Misleading title, but you fell for it! And now here we are…
You know what’s sad? While doing research for this post, all I kept seeing was lies. If you were to Google “How to lose belly fat” I’m sure you’d see all kinds of ads for fat burner supplements, info on super fat burning foods, and maybe some sort of secret exercise move that helps you drop 10 lbs in 3 days. We’ve all done it…bought into a fad that promised us fast and great results, but how many of us actually saw that progress? Chances are none of us did.
There is no secret to getting the “ever desired” 6 pack abs, but very few people are willing to do what it takes. No, it’s not spending hours in the gym focusing on the billion different types of crunches you can do… It’s also not taking the pill that claims it targets belly fat and blasts it into oblivion! The key is having an overall low body fat percentage. If you have less body fat, there is less between your muscles and skin, therefore you achieve muscle definition. It’s as simple as that. Lose body fat.
So, how do you lose body fat? Well, there are many factors that go into this answer, but here are just a few of them:
-Diet
-Weight Lifting
-Cardio
Diet: In order to lose fat, you must be in a calorie deficit. This means you are eating less calories than you’re burning during the day. To find how many calories you should be eating, I recommend talking to a coach, as there are many factors that go into the equation. General guidelines for losing fat include; eat less processed foods, eat less sugary foods, eat more soluble fiber, avoid alcohol, and avoid inflammatory foods. For real, I mean those are BASIC guidelines. For a more in depth look, please do your research and hire a competent coach. (wink wink…little self promotion there…)
Weightlifting: It’s no secret that lifting weights helps to improve strength and muscle growth, but it also aids in fat loss. Muscle is a metabolic tissue. What this means is that it burns more energy than other tissues such as fat. If you lift weights and build muscle, this will result in your muscle using more energy you have consumed (calories). If you can add more muscle mass –or lean body mass– to your body, your metabolism will increase, therefore seeing a loss in body fat. Earlier in this post I mentioned the billion times of crunches or that one secret move that magically slaps a 6 pack onto your midsection. Doing crunches or ab exercises will NOT cause you to loss fat in your midsection. Unfortunately, you cannot “spot check” when it comes to body fat. Doing crunches and effective ab exercises will however strengthen your core and give the muscles shape underneath your belly fat, that way when you actually do lose the fat you will have a more defined midsection. So, continue with your sit-ups and planks because they will help to build a strong core and also help you increase your strength in other exercises that require a strong core, such as squats.
Cardio: When you get your body moving, you burn calories. WOAH, I KNOW…riveting and ground-breaking stuff. The more you move, the more you burn and the bigger calorie deficit you build. Knowing how much cardio and how intense your cardio should be is tough to figure out, so again, hire a competent coach.
I’m sorry that there is no trick to help lose all the fat you’ve accumulated over the past 5 years in a week, but there’s still hope! Losing fat takes time. It takes hard work and dedication. It takes motivation to say no to old habits and to push yourself in the right direction, even when you don’t want to. It’s tough, but the result is worth it. So, clean out your pantry, lift heavy, and get moving; you’ve got work to do!