How to Beat Belly Fat by Understanding Stress, Insulin, and Metabolism

Introduction

Abdominal fat is one of the most common complaints for those who want to lose weight. Many people diet, go hungry, exercise, buy products, try different techniques, and still, that belly fat doesn't seem to budge. It's as if the body is defending it.

Frank Suárez taught that when something in the body resists change, it's not enough to attack the symptom. You have to understand the cause. And in the case of abdominal fat, the teaching points to two main factors: stress that elevates cortisol and excess insulin that blocks fat release.

The key is not to exert more willpower, but to use the correct knowledge. Because the body does not function by faith or by hope. The body functions by laws, by reactions, by cause and effect.

When you understand what is causing fat accumulation, especially in the abdomen, you can work with your body and not against it.

Key points

• Frank Suárez taught that stubborn abdominal fat may be related to stress, cortisol, high glucose, and elevated insulin.
• The body doesn't think: it reacts. That's why emotional stress, poor sleep, poor diet, poor digestion, or not drinking water can affect the abdomen.
• For the body to form fat, according to Frank, there must be excess glucose and excess insulin.
• Fasting insulin is a test many people don't ask for, but which Frank considered key to understanding why fat doesn't decrease.
• When insulin is high, the body tends to store fat and not release it easily.
• Frank recommended measuring fasting insulin, not guessing.
• He also mentioned magnesium, potassium, and calming the nervous system as important supports for addressing insulin resistance.

Abdominal fat doesn't appear by chance

Frank Suárez explained that a protruding abdomen should not be seen merely as an aesthetic issue. Behind that fat are bodily processes taking place.

One of the central points of his teaching is that stress causes weight gain, but above all, it tends to make the belly protrude. This has to do with a stress hormone called cortisol.

When a person is under a lot of stress, the body produces cortisol, and that cortisol promotes fat accumulation in the abdominal area.

This is important because often people only think about food or exercise, but they don't observe other factors that also stress the body.

Frank included situations like these as sources of stress:

• bad relationships;
• family problems;
• relationship problems;
• poor sleep quality;
• incorrect diet;
• aggressive foods;
• poor digestion;
• not drinking water.

The idea is simple: the body doesn't think, the body reacts. The mind can reason, justify, or endure, but the body responds to the conditions it is experiencing.

If there is stress in diet, relationships, digestion, or sleep, the body reacts. And one of those reactions can be to produce more cortisol, which pushes fat into the abdominal area.

Therefore, according to this teaching, abdominal fat cannot be overcome by simply looking at the plate. You have to look at the body's entire environment.

The body doesn't think: it reacts

One of Frank Suárez's most practical phrases was "you think, your body doesn't think; your body reacts." That idea helps to understand why a person can be making a lot of effort and still not see results.

A person might think: "I'm eating less, I'm exercising, I'm sacrificing myself." But if the body is under constant stress, if it doesn't sleep well, if it consumes foods that harm it, or if it lives in tension, the body can continue to react as if it were in danger.

When the body is under stress, it activates defense mechanisms. It doesn't necessarily distinguish whether the stress comes from an argument, poor sleep, poor digestion, or an incorrect diet.

For the body, stress is stress. And when there is stress, there is a reaction.

In that reaction, cortisol appears, and with cortisol can come the tendency to accumulate abdominal fat. That's why many people feel like they're doing "everything right," but their belly isn't shrinking. The problem is that they might only be looking at part of the picture.

Glucose and insulin: the combination that creates fat

Frank explained very directly that for fat to exist, there must be an excess of glucose and an excess of insulin. Glucose is blood sugar, and insulin is the hormone produced by the pancreas.

When glucose goes up and insulin goes up, the body can create fat. In his words, mixing excess glucose with excess insulin results in fat.

If glucose doesn't rise and insulin doesn't rise, gaining weight becomes impossible from a physiological point of view.

This explanation changes the way we look at abdominal fat. Belly fat is not simply "accumulated fat" without explanation. It is evidence that there has been an excess of glucose and an excess of insulin.

