The spot reduction myth

As a personal trainer, i can’t count the number of times a client has asked me “How do i lose weight from my stomach/thighs/arms/butt?”. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as ‘spot reduction’ – you can’t choose the area of the body from which you will lose fat. (Wouldn’t that be nice!)

Your body will usually burn fat from the areas where you tend to gain excess fat (i.e. those who notice weight gain on their thighs will often lose it from here too).

To reduce body fat in any area, a combination of regular exercise and healthy eating is the way to go. Weight loss may not be immediately noticeable in the desired area, but should eventually be apparent all over the body.

Many people believe that doing thousands of sit ups will help to lose fat from the stomach to reveal washboard abs. This is sadly not the case. Although abdominal exercises will build and define the area, they will do little to shed the body fat covering it. However, there are several things that have been suggested to help to avoid gaining body fat in the mid-section or stomach area. These include avoiding refined carbohydrates, sugar and alcohol; limiting caffeine intake, and ensuring you get sufficient sleep and avoid stress (as these factors effect your cortisol levels which in turn influence metabolism and body fat storage).

The most important thing to remember is to choose healthy, nutritious foods in moderation and to enjoy regular exercise!