Are you ready to learn how to lose belly fat naturally? Are you ready to hear the truth about the foods to avoid to lose belly fat, right?
Let me tell you that you’re in the perfect place!
The inconvenience of having a belly that is visible is not unfamiliar to me.
I carried a lot of fat around my belly for years and it was not the most pleasant feeling!
I remember whenever my parents wanted to tell me about the danger of these foods, I would get mad because I so loved these foods!
I didn’t want to hear and see the truth about these unhealthy foods, that cause belly fat.
I was the greatest eater of bad foods before 2015. And let me tell you that I understand where you are right now!
But my wish is that after reading my article, you will get the strength to say no to them, for your own good!
Ready to lose that belly fat for good? Let’s dive right in!
Before I continue, I recommend you read this article on How To Lose Belly Fat In 2 Weeks, after you finish with this one.
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What Causes Belly Fat In Women?
In this day and age, belly fat in women is becoming increasingly common and worrying!
There are a number of factors that can cause belly fat.
But in this article, I will talk about some primary factors I found out to be the root causes of getting lots of fat around the abdomen area.
If you’re familiar with my blog, you know that I lost 41 pounds in a few months of following a low carb diet.
I also had to deal with belly fat and I thought I wouldn’t lose it without the need to join a gym. I was wrong!
In fact, I just had to eat the right carbs, the best fat burning foods.
Once I spot the culprits behind my big tummy, I decided to apply small changes to my habits, especially diet-wise.
And after a few months, the results were so visible! I could see how I was losing those stubborn abdominal fats.
Before we get into the meat of the matter, let’s see what causes belly fat, in the first place.
Factors Contributing To Belly Fat
High Sugar Intake
The first cause of belly fat is a poor diet, mostly one where you consume a lot of sugar.
I want to point out here that I’m referring to added sugars, that are obviously bad for your weight and health.
Note that the brain and other organs of your body need glucose so that they can perform their daily activities.
That’s why natural sugar is important!
The types of sugar you get from natural foods like fruits, complex carbs, and natural sweeteners like maple syrup or honey are, therefore, highly recommended.
On the other hand, added sugars found in candies, pastries, soft drinks, and dairy products are not the type of sugar you need to be consuming if you want to lose weight.
They come in different names, like, fructose, palm sugar, corn syrup, lactose, maltose.
The problem is that there are foods that get their sweetness and flavor from these types of added sugar.
When you consume these foods, you will find yourself demanding more of them.
And finally, you take in more calories than you are allowed to have per day.
Consequently when sugar consumed is in excess, it is stored as fat.
And needless to tell you what will be the end results…BELLY FAT!
Calories
Now let’s talk about calories.
As you already know, you are likely to put on weight if your calorie intake exceeds the calories that need to be burned.
If you read my previous post, I talked about the importance of calorie tracking.
Yup, it will actually help you lose weight fast!
Let me just put it there plain and simple: the number of calories you are eating each day is surely one of the causes of your belly fat.
It’s only when I started dieting that I realized that my excess weight and belly fat were just a reflection of my eating lifestyle.
In fact, I wasn’t a big eater. I didn’t eat big portions but my eating habits consisted of highly caloric foods and drinks.
Looking back now, my lunches and dinners always consisted of plates full of bad carbs, fried foods, and very few veggies.
On top of that, I was not engaged in any physical activity to burn these calories.
You see, my calorie intake was far higher than what I was supposed to be burning.
Trans Fats
Another culprit on the list is trans fat. What exactly is trans fat?
Long story short: trans fats are usually used margarine and later also in snack food, packaged baked goods, and for frying fast food.
One of the main purposes of the presence of trans fats in products is to extend their shelf-life.
Multiple studies have shown that regular consumption of foods that contain trans fats increases the amount of fat around the belly area.
That’s why I always encourage people to avoid eating processed food.
Foods made at home will always be the right one, keep that in mind!
Lack of Exercise
This one is obvious uh?
A lack of exercise is an evident cause of belly fat.
The body was made for movement. So, it’s clear that if you don’t get it moving, your body, especially the belly will be home to lots of fats.
In reality, there is no exact exercise that will spot-reduce belly fat. But the solution is to get moving.
As you exercise, the fat percentage of your whole body is reduced.
So exercising is not only beneficial to lose belly fat but overall fat.
Stress
Last but not least! Stress, famously known as the disease of the century, has been a great contributor to the formation of belly fat.
Everybody faces stress in different ways and it’s natural.
What happens when we are stressed is that our body produces a hormone called Cortisol.
It is released to help us manage and combat the feeling of stress.
Unfortunately for us women, cortisol is known to produce more fat which in turn is stored around the stomach area!
