This article written by Contributing Writer Chris Lopez.

Your weight workouts are intense and you’re getting better and better with each passing session.

Your interval training sessions leave you dripping with sweat and out of breath.

Your diet is tight and you’re eating all the fruit, vegetables, protein & healthy fats that’s allowed.

Your a health conscious dad setting a good example for your family.

But, when you look in the mirror, you still have that annoying little extra ring around your belly that, no matter what you do, you still can’t lose.

Well, even though exercise and diet are 2 major factors in determining whether or not you get those six-pack abs, there are 3 “not-so-common” factors that could be preventing you from having a shredded physique. Take a look and see if you’ve got these “in check”…

1) Sleep – Speaking from experience, one of the most neglected areas of your life if you’re a busy parent is how much GOOD, QUALITY SLEEP you get on a nightly basis. With a nightly routine of getting dinner on the table, cleaning-up, after school programs or sports, homework, baths and bedtime stories and then “me” time, it’s no wonder that we’re a sleep-deprived society.

Sleep is nature’s way of allowing you to recover and revive your constantly changing & growing cells. Sleep acts as a catalyst to kill off bacteria, cleanse & regenerate your immune system and balance your hormones. Experts even suggest that sleep has an effect more powerful than any over-the-counter pill or potion that you would use to fight off sickness.

When it comes to weight loss, lack of sleep has been shown to decrease levels of Leptin, a hormone that suppresses appetite and increases levels of Grehlin, a hormone that tells your brain that you’re hungry. That said, it’s no wonder that if you’re up past your bedtime, you’re probably eating as well and thus, doing nothing to help your fat loss goals. Lack of sleep will also lead you towards feeling an excessive amount of…

2) Stress – Stress is a funny thing because it is one word that encompasses a myriad of factors in everyday life. Lack of sleep, strained relationships, financial troubles, a job that makes you miserable, a crappy diet, even doing the wrong type of exercise is all stress to your body. Your body, as smart a machine as it is, can only see stress as exactly that – STRESS. It has no ability to differentiate between you not getting along with your wife OR a 60-minute “slog” session on the treadmill. The end product is your body producing an excessive amount of a hormone called cortisol.

Cortisol is Fat Loss Public Enemy #1. Higher than normal levels of Cortisol in your blood is directly related to the storage of BELLY FAT.

So if you’re diet is “dialed-in” and your workouts are efficient and intense and you think you’ve been doing everything right for the past 12-weeks, but you’ve still got that little extra flab around your belly, then it’s time to take a look at your lifestyle and how you can effectively eliminate, alleviate or manage stress. Mind-body exercises like yoga, tai chi & qi gong are excellent forms of stress relief. Simplification through elimination is a great way to get rid of unwanted stressors – simply put, you assess what’s causing you stress in your life and well, eliminate it…quickly, tactfully and without causing you further stress. However, the simplest way that I’ve found to manage stress is through forms of deep breathing and/or meditation.

3) Support – The saying “No man is an island” comes to mind when it comes to having a sound support system in your fat loss efforts. If you’re a parent running a busy household, trying to get in shape and lose fat is pretty hard if you’re husband or wife wants to eat pizza and cheeseburgers every night. It’s important to make sure that you have your immediate support system (ie. The people you live with or spend the most time with) on board with your goals. That doesn’t necessarily have to mean that they have the same goals (although it helps), but that they support you and will hold you accountable to yourself when it comes to making decisions towards those goals.

That’s why communities like FitAndBusyDad.ning.com or TTMembers.com are so effective. You have the support of hundreds of like-minded individuals who share the same goals and, more often than not, have similar life experiences.

Remember, when you’re transforming your body, your entire LIFESTYLE must be altered to create good habits and ensure success. After you create the exercise habit and your diet is solid, tackle the 3 factors mentioned above and you’ll be “beach ready” in no time!

Chris Lopez is a Contributing Writer for Discovering Dad.  His personal site is Fit and Busy Dad Blog. You can also follow him on Twitter @fitandbusydad.

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