4 Tips To Help You With Fat Loss

People often do the same exercises over and over again to shed fat in one specific area. It could be endless crunches for a flatter stomach or dips to lose fat on the back of their arms. Spot fat reduction has been shown to be ineffective in many studies.  

What if I told you that targeting fat loss (also known as spot reduction) in one region alone isn’t worth your time? In fact, it’s not even possible. When you lose weight, you lose fat from different parts of your body, the body parts that lose fat first are mostly based on genetics.

What is the difference between fat loss and weight loss? Body fat, bone, muscle, and water all contribute to your total body weight. Fat loss specifically refers to the amount of body fat you lose during weight loss. In other words, you can’t achieve true fat loss without weight loss. Research suggests that when you lose weight, the regions in your body you are most likely to lose fat from first can depend on your sex or genetics. 

Below are 4 tips that may help you with fat loss; 

  1. Since we cannot spot reduce fat, the only way to ever get those flat abs is to burn body fat overall. For this reason, HIIT workouts, rower, interval running and exercises that work multiple muscle groups simultaneously (like push ups, burpees, squat thrusters etc.) and weight lifting are going to be the most effective fitness strategies for bringing out your six pack because they are the most metabolic. Hours of cardio and hundreds of crunches are not the way forward here.
  2. While there are not foods that literally target body fat, there are foods that can drive the production of certain hormones that can trigger our body to store more fat on our tummy. The two most infamous are cortisol and insulin. Limit your intake of processed sugars and salt, refined flour and alcohol consumption. These changes can go a long way in helping you towards burning off belly fat. Try and stick to a diet that consists of lean protein, whole grains, fruit and vegetables and healthy fats to help you lose fat and tone. Vitamin C may also help inhibit cortisol production. 
  3. Drink water. Contrary to another popular misconception there is no specific amount of water you should ingest. Everyone has different needs based on genetics, activity level, the environment they live in etc. The key is to drink water until your urine looks as clear as lemonade. If it looks like apple juice, keep drinking. The reason this helps flatten your tummy is: hydration can boost fat metabolism by up to 3% and drinking water flushes out excess bloat and water weight you might be holding on to.
  4. Create a calorie deficit, by taking in fewer calories than your body needs to perform its necessary functions. For instance, if you use 2,000 calories today but only take in 1,800, you have a deficit of 200 calories. When a calorie deficit exists, your body gets energy or fuel from stored fat. In this case, stored fat is stored energy. Your body can use it to keep moving instead of using energy from food. When your body burns fat for energy, you lose weight. This is where fasting a couple of times a week can also help. 

 

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.
Take control of your life, rock on!

Until next month, Evie xx

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