Over the years of working with hundreds of clients in our Nutrition Program, clients have come in asking how to lose fat in specific areas. Usually they are pointing at their hips, their waist, or that “flabby” skin hanging from their triceps. We all want a six pack, but it’s not as easy as just pointing to the spot and snapping your fingers.
The truth is, spot reduction is a myth that fitness and nutrition fads will use to sell you their “miracle” program. In the real world, it doesn’t quite work like that. While we can use fitness and nutrition to decrease our overall body fat, it’s not up to you where your body takes it from first!
But, great news! Here are some things you can do to control the fat your body burns!
Under The Covers
We hear a lot about wanting to look lean, and toned. And admittedly, that’s probably in the top three goals we hear during our No Sweat Intros. It’s a common belief that if we can burn all this fat away, it will reveal these chiselled abs, and lean arms. And while that may be true, the important part that is often overlooked is the muscle building required to produce that layer underneath.
Exercise and nutrition are a great combination to burn that fat layer, but if we aren’t strength training to replace that fat with muscle tissue, that “toned” definition you are looking for won’t be there. If want a six pack, yes you need to do some isolation exercises to produce that muscle tissue – but what works equally as great is compound movements that require the whole body to brace and stabilize itself while moving a heavy load. Think: Overhead Squats. Perfect movement to produce that turtle shell you’re looking for.
So burn that fat, but replace that fat with muscle tissue so you have something to show off!
Keep The Fire Burning
Strength training is also imperative to our fat loss goals because it has a better bang for its buck. The metabolic hit from an intense strength session will last far longer than spending twenty minutes running on the treadmill. While you carry on with your day, your body is still burning calories at a higher rate, for longer periods of time. Not a bad deal, right?
Add Some Gasoline To That Fire
You’ve sat down during your No Sweat Intro and you’ve decided that you want to get that lean look. We’ve discussed now that strength training is imperative to that goal. The detail – arguably the most important detail – is now what you do with your diet. If you can commit to a structured and precise diet plan to go along with your fitness program, you’ve essentially just dumped a can of gasoline on your already smouldering fire. Prepare to take it to the next level.
You can’t outwork a bad diet. You can’t even outwork a relatively “clean” (what even defines that?) diet. If we’re not taking in the proper amount of calories, in the right macronutrient profiles, your progress will be a lot slower. Even making the slightest of changes can make an impactful difference right off the start. But the internet is full of SO much information, it’s hard to know where you should start. It’s overwhelming.
That’s why you need a coach. Someone to guide you. Our coaches will work with you to help determine what the best structure is for you to help you be the most successful. We know that nutrition is the biggest piece of this equation when we are trying to lose body fat. Don’t leave it up to the internet to tell you what’s the newest or best diet out there. Chances are it’s not the one that will help you be successful.
I’m Doing All These Things But It’s Still Not Working
Sometimes that happens. Some days it feels like you’ve got all your ducks in a row, and you should be miles ahead of where you are currently. Progress should be slow, and that’s how it stays sustainable. Why do all the hard work if you’re just going to pile it back on as soon as you decide you’re done?
And even if you are truly committing to your diet and exercise 100%, there’s always factors underneath that might be above you. This is where your Coach comes in. Together, your coach and you will discuss things like hormones, sleep patterns and quality, lifestyle factors like stress, recovery, mindset .. all of these variables that the average human being might not think to include as being part of their nutrition program.
The First Step Is Always Asking For Help
It’s great that you have a goal, and that you’ve identified some areas you’d like to work on. Goals are important. They’re stepping stones. Try not to go into this blindly though. Our Coaches are professionals, and they’re trained to help solve your problems. Let us take the guesswork out of it for you. Schedule yourself in for a FREE Nutrition Intro. It’s the first step, and it’s only a conversation!
