The Truth About Burning Stomach Fat
I have found that one of the most common fitness myths involves spot reduction. This where a person tries to burn fat from a specific area by doing exercises on that body part. For example, if you go to any gym, the most popular machines are the abdominal machines. People flock to these contraptions thinking they can directly burn fat from their abdominals just by focusing on that area. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
There are thousands of abdominal products and infomercials that hire fitness models to endorse their products even though they know the lies they are telling. When the body either stores or burns fat it is will decide on its own where the fat is stored/burned. There is nothing that we can do to change that process. The burning feeling that comes from some exercises is not fat being melted away. Instead, this burning sensation is largely cause by lactic acid. Lactic acid is a waste product that is created when the body is using and forming more fuel to keep moving.
In order to trim fat away from your stomach or any other area we have to force our bodies to do what they don’t naturally want to do…..burn fat as a fuel source. For thousands (if not millions) of years our bodies have evolved so that storing and holding onto body fat can be used as an option to guard against times of famine. In the times that we live in many of us never will experience this but our bodies still have this high level of protection. It is so sensitive that even going a little more than 3 hours without eating will start the fat storing process.
For the most part, our bodies are designed to burn carbohydrates and not fat. The brain will only run on carbohydrates. Because of these this, it is not a natural thing for our bodies to begin to burn off fat. This is why dropping weight is such a large task for so many people. In order to burn off unwanted body fat you have to win the battle against your own genetic code.
There are 3,500 calories in 1 pound of body fat. To get your body to burn off 1 pound of fat you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you eat. Every time you do this you will burn 1 pound. If you eat 3,500 more calories than you burn you will gain 1 pound. If you burn 500 more calories than you eat for 1 week you will lose 1 pound of fat. 500 x 7 days = 3,500! This is the secret formula to weight loss.
Some of the basics that can and will help are:
- controlling your portion sizes
- eating protein with each meal/snack
- eating every 2-3 hours
- drinking plenty of water
- avoiding high glycemic foods
- adding regular exercise (cardio and strength training)
There is much more that factors into trimming your midsection (age, gender, hormones etc.) but these are some of the basics that will get you headed in the right direction. Enjoy!
William
Instructor
I have over 10 years of experience from working with clients ranging from weekend warriors to world class athletes. I have taught strength and conditioning at Lincoln University (PA) where my students learned how to incorporate fitness into their everyday lives. While at Lincoln I coached both cross country and track and field. My experience has allowed me to spend time at a major national gym as the Assistant Fitness Director. My ability to construct a complete program that is tailor made to each specific person allows me to get the best results possible from anyone. Each workout is different and challenging enough to produce the desired results, but not so challenging that you become discouraged. I am certified by The National Federation of Professional Trainers and a 13 time NCAA Track & Field All-American. My CPR certification is through The American Safety & Health Institute. Article Source: