When the tissue loses its elasticity from being overstretched, the gap in the abdominals will not close as much as it should. This is diastasis recti. If you have diastasis, your belly may appear to stick out just above or below the belly button, making you appear pregnant months or years after giving birth.
If you eat too much and exercise too little, you're likely to carry excess weight — including belly fat. Also, your muscle mass might diminish slightly with age, while fat increases.
When your stomach swells and feels hard, the explanation might be as simple as overeating or drinking carbonated drinks, which is easy to remedy. Other causes may be more serious, such as an inflammatory bowel disease. Sometimes the accumulated gas from drinking a soda too quickly can result in a hard stomach.
Abdominal swelling, or distention, is more often caused by overeating than by a serious illness. This problem also can be caused by: Air swallowing (a nervous habit) Buildup of fluid in the abdomen (this can be a sign of a serious medical problem)
Upper abdominal bloating may be related to slow movement of the intestine called gastroparesis, swallowing air while eating, an infection, or overeating. Lower abdominal bloating can be from constipation, IBS, gas caused by food intolerance, or fluid retention.
What is visceral body fat? Visceral body fat, also known as 'hidden' fat, is fat stored deep inside the belly, wrapped around the organs, including the liver and intestines. It makes up about one tenth of all the fat stored in the body.
Stress belly is the extra abdominal fat that accumulates as the result of chronic or prolonged stress. Although stress belly is not a medical diagnosis, it is a term used to describe the way that stress and stress hormones impact your midsection.
Sometimes, excess fat around the belly is due to hormones. Hormones help regulate many bodily functions, including metabolism, stress, hunger, and sex drive. If a person has a deficiency in certain hormones, it may result in weight gain around the abdomen, which is known as a hormonal belly.
Before you rush to your doctor to get a prescription for your hormonal belly, there are natural ways to readjust your levels. Reducing sugar intake, eliminating processed foods from your diet, and avoiding things like dairy, alcohol, and caffeine can all help reset your blood sugar and insulin levels.
It might be as simple as eating too much too fast, or you could have a food intolerance or other condition that causes gas and digestive contents to build up. Your menstrual cycle is another common cause of temporary bloating. Sometimes a bloated stomach can indicate a more serious medical condition.
You could have a condition called Diastasis Recti Abdominus, or DRA. DRA is caused by an increase in abdominal pressure and occurs when the rectus abdominus, the abdominal muscle that runs down the center of your stomach, separates.
Why it happens: It's common after pregnancy, when the tissues and muscles of your abdomen are stretched out from the growing uterus. However, anyone can get it (since everyone has an abdomen) from doing exercises incorrectly, intense weight fluctuations, or other causes.
Some causes may be related to stress, alcohol consumption, or medications. Other causes can be a result of health conditions like hypothyroidism or PCOS. Many causes of stomach swelling and weight gain can be treated with lifestyle changes and medications. However, others, such as ascites, can be serious.
D2 and K2 are a powerful duo when taken as a supplement. Each of these vitamins is involved with balancing hormones, particularly those associated with weight management, and are viewed as safe vitamin supplements for people to take to support metabolic processes.
How to reduce cortisol belly fat? You can reduce cortisol belly fat by reducing your cortisol levels. Do this by reducing your stress, getting enough sleep, and living in sync with your circadian rhythm. Caffeine and high-intensity exercise can also contribute to high cortisol levels.
A PCOS belly is the result of PCOS-related weight gain and may be caused by different factors. Weight gain in individuals with PCOS follows a characteristic pattern that involves more abdominal visceral fat gain compared to the rest of the body.
To be diagnosed with PCOS women generally need to have two out of three of the following: Irregular or absent periods. Acne, excess facial or body hair growth, scalp hair loss, or high levels of testosterone and similar hormones in the blood. Polycystic (many cysts) visible on an ultrasound.
Myth #2: If You Lose Weight, You Can Get Rid of PCOS
Unfortunately, there is no cure for PCOS, but overweight and obese women can help balance their hormone levels by losing weight. Otherwise, treatment is aimed at managing symptoms. A wide range of treatment options can help prevent any potential problems.