Your Guide to Losing that Stubborn Belly Fat.
Reading time of this article: 5 to 8 minutes
If you are currently trying to lose weight, read this.
If you want to help a family member or friend lose weight, read this.
If you have tried countless diets and have not been successful, read this.
If you have ever blamed your hormones for not being able to lose weight, read this.
If you need to lose weight, read this.
This post is for you.
Did you know that the areas in which we store body fat are predetermined by genetics?
We cannot choose at will as to where we lose the most fat on our bodies.
This means “spot reduction” is an old school myth.
In other words, the proximity of fat to the exercise you are doing does not matter.
You will not get a six-pack just by doing ab crunches.
You will not directly burn leg fat just by doing squats.
Sadly, “Spot reduction” is still marketed today by the fitness industry.
For the money, of course.
So why is belly fat so stubborn to lose?
Honestly, I don’t know the science behind it. I really don’t care.
The fact is, the areas in which we store more or less body fat are predetermined by genetics.
From what I have seen, many people store a high percentage of their total body fat in their midsection.
Everyone wants a six-pack. Which makes what I’m about to tell you unfortunate.
If you are one of the unlucky ones who store most of your fat in the abdominal and hip areas, it is likely that you will lose fat in those areas last in your weight loss journey.
Because… the only way to target fat loss in a specific part of your body is to lower your overall body fat percentage.
“Okay Luciano, so how do I lower my overall body fat percentage?”
Great question, here’s how to do it:
1. Eat more protein
Including more protein-rich foods in your diet is an effective way to suppress your appetite, build lean body mass (muscle) and burn more calories.
Protein provides a greater feeling of fullness than carbs and fats.
There’s something known as the thermic effect of food, which can be defined as the number of calories burned via the digestive process.
Note: Calories are a unit used to measure energy. You can replace the word “Calorie” with “Energy”, as in our body uses calories for energy to do things. Such as digest food, move around, raise our arms up, and literally any other activity.
The number of calories burnt through the digestive process varies by macronutrient. About 20-30% of protein calories are burned while the body is digesting and metabolizing protein.
Only 5-15% of calories coming from carbs and fats are burned through the digestive process.
So yes, given the same total calorie intake, a high-protein diet will burn MORE calories than a low-protein diet. IT’S LIKE DOING CARDIO WITHOUT DOING CARDIO. A high-protein diet will also help build and/or retain more muscle mass in the process.
Tip: If you ever stall out during a weight loss program, consider trying this as an alternative to decreasing total daily calorie intake:
Keep calorie intake the same by lowering carbohydrates and fats, and increasing protein intake.
Note: You CAN build muscle while in a calorie deficit, but, your muscle-building capability depends on the size of your deficit and how lean you are.
(i.e. someone with 40% body fat with a goal of getting to 20% body fat will have an easier time building muscle while losing fat compared to someone with 15% body fat with a goal of getting to 10% body fat.)
2. Put Yourself in a Calorie Deficit
The calories you burn or expend in a day, known as calorie expenditure include the following four components:
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) - also known as your metabolism is the number of calories required in order to keep your body functioning at rest. Since muscle requires more maintenance/energy from your body than fat, your BMR will increase as a result of getting stronger and gaining muscle mass.
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) - unintentional exercise (i.e. petting your animal, walking to the bathroom, clapping your hands, painting, fidgeting, etc.)
Physical Activity - cardio, sports, lifting weights, walking with the intent of burning calories, etc.
Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) - calories burned through the digestive process.
You will lose weight if you are in a calorie deficit over an extended period of time. This can be achieved by either eating fewer calories and/or increasing energy expenditure via exercise.
Whenever you take in less energy than your body needs, your body will use its own resources (body fat and muscle tissue) as a remaining source of fuel. Doing so consistently for a long period of time will result in weight loss.
On the contrary, if you take in more energy than your body needs, your body will store those excess calories as body fat. This is called a calorie surplus.
Everyone’s TDEE is different. But, for simplicity’s sake…
You have an average total daily energy expenditure of 2,300 calories.
If your body requires 2,300 calories in order to function and maintain its current weight, but you lower your calorie intake to 1,800 calories, it does not change the fact that your body still requires 2,300 calories.
Note: Generally, as your physique changes, your metabolism adapts to the lower calorie intake, as a natural survival mechanism in order to hold on to more body fat. If you end up stalled out, you will need to either decrease calorie intake or increase calories burned to continue making progress.
Your body will say “hold up, I need 500 more calories.” In an effort to combat the calorie deficit, your body will start to burn calories that come from body fat, as energy.
That’s right. Body fat IS made up of calories.
In fact, a pound of body fat is approximately 3,500 calories.
