consume more than your body needs, and that leads to more fat stored in your body. To avoid this nasty chain reaction, make it a point to use smaller plates and resist the urge to eat or go back for seconds when you’ve already had enough.

3. Dining Late at Night

While it’s true that your body naturally burns some flab as you sleep, it might not be able to efficiently do so when you go to bed on a full stomach. Aside from causing belly fat, eating late and reclining on a full stomach increases your risk of developing acid reflux and indigestion, since gravity is no longer able to pull everything in your tummy straight down. To prevent these conditions, consider eating smaller meals at night and don’t lie down for at least three hours after dinner. If possible, just snack on fruits in case you feel a bit hungry at night instead of raiding the fridge for sweet desserts to satisfy your craving.

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7 Lazy Ways to Lose More Weight

Losing weight is hard work. Sometimes the gym is just so far away, and that box of doughnuts is just so right there. But here's some good news for the willpower-deprived: You don't have to be obsessive about diet and exercise to lose weight. Slackers can be slim, too. Here's what to do:

Diet Twice a Week
In a three-month study, women who went on a low-carb diet for two days per week lost nine pounds, while those who scaled back to 1,500 calories every day for the entire week lost the same amount. Here's what's probably happening: On a strict diet that never gives you freedom, you're bound to get hungry and slip up. But on a two-day diet, you can better withstand the cravings because you know it'll end soon. As long as you don't overindulge when you return to eating normally, your overall calorie intake for the week will be lower, and you'll lose weight.

Tone Down the Workout Intensity
Exercising too hard without enough recovery time increases levels of the stress hormone cortisol, says Jade Teta, an integrative physician and author of The Metabolic Effect Diet. This causes your body to hold onto belly fat. So how do you hit that sweet spot between calorie-burning effort and adequate rest? When doing high-intensity workouts, trainer Michelle Lovitt recommends wearing a heart-rate (HR) monitor and aiming for 85 percent to 90 percent of max HR during intervals and 60 percent to 70 percent during recoveries.

Write (Some) Stuff Down
Food journaling is a great way to become more aware of what you're putting in your mouth, but it can get boring fast. "When people feel overwhelmed by something, they tend to stop altogether," says clinical psychologist Ninoska Peterson, Ph.D. Journal twice during the week and once on weekends, she says. In a recent study, 220 women who wrote down what they ate at least three days per week lost an average of 11 pounds in 18 months.

Cut Your Gym Time
In a study from the University of Copenhagen, participants who exercised 30 minutes per day for three months lost about eight pounds, while those who worked out 60 minutes per day lost only six pounds. Since a half hour of exercise isn't as exhausting as a full hour, you're less likely to end up on the couch for the rest of the day and remain active, which burns even more calories. Longer workouts also make it more likely you'll reward yourself with food afterward.

Hit the Snooze Button
When you don't get enough shuteye, you're more likely to eat high-calorie foods, according to researchers at the University of Colorado. Twenty-three men and women spent two nights in a sleep lab. On the first morning—after about eight hours of rest—they rated how strongly they desired different foods. About a week later, they returned to the lab, stayed up all night, and then rated those foods again. Cravings for desserts and chips skyrocketed. Researchers speculate that lack of sleep disrupts the brain's pathways, making us more prone to poor decisions.

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10 Simple Ways to Stop Emotional Eating

Eat when you're hungry and stop when you’re full. Sounds simple enough, but if you've ever reached for far too many handfuls, mouthfuls, or platefuls of high-cal food in response to feelings other than hunger, you know it ain't always that easy, and can sometimes feel utterly undoable. “When you’re going through an emotional time, it’s natural to reach for things that make you feel better,” says nutrition and fitness expert JJ Virgin, author of the Virgin Diet Cookbook. “Food is such an easy crutch.”

When you’re tempted to drown your sorrows or stress in a sack of M&Ms, these expert tips can help keep emotional—or mindless—eating in check:

1. Create a "hunger scale."
If you’ve been grazing to soothe your mood for years, it can be nearly impossible to know when you’re actually hungry, instead of tired, sad, or just plain bored. To train yourself to measure your appetite accurately, try creating your own hunger scale where one is ravenous and ten is stuffed. “You shouldn’t eat unless you are at least a five, preferably a seven,” says Kristin Kirkpatrick, RD, manager of wellness nutrition services at Cleveland Clinic’s Wellness Institute. Tape your scale to your refrigerator, your office computer, the dashboard of your car—wherever you tend to overindulge—and use it to bring you into awareness.

2. Eat without distraction.
Eating can easily take an unhealthy turn when you aren’t paying attention to what you’re putting in your mouth—a common issue with emotional eating. Researchers at the University of Liverpool in England found that people who swipe at their cell phones or stare at the TV while eating gobble down up to 50 percent more food than those who are actively engaged with their meals! "Even if you’re eating for one, set the table, use a placemat, and light a candle,” says Kirkpatrick. “If you make an experience out of it, your meal will ultimately be more satisfying.”

3. Eat balanced meals.
Let’s be real: You can’t be expected to make rational, healthy food choices when you’re starving. Eating three healthy squares every day will make you less likely to become ravenous (and hangry) between meals, and therefore less likely to book it to the vending machine or convenience store for a sugary or salty hit. “People get cravings for unhealthy food because they aren’t getting enough protein, fiber, and healthy fat in their meals,” says Virgin. “Protein is very satiating, small amounts of fat send pleasure signals to the brain, and fiber slows down digestion and keeps your blood sugar levels more stable.” Start your day with nut butter and whole grains like oatmeal, or eggs and fruit, and you'll set yourself up for success.

4. Set a timer before you dig in.
If you’re not sure if you’re reaching for food because you’re harried or hungry, wait it out before putting a single morsel in your mouth. “Set a timer for ten minutes, then go send some emails or fold the laundry,” says Kirkpatrick, “and if you still want the food after that, then have it.” Do the same thing before you serve yourself seconds at dinner: Research shows it typically takes 20 minutes for your stomach to communicate a sense of fullness to the brain, so you may be refilling your plate for the wrong reasons.

More from Fitbie: Are you Eating Enough Protein?

5. Keep a food journal.
It may not be new advice, but it definitely works—particularly for women who want to lose weight. A study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that women who kept a food diary shed twice as many pounds as those who didn’t jot things down. “A food journal is not just a log of what you’re eating; it also helps you track your emotions,” says Kirkpatrick. Write down every food that touches your lips, and what you were feeling at the time you ate it. (You'll start to notice what’s trending, just like you would on Twitter.) If you gobble down candy whenever there's a work deadline, for example, make sure there’s none in your office during crunch time.

6. Banish trigger foods from your house.
If you can’t control yourself around sleeves of Chips Ahoy!, don’t keep 'em around. The easiest way to hold yourself to that rule? Don’t go to the grocery store when you’re stressed out—or starving. “You are way more likely to buy the cookies, and they’ll be sitting in your pantry waiting for your next emotional outburst,” says Kirkpatrick. And if your family members would rebel if you banished all junk food from the house, at least keep it out of sight. A Cornell University study found that people ate two more candies each day when they were visible compared to when they were stashed away.

Read more at: depkhoenews.com