Exercise may not be enough when you need to burn belly fat. Belly fat is the toughest fat to lose on your body. A variety of things influence belly fat, including stress. Stress is one of the biggest factors, but some foods you eat increase this type of fat as well. Before you continue to indulge in the bad stuff, here are 6 foods to avoid when trying to burn belly fat.

Soda is not only unhealthy for you, it increases belly fat. It has empty calories that add excess weight. Soda also provides large amounts of sugars. This sugar comes in the form of high fructose corn syrup and other additives. Your body has a hard time burning this sugar off, especially in the mid-section. High fructose corn syrup is known to make you obese. This obesity is more apparent in your abdomen. You may think that diet sodas are better, but they also contain artificial sweeteners that contribute to bad health. It's best to drink pure water to lose your belly fat.

Dessert may be your favorite part of eating any meal, but it can add many calories to your diet. Even low calorie and reduced fat desserts should be eaten in moderation. Most desserts have refined sugars. These sugars lead to weight gain. Consider eating healthy fruits instead of cakes, cookies and candies.

Fast food is the worse type of food to eat when you're trying to lose belly fat. Those burgers, shakes and fries have large amounts of calories, fat and carbohydrates. None of these things are nutritious. Most fast food is cooked in fatty oils. This type of oil contributes to obesity, a leading cause of health problems.

Whole milk is an excellent source of calcium and other nutrients, but it also has a high fat content. As an adult you really don't need whole milk unless you have problems gaining weight. You should drink skim or 1% milk to avoid belly fat and maintain your healthy weight. Low fat milk or 2% milk both have a significant amount of calories and fat. Whole milk has about 9g of fat.

One of your favorite snacks may be giving you belly fat. Most potato chip brands are cooked in hydrogenated oils. This type of oil is called a trans fat. Trans fat is known to increase cholesterol, contribute to heart disease and increase weight. Chips that don't contain hydrogenated oil may have high amounts of fat from other oils they're fried in. There are baked and low fat potato chips on the market that make better choices. However, be aware of the calorie count. High calories still contribute to belly fat.

Pancakes make delicious breakfast items, but they have large amounts of calories and fat. Eating this food is worse when you top it with syrup. Even light pancakes contribute to belly fat. Avoid this food and enjoy whole wheat waffles instead. Whole wheat helps lower belly fat.