I hope this can help those who are struggling with losing that stubborn fat. The weight loss journey is one that is meant to last a lifetime. Consistency and execution will always be the overhead factors that make any healthy lifestyle work. Remember to stick to it. There will be many days when we do not see the results we want. You will be tired, you will be hungry, and you will get frustrated. Just remember, there is an end to this ladder we all climb. How consistent you are determines how many steps you have until you reach the top. Keep at it, my friends.
Belly fat is really easy to gain and often the hardest area to lose. There are actually two types: there's that annoying belly fat we all know that covers your abs but there's also a more dangerous type of belly fat stored within your organs known as visceral fat. Visceral fat can create serious health problems so to find the most effective way to get rid of both types of belly fat here's some information from five of the world's most qualified scientists. They came up with five easy steps anyone can start doing today to lose belly fat.
So why is stored belly fat so difficult to lose? For the first and most important step, Layne Norton, a scientific researcher and champion powerlifter had this to say about belly fat:
"There is research showing that exercise can reduce visceral fat without actually causing weight loss. So it is a good idea to exercise in general, but specific exercises are not going to target preferentially belly fat. The real key to losing belly fat is just getting into a caloric deficit consistently and doing it for long enough."
How do you create a calorie deficit? Well, diet. That’s where our next expert Alan Aragon comes in. Alan suggests coming up with a list of your 20 favorite foods by picking 3 foods in each of the 6 food groups. These groups are high protein, fat, fibrous vegetables, starch, milk, and fruits. Now, making up the difference with 2 "YOLO" foods. These are foods that are generally frowned upon in the diet such as alcohol, brownies, cookies, etc. The idea behind this is if a diet plan is too strict or includes many foods you're not used to eating/don't enjoy, adherence to the new lifestyle will be harder.
Alan shares an interesting finding: when calories are matched, hypercaloric diets high in saturated fats may cause greater gains in visceral and ectopic fat than those high in polyunsaturated fats.
Now, let's talk about the right type of “belly fat workout” to do to help you avoid regaining belly fat as soon as your diet is over. The simple answer is: just exercise. To explain this is Eric Trexler, pro natural bodybuilder and published scientist with a Ph.D. in Human Movement Science. Eric explains that there are some major benefits of resistance training or lifting weights, To reduce muscle mass loss, which helps with better muscle definition and appetite regulation if you're trying to lose belly fat and really if you're just trying to lose fat in general.
However, those who were subjected to cardio-based training programs often come out less "defined" and more "skinny" than those who incorporate resistance training in their regiment. Eric reminds us that cardio can be a really helpful thing in keeping your expenditure higher when that non-exercise activity starts to go down over time. NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) is normally the second biggest contender to burning calories in our days. Everything that gets you moving — i.e., including NEAT — counts. This number will decrease over time while in a calorie deficit so cardio helps expedite more calories when this occurs.
Even with nutrition nailed down, there’s an overlooked variable when it comes to how to lose belly fat. What is it? Sleep. Explained by Exercise Science professor Bill Campbell. Bill shared about a recent study that suggests that there may be a link to sleep restriction leading to overeating, which causes a gain in body fat that is preferentially stored in the belly region.
In this study, two groups of healthy men and women were set to sleep 4 and 9 hours nightly. Those who slept less, had a higher calorie intake, more body fat gains, and even gained 11% more visceral fat on average after the study concluded than those who slept 9 hours. So I would suggest that you get about seven hours per night. Note that sleep matters regardless of whether you’re in a calorie deficit or not. More specifically, one study suggests that lack of sleep alone may in fact lead to more muscle loss and less fat loss during a diet.
So you now know how to get rid of your stubborn belly fat. But there’s one more thing you need. Laurin Conlin, an IFBB Bikini Pro and exercise coach helps explain that it's important to recognize that unless genetically you have little body fat on your abs and core area, you will probably need to get leaner than you'd think to lose belly fat.
Second, take multiple measures of progress. You can use scale, weight, and measurements as quantitative feedback. Meaning numbers-based measurable feedback. But this doesn't tell the whole story.
We also wanna look at qualitative feedback such as how your clothes are fitting, how you're looking, and how much better you're feeling. This is much more important anyways when it comes to adopting a new and healthier lifestyle.
Lastly, be patient and recognize that you're usually quitting right before it gets good. It doesn't matter how perfect your program is, unless you remain consistent, you are short-changing yourself and your results.
Oh and as always:
Protein, protein, protein
Water, water, water
-Your Favorite Trainer
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