In order to fight the good fight at reducing your bulging belly, it is a good idea to know what causes it. Many people are carrying around more weight around their middle than is desired. There is no doubt that people know how difficult it is to lost the belly fat but do they know what causes it?

Too much belly fat can be dangerous to your health and can lead to a variety of health related issues such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. The rule of thumb for the proper measurement around your waist is a 35 inch circumference if you are a woman and a 40 inch circumference if you are a man.

The belly fat can come from a variety of sources. Some are an easy fix and others are not.

1. The natural aging process. As we age, our metabolism slows down which means that fewer calories are needed during the day, Unfortunately, we tend to keep eating as much as we did when we were in our teams. As a teen or young adult, the metabolism rate is high; you’re still growing and you’re probably more active. As you get older and adopt a more sedentary life style, less calories are necessary and one should cut back on the amount of food they consume. This would be a difficult fix.

2. Number one also addresses the idea of over eating. However, we need to think about when we go out to eat. We tend to eat everything that is served rather than taking it home in a doggy bag and many times there is a high fat content in meals served in restaurants. Have the server cut the meal in half and only bring out half putting the remainder in a to-go box. This will reduce the chance that you will continue eating beyond the point of reaching being full. This would be an easy fix.

3. Menopause. Yes, the change of life. Not much that can be done about this so this is a difficult fix. Women just need to be aware that the change is happening and realize that they don’t need the same amount of food each day. metabolism slows down and if the women continues to eat the same amount of food as before menopause, expect to lay down belly fat. Also, the changes in hormonal levels could also affect the saying down of excess belly fat.

4. Stress. Stress causes the hormonal release of cortisol which also leads to increase weight gain in the abdominal area. This might be an easy fix for some people who are less likely to let things cause stress but for others, stress levels might be less manageable. In either case, a good way to reduce stress would be to take up stress reducing activities. Yoga, walking, and meditation might be something you could do to help reduce stress.

5. Reduce the empty calories associated with drinking alcohol. Beer and alcoholic mixed drinks are full of calories. Drink less, exercise more, and change what you drink could help reduce the "belly bulge". Instead of having a drink mixed with coke, have it mixed with water. This will reduce the amount of calories to take in but also alleviate the hangover the next day.

6. Have breakfast everyday. With busy lifestyles, this is easier said than done because usually we are rushing around to get out of the house on time. Pre-freeze the ingredients you can blend into a smoothie and add a scoop of protein powder to give it lasting power. That will give you a start to your metabolism and you will be less likely to reach for a jelly roll in the break room.

So, belly bulge is not an easy problem to solve but if you make little changes in your habits, it is manageable and you will lose it. Don’t expect it to happen over night; it doesn’t work that way. Be patient and remember that little things you do matter and you will ultimately win in their battle of the bulging belly.