We tend to lose muscle mass, so our abdominal muscles aren't as tight as they once were, and the loss of elastin and collagen in our skin allows gravity to have its way so skin starts to sag. Both can cause the waistline to expand.
Many women also notice an increase in belly fat as they get older — even if they aren't gaining weight. This is likely due to a decreasing level of estrogen, which appears to influence where fat is distributed in the body.
Gaining weight solely in your stomach may be the result of specific lifestyle choices. The two S's — stress and sugar — play a significant role in the size of your midsection. Certain medical conditions and hormonal changes can contribute to abdominal weight gain.
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.
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.
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.
Common reasons for someone to have belly fat even when they're skinny is: Being too sedentary (inactive), which builds visceral fat around the organs and abdominal fat. Eating too many processed foods, which stores at the belly.
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.
Bloating Is Tight While Belly Fat Is Spongy
Tightness in the stomach is a sign of bloating. Stomach fat will feel spongy and malleable and can be grasped physically in your hand—something you can't do with bloating.
Many people continue to gain weight over a period of regular exercise due to an increase in appetite. Eating more calories will result in gradual, consistent weight gain, and it's likely that many of those extra calories will show up around the midsection, especially as you age.
One easy way to tell the difference between bloat and belly fat is to note belly fat does not cause your stomach to expand wildly throughout the course of a day; bloat does. One other way to tell the difference between bloat and belly fat is you can physically grasp belly fat with your hand, you cannot with bloat.
Causes include poor diet, lack of exercise, and short or low-quality sleep. A healthy diet and active lifestyle can help people lose excess belly fat and lower the risk of problems associated with it.
If you're feeling bloated from excess sodium, “the best tip for quick-ish relief is to drink more water and eat mild foods with potassium, like banana, avocado, and sweet potato,” says Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD.
Watch your diet
Research shows that B vitamins can help relieve stress, so try to add dark green, leafy vegetables, avocados, and bananas to your diet. Fish and chicken are also good choices. Try to eat a balanced diet. A balanced diet should include plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Research suggests that eating foods high in B vitamins can help relieve stress. So, consider adding a lot of dark, green, leafy vegetables, bananas, etc, to your diet. Reduce total calories: Limit foods that are high in calories with little to no nutrition. Avoid added fructose and hydrogenated vegetable oils.
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.
There are several possible causes for your lower abdominal bulge. These could include: fat distribution, a hernia, weakening of the tissue between your rectus abdominus muscles (rectus diastasis) or an intra-abdominal mass.
The most common reason for bloating is having a lot of gas in your gut. This can be caused by some food and drinks, such as some vegetables and fizzy drinks, or by swallowing air when you eat. It can also be caused by a problem with your digestion, such as: constipation.
The only way you can physically and permanently reduce your stomach's size is to have surgery. You can lose overall body fat over time by eating healthy food choices, but that won't change your stomach size.
Sudden weight gain around your lower belly, especially around your pelvic area is a sign of belly fat caused by hormonal imbalances. Many women suffer from PCOS, which might lead to the lower belly extending out and falling low. This weight gain happens suddenly without any apparent cause.
It may be the regular consumption of alcohol, stress, hormones, bad posture, recent pregnancy, bloating, or others. If you are determined to flatten your belly, you should exercise more and stick to a healthy diet.
Too many starchy carbohydrates and bad fats are a recipe for that midsection to expand. Instead, get plenty of veggies, choose lean proteins, and stay away from fats from red meats. Choose healthier fats in things like fish, nuts, and avocados. Even a moderate cutback on carbs (grains, pasta, sugars) can help, too.
Sugary foods and beverages
Common foods in the diet that can be high in added sugar can include baked goods, pastries, muffins, flavored yogurts, breakfast cereals, granola and protein bars, prepackaged foods, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), and other processed foods ( 5 ).