What this means is…
If you are consistently in an average daily calorie deficit of -500 calories every day for 12 weeks, you should expect to lose somewhere around 12 pounds.
Quick math:
500 calories x 7 days = 3,500 calories (1 pound)
12 weeks (84 days) x 500 calories = 42,000 calories (12 pounds)
So, how many calories should I be eating?
The absolute best way to know is by tracking your daily calorie intake and weighing yourself on the scale frequently. If you aren’t losing any weight within a couple of weeks, you either need to increase your energy expenditure (i.e. more cardio, more protein) OR decrease total calorie intake.
I know… I know… most people hate frequent scale measurements. But, if we just think of those measurements as data points there would be less stress with weight fluctuations.
My favorite app to use is called mike’s macros, and it’s available on iPhone and Android. The app will also give you a personal estimate of how many calories you should be eating in order to hit your goals.
Do you have any questions? Ask me anything using the contact page and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
or email me at Luciano.Capitano.Coach@gmail.com
3. Switch to Lower Calorie Dense Foods
You love cheeseburgers.
Here is a recipe:
Beef Cheese Burgers w/ Side Veggies // 2 Hamburg Buns (Up to 140 Calories Each Bun) (8p, 52c, 4f) + 224g 95% Lean Ground Beef (Weighed Uncooked) (48p, 0c, 12f) + 1 Slice Only 2% American Cheese Singles (4p, 2c, 3f) + 2 Slices Tomato + Lettuce + No More Than 125g Onion + Ketchup (or any sauce of your choice) (Sugar Free OR Reduced Sugar - No More Than 50 Calories Worth) + 300g Broccoli (9p, 20c, 1f) = (69p, 74c, 20f) [752 Calories + 50 Calories From Sauce]
You’ll notice that I’ve put together this recipe with low-calorie options. 95% lean ground beef, 2% American cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, onion, and sugar-free ketchup. Something as calorically dense as a cheeseburger should always be accompanied by a side of nutritious vegetables.
You love French toast and pancakes.
Here is a recipe:
“Muscle French Toast” // 4 Egg Whites (14p, 0c, 0f) + 1 Egg Yolk (3p, 0c, 5f) + 2 Slices Whole Wheat Bread (5p, 25c, 2f) + 140g Blueberries (1p, 17c, 1f) + 170g Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt (18p, 6c, 0f) + Walden Farms Pancake Syrup (or any zero calorie syrup) + Cinnamon (Optional) = (41p, 48c, 8f) [428 Calories]
This recipe proves that you CAN eat delicious foods and lose weight.
You love stir fry.
Here is a recipe:
Chicken Stir Fry // 5oz (Weighed Cooked) Chicken Breast (42p, 0c, 11f) + 170g Wegmans Frozen Stir Fry Blend (Any Frozen Blend) (2p, 10c, 0f) + Added Onion (Optional) + Added Broccoli (Optional) + 56g Rice Noodle (4p, 45c, 0f) + Tsang Szechuan Spicy Stir Fry Sauce (No More Than 100 Calories Worth) (0p, 16c, 2f) + 3 Egg Whites (11p, 0c, 0f) = (59p, 71c, 13f) [637 Calories]
Stir fry is one of my favorite ways to eat vegetables and lean protein sources, like chicken breast because it’s extremely easy to cook and tastes amazing.
You love ice cream.
These Yasso greek yogurt bars are only 100 calories each and they don’t have a chalky texture like most other low-calorie ice creams.
In comparison, one pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream has 1,400 calories.
I personally design each recipe for my clients based on enjoyed food, preferred meal frequency, and optimal calorie and macronutrient distribution. You can click here to learn more about my custom nutrition plans for fat loss and muscle gain.
4. Lift Weights
Do you want more muscle definition?
Assuming your answer is “yes, of course…”
You SHOULD be strength training, even while in a calorie deficit.
Even though your main goal is fat loss, you don’t want to spend all of your time doing just cardio.
Resistance training offers two big fat loss benefits.
Helps build and/or preserve muscle and strength while in a calorie deficit.
Since muscle requires more energy from your body to maintain than body fat, having muscle mass will make it easier to stay lean year-round without as much calorie restriction.
The higher your body fat percentage is, the easier it will be to gain muscle in a deficit. As you get leaner, it will be more difficult to make muscle gains, especially for a person who has been an experienced lifter for a long time.
So, as you get leaner, your goal will shift from gaining muscle to preserving muscle while in a calorie deficit.
The Bottom Line on Losing Belly Fat
Millions of people go through many different types of diets, workout programs, and supplements that don’t seem to give results that were expected.
The fitness industry tries to push their own fat loss “secrets” in order to make a profit. It shouldn’t be this way.
Combine your gym efforts with a healthy diet, preferably one where you count your macros and you WILL see incredible changes to your body.
