If you lose weight, does that automatically mean you will lose belly fat? We’re talking here about that subcutaneous fat which is what you can pinch between your fingers. While it’s important to lose both that fat plus the visceral fat (the more dangerous fat that surrounds your internal organs) the subcutaneous fat is visible and easy to measure. It’s also easy to hate because it’s what we see when we look in the mirror. The answer is, if you lose enough weight you will definitely lose belly fat.
I wish I could tell you that there is a magic prescription for targeting your weight loss to a specific portion of your body. The reality is that weight loss will take place only when there is a significant calorie deficit and there’s no sure fire way to target weight loss to a specific area. In order to lose belly fat, we have to adopt a lifestyle that reduces overall body fat.
Here’s the not-so-short list of things “to do”:
Eat plenty of lean protein – At every meal include either Greek yogurt, fish, poultry or beans. These foods help maintain muscle mass plus increase metabolism.
Eat lots of fiber … soluble fiber – These include citrus fruits, oats, beans (again with the beans!) and flaxseeds. Soluble fiber tends to target lower visceral fat accumulation which is very good news for most of us.
Eat healthy fats – As we see from the Mediterranean Diet, avocado, olive oil, nuts, seeds and fatty fish are great sources for healthy fat. Remember that we digest fat more slowly than protein or carbs so these healthy fats should keep the hunger pangs at bay longer.
Build muscle through strength training – According to my research, experts recommend either lifting weights or doing body resistance training a minimum of 2 and preferably more times per week. Muscle helps burn more calories even when we’re resting.
Regular cardio – On a weekly basis, you’ll need around 2.5 hours of moderate cardio activity like brisk walking or swimming or 1.25 hours of vigorous activity like jogging. You might consider interval training where short periods of intense activity alternate with more moderate activity. The idea is to get that heart rate up and keep it up. To combine resistance with cardio consider putting the treadmill on an incline, using a rowing machine (uses 86% of your muscles … wow!), or water walking which gives great resistance and helps build muscles.
Consult your own physician to determine your personal target heart rate and have your physician define how long and how often that rate should be maintained. I recently had a friend who is approaching 80 tell me her cardiologist told her to try to get to 140 BPM. That seems way to high to me for someone that age so, luckily, she’s checking other sources before attempting such an aggressive heart rate.
Get 7 to 9 hours of healthy sleep every night – We all suffer from occasional periods when we just can’t get good sleep for a long enough period. Studies show that if you consistently get less than 5 hours of sleep a night, it tends to lead to an accumulation of belly fat. If you have trouble sleeping, see one of our previous blogs with some helpful tips. Try not to stress about it because, as we all know, stress leads to insomnia which leads to …… the list goes on.
Mediate or journal to reduce stress – Stress triggers a hormone called cortisol which signals the body to store fat. Meditation, a sound bath, yoga, listening to soothing music, spending time in nature, finding a quiet place every day to just breathe … all of these can help reduce your stress levels, reducing your cortisol levels and allowing your body to release fat it really does not need.
Here’s the much shorter list of things “not to do”:
Avoid excessive planks and ab workouts – While building abdominal muscles and improving posture are both great, these are not exercises that will burn the belly fat sitting on top of those muscles. Do enough to help with your overall fitness, but don’t think that the belly fat will burn off as a direct result of abdominal exercise.
Avoid alcohol, sugary drinks, processed foods and refined carbohydrates – No need to further elaborate here. We all know that this list of “bad” foods is neither healthy nor helpful in achieving calorie deficits.
As I read through this list, I realize there is nothing really new here. The list of things to do is much longer than the list of things not to do. Maybe pick 3 you can conquer this week and then add one a week until you get to a better place. We’re super women, but not SuperGirl. We’re only human and as such we each have different limits. If you can’t handle 3, pick 1 and start there, building toward your fat loss goal every week. And I’ve learned through my long journey to less, give yourself grace and praise for making good choices whenever you can.