Not just from food: six harmful habits that cause belly fat

**Six Bad Habits That Cause Belly Fat: Not Just Food**

Even lack of sleep can be the cause of excess belly fat. Giving up the following bad habits listed by the "Noviy Ochag" publication will help you get rid of excess weight.

Although excess weight is unpleasant, it is considered relatively safe if it is mainly accumulated in the limbs. However, once fat begins to accumulate in the belly area, if no action is taken, the situation becomes serious. Sometimes a suddenly appeared belly is an occasion for a health check: impaired blood glucose, changes in cell resistance to insulin, hormonal imbalance, and prolonged stress can be the cause. And the belly often appears due to bad habits.

**1. Smoking**

First of all, when smoking, a lot of air is swallowed, which contributes to bloating. Secondly, tobacco and its smoke contain toxic substances that kill beneficial bacteria that are responsible for the normal functioning of the intestines. Thirdly, smoking is the most harmful habit, and the sooner you give it up, the better.

**2. Drinking alcohol**

The calories contained in any alcoholic beverage contribute to rapid weight gain. Regular consumption of alcohol, even in small doses, slows down metabolism, and the body does not convert fat into energy, but stores it. In addition, they destroy the beneficial bacteria living in the digestive tract, which leads to the accumulation of fat in the abdomen.

**3. Love for carbonated drinks**

Another reason for a flat stomach is carbonated drinks. Those who do not want to get into an unpleasant state in the morning should stop drinking carbonated drinks at least two hours before bedtime or give them up altogether. Carbonated drinks slow down metabolism and are harmful to internal organs. Therefore, a flat stomach is one of the advantages of avoiding them.

**4. Drinking a lot of coffee**

It is logical to assume that coffee is a diuretic and the more it is drunk, the less water and salt will remain in the body. But unfortunately, in practice everything is different and excessive caffeine intake can lead to dehydration, deterioration of the digestive system and, as a result, a slowdown in metabolism. Therefore, those who want to get rid of belly fat are advised to drink less coffee.

**5. Improper nutrition**

It is very important to adhere to proper nutrition: do not skip breakfast, do not eat three hours before bedtime, do not take long breaks between meals. These simple rules will help restore metabolism and make it easier to dissolve fats accumulated in the body.

**6. Not following sleep**

It is very important to get enough sleep at night, and this sleep should be full, deep and uninterrupted. Otherwise, the production of the stress hormone cortisol will increase, which will contribute to the accumulation of excess fat in the abdominal area.