10 Foods To Avoid To Lose Belly Fat
Now that you know what causes belly fat, let me give you a list of the 10 foods to avoid to lose belly fat.
On a personal level, since I ditched these foods I’m detailing below, I saw a huge difference in my belly.
And believe me, it’s all worth it when you start to see how your belly shrinks when not binging on these foods anymore.
The foods listed below may be your staple foods or you may think they are good for you.
I get you if you just love eating them. You may even think that it’s impossible to remove them from your diet.
However, change is necessary!
Still wondering what foods to avoid to lose belly fat? Keep reading!
White Rice/Pasta/Bread
The first one in the list of foods to avoid to lose your belly fat is refined rice, pasta, and bread.
White rice, pasta, and bread contain little nutritional value in terms of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
This fact is enough to put them on the list of foods not to eat when trying to lose belly fat.
Fiber is essential for those who want to reduce belly fat as it gives a longer feeling of satiety.
When a food doesn’t contain what is needed to help you lose weight, let alone reduce your belly fat, then ditch it!
Alternatives: Brown rice, pasta, bread
Artificial Sweeteners/Refined Sugar
As I explained earlier, the source of sugar for your body is essential.
The main source of energy for the body if glucose, carbs that are turned into sugar when digested.
Unfortunately, refined sugar, which we call table sugar, is deprived of all its minerals and vitamins.
Artificial sweeteners have gained a lot of popularity since 1998 and many people think that it’s the best alternative to white sugar.
For a long time, I also thought that I was doing right when swapping white sugar for an artificial sweetener.
In fact, artificial sweeteners do not contain calories but by any means, they are healthy as some may think.
Studies have found that the consumption of these sweeteners is associated with weight gain and belly fat over time.
They can cause an imbalance in your metabolic system due to the fact that the type of sweetness the brain senses on the tongue and the actual blood sugar that is received by the brain are not the same.
The brain feels a certain disconnection in the process and to compensate for the lack of calories, the brain sends signals that you need to eat more.
I now understand why diet soft drinks or foods that contain artificial sweeteners never satisfy.
You will always want more of that diet coke, more of these so-called healthy pastries.
Over time, I got to understand the impact of artificial sweeteners could have on my body.
Sincerely, I now see those sweeteners as real dangers.
Alternatives: Stevia, raw honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar
Deep-Fried Foods
Did you know that in the process of deep-frying, the food gets stripped off of its water content to absorb the oil?
Deep-frying a food actually adds more calories to it, especially fats.
So my advice for those who want to get rid of your big tummy is to avoid deep-fried foods altogether, as long as you can.
Alternatives: oven-baked foods, air-fried foods
Processed Foods
Nowadays, convenience is an important aspect for a customer when grocery shopping.
It’s so easy, cheap, and convenient to simply grab your favorite pre-cooked turkey lasagna or a Margherita pizza that you will just re-heat in your oven instead of actually preparing and cooking it yourself.
Processed foods include pre-packaged meals, pastries, nuggets, cheeses, sausages, and the list goes on.
These foods are your enemies!!! They are one of the words foods to avoid to lose belly fat.
Since they have lost their flavor in the process, manufacturers need to add sodium, added sugars, additives, and trans fats.
The purpose of these additions is to help in flavor enhancement, color preservation and of course, they add up long months on the shelves.
All these ingredients above slow down digestion.
You also need to know that processed foods are highly addictive.
They will never provide a sense of satiety and you’ll always want more, because of these added elements, especially sodium.
Again, added sugars, trans fats, and sodium are all ingredients that will only add up to your weight.
Alternatives: Home-cooked meals, chickpea burgers, grass-fed beef burgers
Soft Drinks
When saying soft drinks, I’m also referring to sugar-free or diet drinks, that also feature in the list of foods to avoid to lose belly fat.
Studies have shown that soft drinks have this tendency to provoke appetite and suppress satiety.
Not to mention that they are loaded with sugars which will eventually increase blood sugar levels and enlarge your fat storage.
Alternatives: Fruit-infused water, smoothies, protein shakes, natural fruit juices.
Alcohol
Alcohol is indeed a highly caloric drink.
Regular consumption of alcohol is known to suppress the process of fat burning and stimulate the appetite.
In short, consumption of alcohol slows down your metabolism and makes you wanna eat more.
This will definitely result in having excess calories that are stored as fat.
Alternatives: Kombucha
Pastries/Candy Bars
If you have a sweet tooth, nothing is more delightful than savoring of good chocolate muffin or caramel cheesecake, right?
However, pastries and candy bars are loaded with refined sugars and fats that will directly set on your belly.
Staying away from them as much as possible will be beneficial for both your health and your tummy!
