No, You Can’t Just Target Belly Fat (But Less Calories & More Exercise Will)

If you’re trying to just target belly fat for weight loss, you’re going to be disappointed. We’ve all done it. We’ve all looked at ourselves in the mirror, and thought about how to lose belly fat in that area alone.  Yet the sad truth is targeting specific areas is a myth.

The only thing you can do is reduce your total body fat percentage. And the only way to do that is by burning stored fat for fuel instead of glycogen, which is what your body primarily uses because it’s easier to locate and easier to burn for energy.

The main proof of this is that any and all types of workouts target muscles, and not the fat covering those muscles. So now that we’ve got that cleared up, how do we lose the fat from certain areas of our body?

Don’t Just Target Belly Fat, Target All Stored Fat

Stored fat requires your body to work a little bit hard to extract and burn. However, that’s a good thing because it means you’ll lose fats and calories quicker. The trick to this, however, is to consume less calories than you burn. This creates a deficit of calories and makes your body head to your own stored body fat as its source of energy.

Your body requires a certain amount of calories that is specific to your age, height, weight, among other factors. You need these calories to do just about any type of activity you can think of (moving, exercising, etc.) and many you don’t even think about (digesting, breathing, thinking, etc.).

Why You Can’t Just Burn Fat Around The Waist

If you eat more calories than you need, they will be stored as body fat to be used later. Once you’ve reached this stage, you can’t decide to target belly fat, or any part of your body, to lose unwanted fat first. That has been preset and programmed by your genetics. Men tend to lose fat from their lower abs last, while women lose fat from their hips and thighs last. There is nothing you can do to change that. However, you can still enjoy good health and a fit body by understanding what fat is and how you can get rid of it once and for all.

The 2 Parts Of Burning Your Stored Fat

The process of burning your stored fat is broken down into 2 parts:

1. Lipolysis: when fat cells release the fatty acids (molecules of stored energy) into the blood stream via the help of certain chemicals called catecholamines.
2. Oxidation: where cells utilize fatty acids, thus burning them for fuel

Sounds simple, right? However, there’s a catch: not all fat cells are created equal. Some simply don’t respond to the chemicals and refrain from releasing the fatty acid deposits within them.

You’ve probably figured out by now that most of these stubborn fat cells are located in well-known areas as thighs, hips and abdomen, especially the lower abdomen.

How To Get Rid Of That Stubborn Fat

But don’t lose hope just yet. You can still get rid of that stubborn fat by following these tips:

1. Maintain A Moderate Calorie Deficit

Take your time and design a proper, balanced diet that you can live with for the long-term. Permanent fat loss is about a lifestyle change. It’s the only way to ensure that you’re consuming fewer calories than what you’re burning. Aim for a 20–25% calorie deficit by eating about 750 less calories than you normally burn on a daily basis. To maximize fat loss and minimize muscle loss, eat enough protein and start to exercise to target belly fat. This includes weight lifting to lose belly fat as well as integrating cardio workouts.

2. Exercise Regularly

Any type of activity that gets your heart pumping is good for you. One of the most popular exercises to lose belly fat for women is high-intensity interval training (HIIT). This training style switches back and forth between short intervals of low-intensity to slightly longer intervals of all-out intensity. Studies show that HIIT is more effective for fat loss than the traditional steady-state cardio because it enhances your muscles’ ability to burn fat for fuel while boosting catecholamine levels. Another added bonus is that it increases your metabolic rate for up to 24 – 72 hours after you finish your workout, so you keep burning fat and calories longer.

3. Combine Both

Your body goes through a continuous cycle of “fed” and “fasted” states throughout the day. When you eat, insulin levels rise in order to absorb nutrients, then either break them down or store them. This state usually lasts anywhere from 3 – 6 hours, depending on what you’ve eaten.

After that, you enter a “fasted” state when insulin drops to its baseline level. One critical fact that many people may not know is that working out in this state could be the most powerful tool to get rid of stubborn fat. The reason why this time is optimal is that lipolysis and fat oxidation rates increase significantly. In addition, during this time, blood flow increases in the abdominal regions, which make fat cells, burn easier.

Another advantage is that the first 30 minutes after a workout is when your body best absorbs nutrients. So remember to eat a ratio of 3:1 carbohydrates to protein after your workouts to replenish glycogen levels. In addition, carbs and the amino acids in protein will diminish soreness from your muscles and help them recuperate.

How To Lose Stomach Fat For Women

Men and women don’t lose fat the same way – even when using the same methods. Men lose fat faster than a woman because their muscle mass plays into how fast their metabolism works. It doesn’t seem fair, but that’s the way it is.  Your metabolism is what burns your calorie intake. So, depending on how fast or slow your metabolism rate is, you’ll either burn calories quickly – or you won’t. This ‘Women Only’ video presentation reveals a breakthrough discovery that boosts a woman’s metabolism to help target belly fat faster and easier than you ever thought possible.