Are you someone who struggles with a little extra weight around your belly?

If so, I want you to know something important: those extra pounds are not your fault.

We’ve all heard the advice that losing belly fat is all about “eating less and moving more.” But if you’ve ever tried that and seen no results, you know that’s not the solution.

Actually, all those intense core workouts and sad salad lunches might be making it harder for you to lose belly fat.

Yup, that's right. Let's jump in.

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The two types of body fat - and why visceral fat is so dangerous

There are two main types of fat:

• Subcutaneous fat - the soft, pinchable fat that sits just under your skin. Think of the fat on the underside of your arms or thighs.
• Visceral fat (or intra-abdominal fat) - the dangerous fat that surrounds your organs, mostly in your abdomen.

Visceral fat isn’t just a vanity issue - it’s dangerous to your health. It’s linked to:

• Insulin resistance, leading to Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure and heart disease
• Stroke and dementia
• Chronic inflammation that speeds up aging

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How to tell if you have visceral fat

One tip is to look in the mirror and check where your body tends to store fat:

• Apple shape (more belly fat) - a larger trunk and slimmer legs may indicate higher visceral fat. This body type is more common in men and postmenopausal women.
• Pear shape (more fat in hips, thighs, and buttocks) - this fat is mostly subcutaneous, which is less harmful to health. This shape is more common in premenopausal women.

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The hormone that triggers belly fat storage

A major culprit behind visceral fat is cortisol, also known as the stress hormone.

Cortisol is designed to help us respond to stress - it spikes when we’re in fight-or-flight mode. Many generations ago, this was useful when humans had to hunt for food or escape danger.

But today? Our bodies are constantly stressed from work, family drama, financial pressure, lack of sleep, or even gut issues.

Chronic stress leads to chronically high cortisol, which:

• Triggers sugar cravings and overeating, especially refined carbs and sweets
• Messes up sleep, which disrupts hunger hormones and fat storage
• Spikes insulin, shutting down fat-burning
• Breaks down muscle and bone, making weight loss even harder

This is why super restrictive diets and intense workouts can actually backfire - they stress your body out even more, raising cortisol and keeping stubborn belly fat on your body.

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The gut-cortisol connection - why stress and digestion are linked

If you’ve been dealing with bloating, constipation, acid reflux, or irregular digestion, cortisol could be playing a role.

High cortisol doesn’t just impact belly fat - it also affects gut health in two major ways:

1. Gut issues cause stress on the body. Chronic infections, inflammation, and poor digestion put your body in a stressed state, keeping cortisol levels high and making it harder to lose weight.
2. Stress itself disrupts digestion. High cortisol slows down digestion, reduces stomach acid, and weakens the gut lining, making issues like bloating, acid reflux, and food intolerances even worse.

When digestion is off, your body doesn’t absorb nutrients properly, leading to blood sugar imbalances, increased cravings, and more fat storage (especially around the belly).

This is why a healthy gut is key for balanced hormones, steady energy, and long-term weight management.

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Women and belly fat in menopause

Women going through perimenopause and menopause often experience a huge increase in visceral fat.

• Before menopause, the average woman has about 8% visceral fat
• After menopause, that number can triple

Estrogen helps keep visceral fat in check - and when estrogen declines, visceral fat storage increases.

This is why some women feel like they wake up one day with belly fat that wasn’t there before. It’s not just about food or exercise - it’s hormonal.

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How to reduce visceral fat (without starving yourself or overtraining)

If stress creates belly fat, the obvious solution is finding ways to lower cortisol and support healthy metabolism.

Here’s where to start:

• Prioritize sleep. Lack of sleep makes your body store fat, especially around your belly. Get at least 7–8 hours per night.
• Increase fiber intake. Women who eat 25g+ of fiber per day have lower visceral fat levels. Fill up on vegetables, fruits, and whole foods - here's a previous newsletter with my favorite fiber sources.​
• Cut added sugar. Keeping added sugar below 25g per day can dramatically lower visceral fat over time.
• Lift weights. Strength training helps you burn fat while keeping muscle, preventing insulin resistance (a major cause of belly fat storage).
• Manage stress (for real). Walking, deep breathing, yoga, meditation, and even laughing can help lower cortisol.
• Eat a whole-food, anti-inflammatory diet. Processed foods, alcohol, and refined carbs fuel visceral fat storage, while whole foods help lower inflammation.
• Ditch the extreme dieting. Over-restricting calories raises cortisol and makes belly fat even harder to lose.
• Support your gut. Work on digestion by reducing inflammatory foods, eating fermented foods, and addressing bloating and irregularity so your body doesn’t stay in a constant stress state.

Belly fat isn’t just about appearance - it’s a sign of what’s happening inside your body.

If you feel like you’re doing everything right but still can’t lose the weight around your belly, it’s not your fault - but it does mean your body needs a different approach.

Let’s work with your hormones, not against them!

If you’re ready to start balancing your body naturally, I can help.

​Click here to book a discovery call and start getting to the root of your weight concerns & gut issues.

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In health,

-Daina

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​tabletocrave.com​

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