Alternatives: Fruits, home-made granola, almond date bites
Ice Cream
When summer is hitting hard, treating yourself with a delicious Ben & Jerry’s Dark chocolate ice cream is refreshing uh?
I bet you’re drooling right now, aren’t you? 🙂
Unfortunately, ice cream should be on the list of foods to avoid if you really want to get rid of your belly fat.
The reason is they are loaded with added sugars, artificial flavoring, and fats that will bloat your stomach.
Ice creams are made of dairy products that are high in fats and the result of this is no other than a big belly, spilling over your jeans!
Once in a while, you can allow yourself a fresh ice cream. Don’t be too hard on yourself!
The problem is that if you don’t pay attention to your macros and control your portion, eating ice cream can easily bump up your calories.
Alternatives: Banana ice cream, fruit sorbet
French Fries
We can often die to get some french fries into our mouth but we all know french fries are not healthy at all.
Since they require deep-frying in oil, and in the case of commercialized ones to which trans fats have been added, excess calories are floating on these not-so-innocent snacks.
According to the USDA, for 100 grams of french fries, you get a whopping 312 calories. Mind you, 100 grams of french fries is rather small.
Now imagine your french fries being accompanied with a beef burger with mayo and extra cheese. Yikes! Do you hear belly fat?
Alternatives: Oven-baked sweet potatoes.
Dairy Products
Although milk contains protein and fiber good for overall health, you might want to refrain from your consumption of full cream milk, cheese, and fruit yogurts.
As innocent as it can look, a fruit yogurt is mostly milk with artificial fruit flavoring. Not that healthy right?!
Flavored milk is also loaded with added sugars and processed cheeses are also rich in fats and sodium.
Alternatives: Cottage cheese, oat milk, cashew cheese.
Recap – List of Foods Not To Eat When Trying To Lose Weight
- White Rice/Pasta/Bread
- Artificial Sweeteners/Refined Sugar
- Deep-Fried Foods
- Processed Foods
- Soft Drinks
- Alcohol
- Pastries & Candy Bars
- Ice Cream
- French Fries
- Dairy Products
We’ve covered a list of foods not to eat to lose weight and now it’s time for some tips to lose that excess flap, actually very embarrassing!
5 Simple Ways To Lose Belly Fat
We’ve seen what can cause belly fat and all those foods to avoid if you want and need to lose belly fat.
Not it’s time for a few tips on how to lose belly fat.
If you want more on how to get rid of your big tummy and get a flat stomach, click here.
Ditch Sugary Foods
We’ve seen how excess sugar, especially refined ones, is harmful to your weight loss.
I suggest taking it slow if you have a sweet tooth.
It may be difficult for you to quit sugar at once but if you want to lose belly fat, you need to do it.
Start by decreasing your intake gradually and you won’t regret it.
Do you want to know 7 simple ways to cut down on sugar and boost your weight loss? Click here!
Stay Hydrated
If I had to choose only one thing to lose belly fat, water would be my go-to advice.
You can never go wrong with water.
Always keep a bottle of water by your side.
It’s proven that water flushes out toxins and sodium which may be causing bloating.
So don’t forget to stay hydrated with at least 2L of water every single day.
Go Fresh
Stay away from pre-cooked meals! I know it’s so easy and quick but it won’t support your weight loss in any way I can assure you.
Do yourself a favor: buy your own veggies, beans, whole-wheat pasta, and cook your meals at home.
Fresh home-made meals are more appetizing, less risky for your weight loss, and most importantly much more nutritious.
Getting a maximum of nutrients with your foods is vital for the body to function properly and stay healthy.
Most importantly, eating fresh will never promote weight gain.
But as it becomes a habit to eat fresh, you’ll see your belly fat start to shrink.
Stay Active
The role of exercising is crucial when it comes to fat loss.
The more you get moving, the more belly fat you will lose.
Although you can’t spot-reduce belly fat, the best is to target overall body fat with a combination of resistance training and high-intensity interval training. (HIIT)
My preferred way of staying active or if I need to boost my weight loss is walking and jogging.
It doesn’t require any gym membership but it’s very effective in burning belly fat.
Sleep Well
Getting a solid 7-9 hours of sleep every single day cannot be stressed enough.
Remember, if you haven’t got a proper night of sleep, your body will require double energy to help you stay active during the day.
Therefore more energy means you will experience much more cravings.
This will probably make you eat more than usual which will automatically translate to more calories.
Finally, this will add up to your belly fat and overall weight.
Bottomline
I hope these tips will be helpful in your attempt at losing belly fat.
I progressively removed these foods from my list over the years and together with the tips I mentioned above, I managed to lose over 60lbs, including my belly fat.
Now that you know what are the foods to avoid to lose belly fat, it’s time to clean up your pantry!
Good luck!
