If you’re wondering why it is difficult to lose weight after you turn 40, you have landed on the right article. Here are 5 reasons why you aren’t losing belly fat.

Are you over 40 and trying to lose weight? While losing weight has never been easy, increasing age makes it even more difficult, especially when you are trying to lose belly fat. That’s just something we must deal with. But what to do when you need to shed the extra kilos due to a health problem, injury or some other issue? Today, we tell you why it is difficult to lose weight after the age of 40 and what you can do about it.

Why Is It Difficult To Lose Belly Fat After 40?
Losing visceral fat is important to keep health problems like heart diseases, diabetes and more. However, certain things disrupt your efforts to lose weight, especially with increasing age. If you are someone unable to lose weight after 40, these following factors could be a reason why the fat won’t budge.

Hormonal Changes
Unable to lose weight after 40? Your hormones could be the one to blame. Hormones are the messengers that control most of your bodily functions. When your hormones are out of whack, it can become difficult to lose weight.
When women reach the age of menopause, the levels of oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone fluctuate, which causes a cascade of changes in the body. Your hormones also determine your weight gain and weight loss. Hormonal fluctuation, in both men and women, can make it difficult to lose weight, especially from the midsection. The only way to overcome this is not to dwell over the hormonal changes going in your body. It is better to consult a professional and learn about these changes.

Slow Metabolism
Metabolism is the process in which the food we eat is converted into energy required for your body to thrive. In other words, it is the rate at which our body burns the calories to keep you active. As we age, our metabolism slows down, and the rate at which our body breaks down food also decreases. So, we become unable to burn as many calories. These factors make it extremely difficult to lose weight. Staying active is the sure-shot way to rev your metabolism and lose belly fat.

Loss Of Muscle
When you hit your 40s, you begin to lose muscle. Muscle loss combined with a slow metabolism can be a problem for those trying to lose weight. Though age is a factor, lack of physical activity is one of the biggest factors in losing muscle. Therefore, exercise is a crucial component when it comes to preventing muscle loss. Strength training may help to rebuild lean muscle mass, which helps burn belly fat and improve metabolism.

Insulin Resistance
As you age, the body starts to ignore the hormone, insulin, responsible for regulating blood sugar levels. When your blood sugar is higher, you experience more cravings, which can lead to weight gain. It is better to curb these cravings by including a diet rich in healthy carbs, protein and fats.

Stress
When you’re stressed, your body releases a hormone called cortisol. Too much of this hormone in the system can cause a spike in your blood sugar levels. This leads to a rise in your insulin levels. So, your body starts to hold onto more fat, especially around the waistline. You should stop stressing out on situations that you can’t control and begin working on those under your control.

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