You’re a soft drink lover

You’re a soft drink lover
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A soft drink a day definitely won’t keep the weight away. It’s well documented that sugary drinks are linked to obesity, and the reason is clear: one can of soft drink is equal to 10 teaspoons of sugar and has 675 kilojoules, all of them empty since you’re not getting any nutrients. Try flavoured sparkling water, which gives you that fizz without the sugar.

Check out these things that happen to your body if you stop drinking fizzy drinks.

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You think fidgeting is a bad thing

You think fidgeting is a bad thing
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Fidgeting gets lumped in the bad habit category, but it’s actually good for you. Bouncing your leg, tapping your foot, and fumbling with your fingers burns energy, and any little bit of activity helps!

You never get up from your desk

You never get up from your desk
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Being a workaholic can affect your belly fat. Sitting eight hours at a desk without breaks means you’re losing out on physical activity that can help you burn kilojoules; it also decreases activity of the fat-burning enzyme lipoprotein lipase. Stand up and stretch every so often, take bathroom breaks, grab water from the kitchen, or walk around the block at lunch.

You rely on sit-ups to get a six-pack

You rely on sit-ups to get a six-pack
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Unfortunately, sit-ups or crunches aren’t the magic answer to a flat stomach if they aren’t accompanied by cardio. Those exercises tone abdominal muscles but don’t burn fat, which is key to eliminating belly flab.

You skip meals

You skip meals
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Whether you’re too busy to eat lunch or you think starving yourself will help you lose weight, depriving your body of food for long periods of time is just inviting belly fat to appear. Not eating slows your metabolism, which means you’ll burn less kilojoules, and it can make you prone to poor food choices or overeating when it does come time to eat. “If we haven’t eaten all day, we’re famished and you can’t make rational decisions about what to eat when you’re that hungry,” says Dr Kazlauskaite.

Don’t miss these ways to get the metabolism of a 25 year old.

You don’t get enough sleep

You don’t get enough sleep
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Not getting the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep a night can cause your belly to balloon. Lack of sleep increases your chances of making unhealthy food choices the next day because you’re low on energy, and gives you another reason to skip the gym. Too little shut-eye can also mess with your metabolism, which affects how much fat you burn.

Here are some easy bedtime fixes to help reduce belly bloat while you sleep.

You let weight gain get you down

You let weight gain get you down
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“We do fall off the bandwagon, but don’t stay in that rut. Get back into a good lifestyle as soon as possible,” says Dr Kazlauskaite. The longer you don’t exercise or eat right, the more damage you’re doing to your body and the longer it’ll take to get rid of that belly fat, she says.

You can’t manage your stress

You can’t manage your stress
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Stress is inevitable, but if you don’t learn how to manage it, you could find yourself with even more reason to fret when you start gaining weight. Studies suggest that stress can cause you to crave foods high in fat and sugar because it triggers an increase in the release of cortisol, which affects hunger.

You eat in front of the TV

You eat in front of the TV
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Distracted eating, like watching television or working at your desk, can make you eat more, according to Harvard Health Blog. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that slowing down and savouring what you eat can help you eat less.

You let your emotions take over

You let your emotions take over
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If you struggle to keep your emotions in check it could impact your weight and your mindset. Brigham Young University researchers found that middle-aged women who had ‘less-than-positive’ emotional health were 59 per cent more likely to gain weight than women who felt happier.

Find out about emotional isolation and self regulation here.

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