Weight loss: 8 worst habits that are making you gain belly fat

The most dangerous kind of fat is belly fat. It settles around your organs and increases your risk of heart disease, diabetes and other serious illnesses. Doctors often say wider the waistline, shorter the lifeline.

Apart from what you eat, there are many other habits that increase your chances of developing belly fat or prevent you from losing it.

Here are eight such things:

Reports suggest that if you can’t stay away from Facebook and Instagram, you are more likely to put on weight. A study conducted by the Harvard Health Blog found that people who had an obese friend were 57 per cent more likely to become obese as compared to people who did not have obese friends.

Snacking does not just make you ingest extra calories but makes you an unhealthy eater. Unless you are munching on almonds or veggies, you are packing yourself with unhealthy fats, sugar and salt.

The gut bacteria plays a big role in weight loss and weight gain. The probiotics in yoghurt and other supplements can provide you with the good bacteria required to keep your gut healthy. Having too little of good bacteria is linked with obesity, according to a Fitness magazine. Your gut balances your appetite by regulating hunger hormones.

You all must have heard about emotional eating. Because your mood can affect what you eat, research from Cornell University found people who have negative emotions eat more indulgent foods than people feeling positive.

A soda a day can definitely not keep the weight away. Sodas are full of sugar and increase your chances of numerous diseases. Consumption of soda has been linked to obesity as well. One can of soda nearly has 10 teaspoons of sugar and 150 empty calories. Sip water throughout the day to avoid such cravings.

Your workaholic attitude can affect your belly fat. Sitting from nine to five without breaks means you are losing out on physical activity. This decreases the activity of fat burning enzymes, lipoprotein lipase. So, stand up and stretch often – take washroom breaks, get water for yourself and walk around the office every one hour.

Depriving yourself of food for longer periods just invites belly fat. Not eating slows down your metabolism, which makes you burn fewer calories and gain weight.