You’ve probably asked why some fat just refuses to go away no matter what you do. Why are these areas so stubborn?
On this blog, we will go over why those last few pounds on your belly are stubborn and what we should do to get rid of them.
In 2014, I was at my heaviest with 30% body fat, but despite strict efforts, I still couldn't shed my stubborn belly fat. I was doing everything! Calorie deficit, two hours of cardio, HIIT, apple cider vinegar you name it. I lost fat but that last tire around my waste wouldn’t disappear.
After deep research, I found the secret to losing it and succeeded the next year with less effort. My client Tyrell, initially 190lb, struggled with similar stubborn fat but managed to lose 18 lbs when we applied the five techniques I'm about to reveal in this Blog.
Ready to dive into the science behind it? Let’s do it
Imagine each fat cell in your body as a tiny storage unit. When you consume more calories than your body needs to function, those extra calories are stored in these units, causing them to expand and this is how you gain weight.
Conversely, when your body needs more energy than you've consumed, it starts to empty out these storage units, causing them to shrink and this is how you lose weight.
Now, all fat isn't created equal. In your body, you primarily have two types of fat: subcutaneous fat and visceral fat.
Subcutaneous fat is the type you can pinch with your fingers. It's like the stuff in a storage unit that's easy to access - right there under the skin.
On the other hand, Visceral fat is stored deeper in the body, wrapping around your organs. This is the bad stuff. Picture it like items stored away in the basement or attic - harder to get to, and if it builds up too much, it can cause problems.
Abdominal obesity is associated with an increase in both types, but it's particularly linked to an increase in visceral fat.
But here is the big difference: Subcutaneous fat is far more stubborn compared to visceral fat. And there are 3 reasons why subcutaneous fat is more stubborn:
1- Cell Receptors: Our fat cells have two types of receptors: Alpha and Beta. Alpha receptors slow down fat burning, while Beta receptors speed it up. And guess what? Our stubborn belly fat has more Alpha receptors. It's like having more brakes than gas pedals. But don't worry, I've got a way around these stubborn alphas, and I'll share that in this video.
2- Blood Flow: The problem here is that fat around our belly has less blood flow. Think of blood flow as highways for fat to be transported and used as energy in your body. Less blood flow means less highway access. This makes it tough for your body to transport and burn fat in these areas.
3- Insulin Sensitivity: Insulin is a hormone that helps our cells use sugars and promote fat storage. Now, our stubborn belly fat is super sensitive to insulin, meaning it stores fat more and releases it less.
These three reasons collectively explain why fat in the lower midsection of our body can be stubborn and hard to lose.
The important question here is, can you spot reduce fat in this area?
The answer is No, you can not choose a body part and lose the fat only there. Fat loss is not site-specific.
Many people will try to reduce fat in these areas using targeted exercises like leg raises, crunches, and sit-ups. Unfortunately, these exercises only strengthen and tone up your core muscles, they won't directly burn fat from those specific spots. Fat loss occurs systematically throughout the body as a whole, rather than in isolated regions.
So let’s get into the most effective steps to get rid of your lower stubborn fat for good:
STEP 1: CALORIC DEFICIT
To lose any kind of fat and especially that lower belly fat, it’s the first rule, you need to be in a calorie deficit diet. This is where the total calories burned each day outweighs the calories you consume from food and drink.
There are three ways to create a deficit:
1. Reduce your calorie intake (diet)
2. Increase your calorie output (exercise)
3. Reduce your calorie intake (diet) and increase your calorie output (exercise)
The third option makes the most sense, as you can create a bigger deficit without having to diet or exercise too intensively.
The main reason why no one ever loses their lower belly fat is because they don’t manage to ever stay in a caloric deficit, and most importantly they don’t stay in a caloric deficit for enough time.
How to create a caloric deficit?
You need to calculate your maintenance calorie first, once you know your maintenance calorie intake, you can create a deficit by subtracting 250-500 calories from this number.