Frank presented it as a scientific fact: where there is fat accumulation, especially stubborn fat, one must observe what is happening with insulin.

Here comes one of the most important parts of the teaching: many people check their fasting glucose, but they don't check their fasting insulin.

The test many people don't ask for: fasting insulin

Frank pointed out that when people go to the doctor, they are often ordered tests such as fasting glucose, lipids, cholesterol, and other markers. But fasting insulin is rarely requested.

For him, this test was fundamental because insulin is the hormone that allows one to gain weight.

If a person had no insulin, they couldn't form fat, although it's also true that without insulin, the body couldn't properly handle food and the person couldn't live. Insulin is necessary, but the problem arises when it's too high.

Fasting insulin shows the level of insulin upon waking in the morning, before eating. That data allows us to see if the body is in a state where it can release fat or if it's in a state where it continues to accumulate it.

Frank mentioned that normal insulin levels in a healthy person or athlete are typically between 3 and 6 international microunits per liter. He also indicated that on another scale this is equivalent to 21 to 42 picomoles per liter.

The practical point is this: if a person has high fasting insulin, they can diet, exercise, or go hungry, but the fat will be stubborn.

Why? Because one of insulin's functions, when it's high, is to prevent fat from being released.

As Frank always taught, each person should manage their health conditions with their doctor, especially if they use medication, have diabetes, high blood pressure, or any diagnosed condition.

Why abdominal fat can resist everything

Many people get frustrated because they exercise, reduce portions, cut out certain foods, and still, their abdominal fat won't budge. Frank explained that as long as insulin is elevated, the body won't easily release fat.

High insulin acts as a storage signal. It's as if the body receives the order to store, store, and store. And if the body is in fat storage mode, abdominal fat can resist diet, exercise, and attempts to lose weight.

Frank gave a very clear example: when diabetics inject insulin, many end up gaining weight, because they are administering the very hormone that helps build fat.

He was not saying that a person should change treatments on their own, but rather explaining the role insulin plays in fat accumulation.

The teaching is that it's not enough to just look at weight. You have to look at which hormone is sending the signal. If insulin is high, the body can continue to store fat even if the person is making an effort.

High insulin, hunger, and pressure

Frank also linked high insulin to other problems. He explained that high insulin levels are connected to high triglycerides, high cholesterol, difficulty concentrating, excessive hunger, stubborn abdominal fat, and high blood pressure.

One of the most interesting points is hunger. As he explained, insulin causes hunger. Therefore, when a person has a lot of insulin, they may feel hungry frequently.

It's not simply a lack of discipline. It can be the body's reaction to an excess of insulin.

He also mentioned that insulin tells the kidneys to retain sodium, which is salt. By retaining sodium, blood pressure can rise. That's why he observed that even thin people could have high blood pressure if their fasting insulin was elevated.

This point helps to understand something important: metabolic problems are not always visible from the outside.

A person can be thin and still have high insulin. Another can have a lot of abdominal fat and be struggling with hunger, pressure, and difficulty losing weight. In both cases, insulin can be playing an important role.

Stress also affects insulin

Abdominal fat is not solely explained by glucose and insulin. Frank connected this topic to the nervous system and stress.

As long as there is a lot of stress affecting the nervous system, sleep is affected, the abdomen is affected, and there can also be insulin resistance.

This unites all the teaching into a single idea: the body seeks balance. If a person lives under tension, sleeps poorly, eats aggressive foods, doesn't drink water, or is in a conflictive environment, the body remains stressed.

And a stressed body doesn't work the same as a balanced body.

Stress can elevate cortisol. Cortisol is related to abdominal fat. And stress can also worsen insulin resistance, making it more difficult for the body to use that hormone correctly.

Therefore, overcoming abdominal fat is not just about "doing crunches." Nor is it simply about eating less. It's about helping the body get out of a state of stress and bringing it to a place where it can function better.

Measure instead of guessing

One of Frank's most practical recommendations was not to rely on faith and hope. If a person wants to know what's happening, they should measure.

In the case of stubborn abdominal fat, he recommended requesting a fasting insulin test. It's not about guessing if it's high or low. It's about confirming it with laboratory results.

