Our habits define us, our personality, our behavior, and also our physical health. Habits are of two types: bad habits and good habits. Good habits are those that add to our personality and leave a positive effect. Bad habits are those that act as degrading factors in our day-to-day lives. Habits are those things we aren’t fully aware of yet are a part of our lives. Below are bad habits you may not even know you are doing every day.
Contents
Poor Diet
Poor diet is the leading cause of belly fat gain. Eating sugary food, candies, drinking soda, and other such things lead to:
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- Weight Gain
- Slower Metabolism
- Reduces The Body’s Ability To Burn Fat
A diet that consists of low-protein and high-carbs also affects the weight of the person. Eating a protein-rich diet keeps a person feeling full for longer. Those who avoid or do not include protein-rich food do not feel full and eat more until they reach their limit. Food high in trans fats is, in fact, excessively responsible for causing inflammation in the body, which may lead to obesity. So try to avoid food items with high amounts of trans fat.
Too Much Alcohol
Everyone has heard the saying “moderation is key.” That’s right, nothing in excess is ever good. A report published in 2015 shows that most obese people are regular drinkers; drinking excess alcohol leads to fat gain, especially around the belly region. Alcohol consumption also leads to other health problems such as liver failure and inflammation.
All Food, And No Exercise
A person becomes fat or obese when the calorie consumption rate is higher than the calorie-burning rate. An inactive lifestyle is the lead cause of obesity. The body has no way to burn the calories ingested. The body metabolism can do only so much work without activity. Sitting on the sofa, watching Netflix, and snacking away will only lead to excess fat accumulation, specifically around the belly region.
Stress
Indeed most of you may have heard about the term “stress eating.” However, people cope with stress differently, one of which is reaching out for food, specifically junk food. Our body deals with stress through the release of a steroid known as cortisol. When a person faces a high-stress situation, cortisol is released, affecting a person’s metabolism. So, when people reach out for food as a source of comfort in a stressful situation, the cortisol released affects the body’s metabolism, allowing the excess calories to settle around the belly.
Poor Sleep Pattern
What most people today do not understand is the value of quality sleep. Today’s world barely sleeps; while some ignore rest due to high-stress jobs, others adopt poor sleep patterns to sit in front of their phones and laptops. A study conducted in 2013 has linked poor sleep patterns to be the cause of excessive belly fat. Irregular sleep patterns also affect a person’s eating habits. Other significant effects of poor sleep habits are emotional eating, unhealthy eating habits, and poor motor connectivity.
Smoking
There is little research or proof to show the link between smoking and obesity; however, scientists believe risks and potential ties to the two. A 2012 study showed that although the obesity levels between smokers and non-smokers were relatively the same, smokers did have a higher level of belly and visceral fat.
Conclusion
Keeping these habits in check and improving your daily pattern will improve conditions. Of course, you can do a lot to lose belly fat, adopt good practices such as improving your diet, regular exercise, cutting back on alcohol, and so much more. But for starters, here are seven habits that you can work on eliminating today.
