It’s frustrating – you’re exercising more than you ever have and eating all the right foods even drinking enough water to wear a path in the carpet on the way to the bathroom – so what gives?  Why am I still seeing an increase in belly fat?

This is the problem I faced over the last couple of years.  I contributed it to my age – I just turned 40 this last year, so it must be a slowdown in metabolism.

Turns out that’s not it at all…

Let me explain – just 5-years ago I hardly exercised at all, and though I didn’t eat all that badly, certainly ate more and had more snacks than I do now? 

I also went around dehydrated most of the time, but one problem I didn’t have was belly fat. 

Then suddenly I noticed it about 6-months after my second born – the one that didn’t sleep through the night until his 3rd year. 

Ever since then, I have been in an epic battle to beat belly fat trying everything under the sun to lose the extra fat and weight that seems to persist no matter how hard I try.

In fact, I almost get the feeling the harder I try, the more belly fat I accumulate. 

Don’t get me wrong – I haven’t gained anymore than about 5-pounds, and I’m far from obese, but it bugs me to know end that I can’t seem to get rid of 5-10 pounds and the 3 inches or so I am carrying around my abdoman. 

Then, no a recent visit to my alternative practitioner – it struck both of us that this fat could indeed be stress induced.  Recent research is demonstrating that cortisol produced when under stress is turned into belly fat (and very unhealthy belly fat at that).  So, not matter how hard you exercise, how much you change your diet – as long as you remain stressed out – you will be turning food into belly fat.

Now, after doing some reading up on this, men – we have something significant to be concerned with here – a few reasons why:

1. Proof demonstrates that cortisol seems to interact with pancreas produced insulin (which is produced at higher rates during stress) to create visceral fat – belly fat that is closer to the abdoman itself and much harder to lose as well as much less healthy.

2. The impact of cortisol on your brain makes you crave “comfort foods” which tend to be high in sugar, starch, carbohydrates and make the problem of belly fat that much worse

3. In addition – being under chronic stress taxes your pancreas, produces wild swings in blood sugar which also induces you to eat. I know in my case, I’ve been borderline hypoglycemic – forcing me to eat more often during the day just to try and stabalize blood sugars.  The problem is this leads to a constant state of hunger and more cravings for comfort foods that result in more belly fat.

So – there we have it.  Stress is a major factor in the most difficult belly fat to get rid of.  Not only is the belly fat a problem, but what this biochemical condition does is extremely taxing on your pancreas, liver and other bodily organs. 

The solution – relaxation and stress management techniques could go a long way to leveling out this tornado of biochemical reaction resulting in a loss of belly fat impossible to otherwise get rid of.