This approach is very characteristic of his teaching: knowledge, observation, and data. When a person knows where they stand, they can make better decisions.

If they don't measure, they can spend years trying diets, exercises, or methods without knowing that their fasting insulin is very high.

Frank told the story of a friend who couldn't lose weight. He suggested she get tests, including fasting insulin. The result was 46. With such high insulin, he explained, losing weight became practically impossible, because the body was full of insulin and that hormone continued to accumulate fat.

The message is not to scare. It is to observe. When you measure, you stop fighting blindly.

Magnesium, potassium, and the nervous system

Frank mentioned that, to address the problem of high insulin and insulin resistance, one had to understand the role of magnesium, potassium, and a calm nervous system.

He indicated that magnesium helps lower insulin levels and that potassium helps lower insulin resistance.

He also recommended learning ways to calm the nervous system, because stress affects sleep, the abdomen, and insulin resistance.

In the NaturalSlim approach, resources like the Dynamic Duo MagicMag + Kadsorb can support this teaching when discussing magnesium and potassium, always within a broader strategy that includes measurement, proper nutrition, rest, and stress management.

The central teaching here is not to randomly take things, but to understand the body. If the nervous system is altered, the body does not rest well. If it does not rest well, the stress continues. If the stress continues, the abdomen is affected. And if there is insulin resistance, the fat resists.

Everything is connected.

Abdominal fat is overcome by understanding the cause

Frank Suárez taught that the body responds to causes. If there is stubborn abdominal fat, it should not be viewed merely as a problem of willpower or appearance.

One must look at:

• stress;
• cortisol;
• glucose;
• insulin;
• sleep quality;
• diet;
• water;
• digestion;
• the state of the nervous system.

Abdominal fat can be a sign that the body is accumulating fat due to excess glucose and insulin, and also that it is reacting to stress with cortisol. Therefore, the solution is not to chase miracles, but to use science to benefit metabolism.

The first step is to observe. The second is to measure. The third is to correct what is throwing the body out of balance.

When a person understands that the body doesn't think, but reacts, they stop blaming themselves and start taking responsibility with knowledge. And when they use the correct knowledge, they can work with their metabolism more intelligently.

Because in Frank's teaching, it's not about suffering more. It's about understanding better. And when the cause is understood, the body has a better chance of recovering its balance.

Frequently asked questions

What causes abdominal fat according to Frank Suárez?

According to Frank Suárez, abdominal fat can be related to stress, elevated cortisol, excess glucose, and excess insulin. He also mentioned factors such as poor sleep quality, an incorrect diet, aggressive foods, poor digestion, and not drinking enough water.

Why can stress cause belly fat?

Frank explained that when the body is under stress, it produces cortisol, a stress hormone that promotes fat accumulation in the abdominal area. The body doesn't think; it reacts to the conditions it experiences.

What does insulin have to do with abdominal fat?

Frank taught that to create fat, there must be an excess of glucose and an excess of insulin. If insulin is high, the body tends to store fat and can prevent fat from being released easily.

What is fasting insulin?

Fasting insulin is a laboratory test that shows how much insulin the body has upon waking, before eating. Frank considered it important to understand why a person might have stubborn abdominal fat.

What was Frank's healthy range for fasting insulin?

Frank mentioned that a healthy person or an athlete usually has between 3 and 6 international microunits per liter, or 21 to 42 picomoles per liter on another scale.

Why can abdominal fat resist diet and exercise?

According to Frank, if insulin is high, the body receives a storage signal. In that state, it can resist releasing fat even if the person diets, exercises, or starves themselves.

What is the relationship between high insulin and hunger and blood pressure?

Frank explained that insulin can cause hunger and also instruct the kidneys to retain sodium. Therefore, high insulin can be related to excessive hunger and high blood pressure.

What did Frank recommend to begin addressing stubborn abdominal fat?

Frank recommended measuring, not guessing. For him, ordering the fasting insulin test was key. He also talked about addressing stress, the nervous system, magnesium, potassium, diet, sleep, and hydration.