“How do I lose belly fat?”
This has to be the most frequently asked diet and fitness question on the Internet.
And it’s the number one question because of the number one goal people usually have when they set out to lose weight – to have a slim waist and a flat stomach with visible abs.
To answer the question, first let’s dispel some myths and misinformation.
- Myth 1 – You can lose belly fat by doing sit-ups
- Myth 2 – You can lose belly fat by buying an ab exercise machine
- Myth 3 – You can lose belly fat using an electronic muscle stimulator
- Myth 4 – You can lose belly fat by applying a patch
- Myth 5 – You can lose belly fat by taking a special supplement
All of these myths are based on the theory you can ‘spot’ reduce fat. Unfortunately, this is not the case. It is impossible to choose where on your body you want fat to be reduced. You just have to accept that nature has a preference for the order in which it stores fat around your body – and the belly is usually the first place fat is gained and the last place it comes off.
Thousands of sit-ups, crunches or any other ab exercises you can think of won’t burn belly fat. All they do is stimulate your abdominal muscles which lie under that layer of stomach fat you hate so much. Training those muscles just causes them to increase in size, which can actually make you look even fatter. They don’t help reduce the layer of fat that lies over the muscles.
How DO you lose belly fat?
The answer is simple. You must work on reducing your overall body fat percentage by creating a calorie deficit every day – that means you are using more energy by being active than you are eating. Nature and your DNA will decide which areas of your body and in what order the fat is lost.
The good news is that in just a few short weeks of dieting you can expect your waist to have reduced in size. If you want visible abs then you need to continue reducing your body fat until the thickness of the layer of fat covering them is very small. This usually happens when you reach 10% body fat for men, 14% for women.
So stop wasting your time doing thousands of crunches, buying expensive exercise equipment or hoping for a miracle ‘stomach fat loss’ pill. Instead focus your efforts on learning the fundamentals of diet and exercise, and then put together an action plan to fit the fat loss strategies into your life.
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