how to lose belly fat naturally

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Many people would like to know how to lose belly fat naturally and what causes it in the first place. Gaining belly fat can depend on a variety of different factors including hormone imbalance, lack of sleep, underactive thyroid and eating too much processed foods. 

 As we approach middle age our metabolism starts to slow down and women going through the menopause commonly gain weight around the middle. Even if you are still eating the same amount of food you won't burn it off so quickly and excess calories are laid down as fat.

 There are many simple ways to lose belly fat naturally that can easily be introduced into your lifestyle. One very simple solution is to get more sleep as this can give your metabolism a boost and give you more energy. So many of us lead very busy lives and have to cut back on sleep to fit everything in. 

 Try and organise your day and prioritise things of most importance. Lack of sleep produces a stress hormone called Cortisol and this slows down your metabolism making it easier to gain unwanted belly fat. Resulting lack of energy and tiredness will also make you eat more food especially simple carbohydrates such as sweet biscuits and cakes.

 hypothyroidism or an underactive thyroid can cause weight gain and resulting belly fat. The thyroid controls the body's metabolism, so an underactive thyroid will cause the metabolism to slow down. No amount of dieting or exercise will make any difference, so you would need to see your doctor.

 Lose belly fat naturally by eating foods that boost the metabolism. Fruits such as grapefruit and lemon help to burn fat. They are negative calorie foods and require more calories to digest than they contain. Eat half a grapefruit before a meal to increase your metabolism. 

 Spices such as chilli and ginger raise the body's temperature and you need to burn extra calories to lower the temperature again. Foods high in fibre such as fruits, vegetables, beans and pulses keep you feeling full and eliminate toxins from the body.

 Drink plenty of water to flush away those toxins and keep your metabolism working properly. This is a very important and often overlooked way to boost weight loss and burn that stubborn belly fat.

 Eat 6 small meals a day regularly spaced apart. This helps you to lose belly fat naturally as firstly you won't get hungry and be tempted to snack on high fat and sugary snacks plus your metabolism will be working optimally. Leaving long gaps between meals will not only cause your energy levels to drop but also your metabolism will slow down as your body starts to store fat.

 If you want to know how to lose belly fat naturally a healthy diet combined with the right exercise will soon lose those unwanted pounds. The best type of exercise to lose belly fat is resistance training. This builds muscle which needs calories to maintain. This means that you will still burn calories even if you are resting.

 You don't need to join a gym to do resistance training, get yourself some resistance bands which come in different strengths depending on your level of fitness. They are very portable and enable you to train anywhere. Cardiovascular exercise such as cycling or jogging will not only help you to lose belly fat but will also strengthen the heart and protect you against diseases such as cancer.

 Don't despair if you have gained a large belly. Men and women from all walks of life including Hollywood stars suffer the same problems regarding weight. If you find it hard to motivate yourself and need plenty of support join a local slimming group such as WeightWatchers or Slimming World.