Here is what I need you to do:
Go on Chat Gpt and put in your age, gender, height, and level of daily activity and you will have your maintenance calorie.
Now, I recommend you create a calorie deficit by a combination of diet and exercise.
Eat 250-300 fewer calories than your maintenance per day while doing a form of exercise like weight lifting or walking. The diet needs to be balanced in terms of macronutrients and the recommended daily protein should be met. And if you can incorporate intermittent fasting into it, it will be better.
Keep in mind it is smart to stay within a moderate deficit at first. Because creating too large of a caloric deficit can lead to muscle mass loss and giving up early on. You can create a bigger deficit after 3-4 weeks once you get more comfortable with the current one. The goal here is to make the diet as healthy and as sustainable as possible.
STEP 2: INCREASE PROTEIN INTAKE
Protein can boost fat loss in many ways:
First, because of its high satiety, it keeps you full for longer
Second protein is more metabolically active, meaning your body burns more calories digesting protein compared to carbs and fat, so it can boost your metabolism
Third, it helps you build lean muscle tissues that can further boost your metabolism.
So how much protein to take?
If you are on a caloric deficit, a protein intake of 0.72-1 grams per pound of body weight is recommended.
That means, if you are 200 pounds, you need to take in the range of 144-200g/Day.
I recommend going as high as 1.3-1.5g of protein per lb of body weight if you are weight lifting while trying to lose fat
This way you will be losing fat and maintaining or gaining muscles simultaneously.
STEP 3: WALKING; THE CARDIO ACCELERATOR
You might be surprised to know that in lower-intensity activities like walking or slow jogging, your body uses more fat as fuel as compared to running. Yes, you heard me right! This is known as the "fat-burning zone."
As you can see on the graph, the higher the intensity of the workout, the more your body relies on glucose for energy.
If you aren’t doing any kind of cardio at the moment, I recommend you start with walking or jogging for 8000 steps a day and gradually increase up to 10,000 over a few weeks. This is one of the main strategies I use with my clients.
8k steps a day burns between 220-600 calories depending on how much you weigh.
So, here is my recommendation for your main form of cardio. It can be done anywhere and it is not very physically demanding.
STEP 4: INTERMITTENT FASTING
This is one the most popular diet trend for a reason, it works very well for everyone and it is simple.
There are many ways to do it but I will explain the most common one which is a daily 16-hour fast followed by an 8-hour eating window.
Many studies have shown that IF is an effective strategy for weight loss and stubborn fat (1). But how does this help to burn fat?
1. When you fast for 16 hours, it induces significant hormonal changes that further aid in weight loss. It's like flipping a switch in your body.
Fasting improves insulin sensitivity and decreases insulin levels in your bloodstream, this will make the fat cells more accessible to burn. Additionally, fasting also leads to a great surge in growth hormone that further aids fat loss and building muscle mass. (2)
Apart from its effect on insulin and GH, fasting also increases the release of a fat-burning hormone called norepinephrine to provide energy for your cells by breaking down fat.
2. Secondly, when you reduce the window in which you eat, you often end up eating fewer meals. This, in turn, can automatically lead to a reduction in your overall calorie intake, which is the number 1 rule of fat loss.
STEP 5: CUT BACK ON SIMPLE CARBS
Simple carbohydrates, or high-glycemic carbs like surgery drinks, sweets, pastries, and candies are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, causing a rapid increase in blood sugar. This spike prompts the pancreas to produce insulin to bring blood sugar levels back down. As we mentioned earlier, Insulin also promotes the storage of fat, and when it's consistently high, it can make fat loss more difficult, especially around the belly region.
Additionally, because simple carbs are quickly digested, they do not provide the same level of satiety as complex carbs or proteins. So, to promote stubborn fat loss, replacing simple carbs with complex carbs, proteins, and healthy fats can be a great strategy.
Remember patience and consistency is as important as these steps. The goal is not just losing stubborn fat but also building a lifestyle that promotes long-term health, well-being, and a positive relationship with your body.