6 Mistakes You’re Making When Trying To Lose Belly Fat

We’re on a journey to self-improvement, and we all have specific parts of the bodies we’re trying to work on. Some women want lean, long legs. However, some of you might be trying to lose belly fat instead.

Belly fat is a common problem for women. Many ladies want to burn the fat in their lower abs and love handles. If you want to slim down, but you’re struggling to lose belly fat, keep reading. These problems might be holding you back:  

You aren’t keeping track of your snacks.

Eating when you’re hungry is essential to a healthy, lean body. Being hungry is never any fun! But, it is so, so easy to eat mindlessly when you’re bored, stressed, or binge-watching Gilmore Girls (please don’t try to follow their eating habits!).

When you think you’re hungry, stop yourself. Drink some water, and then re-evaluate your stomach cravings in 15 minutes. If you’re still hungry, pick something healthy to snack on. Here are a few easy, healthy snacks to go for:

• Healthy peanut butter quinoa cups
• Acai bowl
• One apple and two tablespoons of natural peanut butter
• Mini carrots or celery slices with hummus
• Have a read of my blog post for lots more healthy and easy snack ideas :)

Here’s one tip: Portion out what you’re going to eat ahead of time. That entire bag of pretzels in front of you won’t close itself!

You’re hydrating with the wrong thing — alcohol.

In my experience, a little extra stomach fat and drinking lots of alcohol often go together. Remember, I don’t believe you need to totally get rid of your Rosé. You can read more about my thoughts on drinking here.

But alcohol is full of empty calories that will never fill you up. Plus, we all know it often leads to that mindless snacking we talked about already.

It isn’t just the extra calories with alcohol that contribute to belly fat. The infamous “beer belly” is real. Alcohol impacts your midsection more than the rest of your body.

You expect to lose your belly fast.

Are you looking for a flatter stomach in 3 days or even a week? Weight loss and creating a lean body takes time and patience. Remember, Victoria Secret models train and watch their diets every single day, not just for a short period of time.

I understand the desire to change your body quickly. Seeing physical changes is so exciting! Unfortunately, expecting quick results can just slow you down. It is easy to get discouraged when you don’t see the fat falling off after a few days. Stick with it! You can do it!

Related post: How To Lose Fat From Stubborn Aereas (Inner Thighs, Lower Belly, Hips, Back Of Arms) 

You’re doing the wrong exercises for belly fat.

You guys know I love my cardio as it is so great for leaning out your legs and keeping a slimmer look. But doing cardio only will not get rid of belly fat. 

To get rid of belly fat, you need to do resistance training. Any type of resistance training helps (even if it’s on the lighter side, such as Pilates). But generally, HIIT gets the quickest results. In my personal experience, high intensity cardio such as running also helps a lot. This is because it burns SO many calories.

I also make sure to include ab exercises in my workout routines. Some people say that they don’t need to do ab work to see definition (and this can be true if your workouts consist of heavy lifting and Crossfit). But I prefer to do ab exercises because:

• Ab workouts can help improve your posture. Standing straight makes your belly look leaner, and it makes you feel more confident!
• The right type of ab workouts strengthen my core and help me do my other exercises more properly. This way, your entire workout is more effective. After all, nobody wants to waste all that hard work!
• My ab workouts create the lean, sculpted look that I love.
• Try one of my favourite ab workouts. This video specifically targets your lower abs, the area I find most women have excess fat.

As always, make sure you know your body type. I have a free body type quiz that will help you learn how to exercise and eat to get the best possible results :)

You don’t have a nutrition plan.

If you aren’t losing your belly fat naturally, you need think through your diet. Snacking can play a role in this, but so can your larger meals.

I plan out what I’m going to eat ahead of time and buy my groceries accordingly. This not only saves time, but you’re less likely to snack on junk food if you’ve already got this delicious healthy food in your house! This is key to getting rid of your stomach fat and getting flat abs.

In order to truly slim down, make sure that you’re:

• Eating enough for you to go about your day.
• Not overeating.
• Eating healthy, whole foods.

I follow an 80/20 rule when it comes to eating. I eat clean 80% of the time. However, I also enjoy things like dark chocolate, too.

If you want to try and eat more healthy but you aren’t sure where to start, you can download my 7 Day Lean Legs Meal Plan here.

You’re positive it is really fat, not bloat.

If your stomach only seems bigger at the end of the day, after a big meal, or on your period, you might not have stomach fat to lose. Instead, you might just be bloated.

Bloating affects everybody at some point in their lives. Here are some things to do when you’re stomach is puffy:

• Drink lots of water! Eating a lot of salt and sugar throughout the day often leads to a bloated stomach in the evening. But just keep in mind that your stomach expands with water intake too.
• If you are new to healthy eating, sometimes your body can react negatively for a few days or a week. Try portioning your fresh food throughout the day, so you aren’t eating it all at once.
• Write down what you’re eating to see what’s causing your bloat. Some foods, especially beans and lentils, can cause bloating. Try to limit those foods, especially the day of a big event!
• Exercise. Seriously, light exercise can really help with digestion and bloating. 

Losing belly fat requires a healthy lifestyle, so it won’t happen over night. To get the best results, make sure you’re eating healthy food, exercising properly, and drinking lots of water. You CAN reach your goals!

Article written by Rachael Attard

Rachael is an Australian born certified personal trainer and nutritionist who holds a Bachelor degree in Science.

After struggling for years to find an exercise and diet program that is tailored to women striving for lean and toned body with no bulk she designed her Lean Legs Program. This program is tailored to each body type and focused on helping women get toned but feminine bodies, without getting bulky.

Her mission is to empower women and help them stay in shape in a healthy and balanced way.