Dealing with belly fat or "love handles" can be stubborn and frustrating. It may even leave you feeling defeated despite your best weight-loss efforts. Cutting calories, eating more protein, and watching carbs are popular methods for shedding excess pounds. These methods may help with unwanted belly fat, but certain foods prevent you from losing belly fat.

Several factors, including hormones and gender, can influence abdominal fat. Of course, your food choices can play a major role, too. Eating more calories than you burn in a day will likely result in weight gain, some of which may be in your midsection. Additionally, the types of calories you choose can impact your weight and fat mass. Sugar, in particular, has been documented to promote obesity, according to research. If you could do one thing to lose belly fat, limiting your added sugar intake may be your best bet.

In addition to your diet, stress can also play a role in accumulating abdominal fat. While easier said than done, managing your stress through various methods could help with your leanness goals. Daily meditation, exercise, and adequate sleep all contribute to reducing stress. Alongside a lower-stress lifestyle, you'll want to keep an eye on your food choices because you'll never lose your belly fat if you're still eating these 10 things.

The Foods

Pie

Sweet and available in numerous varieties, pie is a popular dessert at holidays and celebrations. However, even those made with fruit can pack a surprising amount of added sugar.

Brownies

Another beloved dessert, brownies are also notorious for their sugar content. When making homemade brownies, you may easily find recipes that call for 2 cups of sugar, not to mention the sugar in the chocolate chips you use.

Low-Fat Yogurt

Although marketed as a diet food, low-fat yogurt is often a sneaky source of added sugar. For example, an individual cup could have more than 17 grams of sugar.

Granola

Whether used as a topping to your yogurt or enjoyed in a bowl with milk, granola could also be preventing you from losing belly fat. You may be surprised to learn a half cup of granola could be over 200 calories.

Cereal Bars

A popular item for grab-and-go breakfasts, cereal bars aren't known for being packed with satiating ingredients. Most options contain minimal protein and fiber, leaving you with a less filling meal or snack.

Canned Fruit

Canned fruit and sweetened mandarin oranges may be some of the most popular items in this category, but there are many packaged, processed fruits to watch out for. Options chock-full of syrup can be a dense source of added sugar.

BBQ Sauce

A flavorful way to enhance your grilled meats, you may be surprised by the amount of sugar in BBQ sauce. Two tablespoons of sauce can have around 10 grams of sugar.

Canned Baked Beans

Often enjoyed alongside grilled meats, baked beans are another source of added sugar. A half-cup portion of canned baked beans can have 10 grams of sugar.

Biscuits and Gravy

A southern staple, biscuits and gravy are more known for their comforting flavors than nutrient density. Although not especially high in sugar, this dish packs a lot of calories into a fairly small package.

Sweetened Dried Fruit

Last but not least, if you want to lose belly fat, ditch the dried fruit! Dried fruit can be a source of fiber and iron, but many varieties contain significant added sugar.

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Author

Chef