03/12/2025
Why Indians Can’t Lose Belly Fat — and How to Fix It This December
By Dietitian Sheela Seharawat
Losing belly fat is the biggest struggle for most Indians.
Even people who lose weight overall still find the stomach area stubborn and unresponsive.
The reason is not one factor, but a combination of Indian lifestyle habits, winter food patterns, and metabolic issues.
This December, fix these root causes and finally reduce belly fat effectively.
Reason 1: Too Many Wheat Rotis Per Day
Eating 4–6 rotis daily overloads carbs, which your body stores around the midsection.
Fix:
Switch to:
• 1 wheat roti + 1 bajra or jowar roti
• or reduce rotis to 2 per day
• include dal, vegetables, and salad
Reason 2: Heavy Dinner + Late Dinner Timing
Most Indians eat the heaviest meal at night, often after 9 pm.
This directly increases belly fat.
Fix:
Eat your dinner by 8 pm, keep it light:
soup + sabzi, or dal + sabzi, or a small roti.
Reason 3: Low Protein Intake
Indian diets lack protein, especially in vegetarian households.
Low protein slows metabolism and increases cravings.
Fix:
Add one protein source every meal:
paneer, dal, chana, rajma, curd, eggs, or fish.
Reason 4: High Stress and No Morning Routine
Cortisol, the stress hormone, increases belly fat.
Skipping morning meals or rushing also worsens digestion.
Fix:
Morning routine:
• warm water
• light breakfast
• 10 minutes walk
• no phone during first 20 minutes of waking
Reason 5: Too Much Tea and Biscuits
Tea paired with sugar-loaded biscuits spikes insulin and stores fat around the belly.
Fix:
Replace biscuits with chana, peanuts, makhana, or fruit.
Reason 6: Winter Sweet Overload
Gajar halwa, chikki, ladoo, gujiya — all are calorie-heavy winter favourites.
Fix:
Limit to:
• 1 small portion
• at lunch only
• maximum twice a week
Reason 7: Sitting Too Much in Cold Weather
Winter reduces activity and increases screen time.
Less movement means lower calorie burn.
Fix:
Walk 20 minutes twice a day.
Use stairs instead of lifts.
Core December Belly-Fat Formula by Sheela
To flatten your stomach this winter:
• reduce rotis
• increase protein
• eat light dinners
• avoid biscuits
• portion winter sweets
• walk daily
• drink warm water
Consistency over 3–4 weeks shows visible inch loss.
Contact:- +91 9958400073