Isn’t hip fat just the most stubborn thing on the planet? Hours of workouts often don’t do very much for the hip region. This is because burning fat from traditional reserves in the body such as the belly, hips, and thighs requires not just exercise, but a change in some negative lifestyle habits. Let’s discuss a few reasons why that hip fat won’t go away and what you can do about it.
1. Eating At Odd Times
Some research has found that eating at odd times can actually make us gain weight. This is because the composition of the gut microbiome changes through the day, and food eaten at random times can cause it to be poorly assimilated, leading to weight gain.1 If eating at random times is your thing, that could be preventing you from losing the stubborn fat around the hips.
2. Not Getting Enough Sleep
Human beings are diurnal creatures. Our circadian rhythm is such that we wake up with the sun, and sleep as it sets. In the modern context, that isn’t possible. However, we can still sleep according to a pattern, at the same time each day. When we don’t do this, we shock our body. We send it a signal that distress situations are about to come. And our body does what it has to in order to cope with the impending “disaster”.
It starts to store fat around the usual places to help preserve for starvation, a fight, or much worse. This is unfortunate. Our evolution has been unable to keep pace with the degree of changes to our lifestyle over time. As a result, sleep deprivation causes us to put on weight around the belly and hips.2
3. Overeating
This is the most obvious cause. However, each person’s definition of too much varies and is not always based on sound science. Whenever you eat more calories than you burn, you are eating too much. There would, therefore, be no problem when you binge-eat fresh fruits or vegetables.
However, when we do the same with fast food, sweets, and desserts, we have a problem.3 Try and cut down on processed food if you feel like you aren’t eating too much but still struggling to lose weight. Replace ever processed snack with a healthy alternative. This might just be the change you need.
4. Going Cold Turkey
The problem with cutting out common food habits suddenly is that our resolve may not last very long. For example, we may be in the habit of having an ice cream every other day. One fine day, we cut it out entirely, hoping to lose hip fat.
That kind of resolve only ever lasts a few days, or until you pass the next ice cream store. Instead, it is better to set smaller, achievable, and sustainable goals. From an ice cream every day, move to one every third day. Fight the psychological craving first, and you can win the battle.
Losing weight from stubborn areas is a matter of changing your lifestyle. Exercise and extreme dieting can help only so much. Eat clean, fresh food and reduce the intake of fats. Cut out the sugar as much as possible. You will begin to first lose weight from other parts. If you keep at it, you can lose weight from your hip region too.
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