Anyone who has ever tried to lose unwanted body fat knows the difficulty of trying to lose those last few, pesky lbs of body fat. While the initial body fat usually comes off quickly, the last bit seems to hang around forever! It can be very frustrating to say the least. To get rid of it requires the right plan of attack, focus, dedication, and persistence.
One of the most common misperceptions is that you can “spot reduce” fat. When people first come into Zen Fitness, I am often asked if I can lower body fat in a particular area such as the abdominals, arms or thighs. The truth of the matter is that you simply cannot spot reduce body fat in any specific area! What that means is that doing sit-ups will not lower body fat in the abdominal area. Doing squats will not lower body fat in your legs. Now, that doesn’t mean you should stop doing these exercises! These exercises build muscle, which in turn contributes to lower body fat. Increasing muscle mass increases metabolism which in turn burns more calories…even while you sleep (YES!!!)! My point is that you cannot control what area you reduce your body fat. The reason being is that where we hold our body fat is based on our genetics. Holding your body fat in your ab area, legs, or arms is coded in our DNA. But, don’t let that get you down!!! The good news is that if you follow the right plan of attack, your body will burn your last bit of unneeded body fat.
So now onto the plan…. It is divided into 3 parts.
DIET- Each part of the plan is important and vital to success… But, I will say that diet is the most important. If you don’t eat the right way, it is next to impossible to out exercise a bad diet. I would estimate that roughly 1 percent of the population can eat whatever they want and still maintain a low body fat… and that is for a limited amount of time in their life. The diet should include lots of plant based whole foods. Veggies, fruit, whole grains, and legumes should be the vast majority of what you eat. If you must have meat, fish is the best option.
RESISTANCE TRAINING-Resistance training builds muscle. And the more muscle you carry, the more calories you burn at rest. 1 lb of muscle burns 50 calories in a day where a lb of fat only burns 9 calories in a day. That is a big difference!! A good strategy is focus on your biggest muscle groups because they carry more muscle and therefore burn more calories as they grow. The body's biggest muscle groups are legs, back, chest, and shoulders.
CARDIO TRAINING-Yes my friends, cardio is a must. Not only does it make for a strong heart and lungs, it is the most effective way to burn calories. And, it releases endorphins to put you in a good mood. What a great deal! Whatever challenges the world puts forth, deal with them after cardio exercise… I promise that whatever you are dealing with will be easier to handle after doing cardio! As far as lowering overall body fat… cardio is a must. What form of cardio is the best? Whichever one you actually do! I prefer running. Running does burn the most calories. But if you prefer biking, then bike! Swimming? Then swim! What calisthenics exercise(bodyweight exercise) burns the most calories? Burpees hahaha(I laugh because burpees are universally hated!).
Be patient! Remember that it does take time to lose bodyfat. Our bodies are not on a weekly schedule like we often think. Fat is burned by cumulative work, so you may not drop the extra weight until 10-14 days after the work is completed. But it will happen. So stay the course!
So, now you know secret to burning body fat and if you stick to the plan, it is guaranteed to work!! It just takes a few changes and some persistence. Time to attack!