When I first began my weight-loss journey, I thought more would be better. So I committed to working out every day. It was not only too much on my body, but mentally, I started to really dread working out and that made me want to quit altogether, which didn't help me lose weight.
Overexercising can also increase your cortisol levels too much and will hinder your weight-loss progress, said Jacquelyn. Cortisol is the stress hormone that when not used, gets stored as belly fat, Erica Patel, MD, of the University of Southern California, told POPSUGAR in a previous interview.
ACE-certified trainer Karen Shopoff Rooff with Running on Balance agreed and said, "To try to combat this abdominal weight gain, women exercise even more, and the cortisol-belly fat cycle starts again." Jacquelyn explained, "It's important to find a balance and allow enough time for your body to recover."