Have you ever wondered why is it significantly harder to lose fat from some spots? I’m talking about belly, love handles and thighs. In this article we shall discuss How To Lose Stubborn Belly Fat Fast.
Explain Lose Stubborn Belly Fat
Now let me show you with a diagram what is a stubborn fat cell. Now this here is a fat cell. It usually has a nuclear, mitochondria, cytoplasm and a fat reservoir.
What type of Exercise, Supplements and Diet
Not all fat cells are the same. We have different types of fat cells in our body. This fat distribution is actually an evolutionary mechanism. Females accurate stubborn fat over their hips and thighs Whereas men accumulate stubborn fat over their belly and love handles to protect their internal organs.
Now let me show you with a diagram what is a stubborn fat cell. Now this here is a fat cell. It usually has a nuclear, mitochondria, cytoplasm and a fat reservoir.
The fat reservoir can change in size when you lose or gain weight. When you’re losing weight, your body secretes a bunch of fat burning hormones.
Hormones are message carriers that carry certain signals ad messages to certain parts of your body organs.Each fat cell has a bunch of androgenic receptors on their surface called alpha 2 and beta 2 receptors.
These receptors read the hormone signals and react accordingly. If a fat cell has more beta receptors than alpha receptor then the fat is mobilised more easily, This is because beta receptors promote lipolysis.
A fat cell with more beta receptors tends to burn easily, But a fat cell with more alpha 2 receptors is more ‘stubborn’ in nature. This is because alpha receptors can inhibit fat acid mobilisation.
These alpha receptors can be predominantly found on your belly, love handles and thighs.That is why it is harder to get rid of fat from these areas.
How do we get rid of this stubborn fat?
You lose fat from these areas at the very end but it also comes back first.
So now how do we get rid of this stubborn fat? You need to accept that it will take time. It takes years to get out of shape. So make sure you are ready to be patient.
Point 1: Add more protein in your diet
A study conducted in 2018 took resistance trained females and split them into two groups.Resistance trained meaning they were regular weight lifters.
- Out of the two groups, group A followed a high protein diet with 2.5g of protein/ KG bodyweight.
- And group B followed a low protein diet with only 0.9g of protein / KG bodyweight.
The high protein group was also on a 250 calorie surplus and the entire surplus of calories was through protein.
So they were consuming 60g extra protein. The low protein group was on a calorie deficit. After 8 weeks of training, the results will shock you. The high protein group lost 2% body fat while increasing 2.1 KG muscle mass while being on a calorie surplus.
So a protein rich diet helped them lose fat and build muscle. Whereas the low protein group only lost 1% body fat while gaining 0.6 kg muscle.
So the takeaway from this study is that most of us will benefit by increasing our daily protein intake. I recommend upto 1g of protein per cm height. So if you are 183 cm tall, you will consume 183g of protein.
Lower your calories from carbs and fats and increase your calories from protein.
- Protein has a muscle-sparing effect.
- Protein is more satiating.
- And protein burns more calories while digesting.
So increase your protein intake and notice how your body composition begins to change. You can add more protein via meat and eggs or through whey protein supplements.
MuscleBlaze Biozyme Iso-zero
You get 27-28g of high quality protein per serving. You can use biozyme whey during your fat loss journey as well. Biozyme whey is low in calories and tastes amazing.
Do fat burners help?
Answer is yes! Yohimbine is the best natural fat burning supplement. Yohimbine can specifically target your stubborn fat. But yohimbine only works when you combine it with fasted cardio as insulin will negate the effects of yohimbine.
So if you are in the final stages of your cut, you can use yohimbine fora shirt duration. Yohimbine is a natural fat burner that has androgenic effect.
But I have no experience with this product so make sure to talk to a medical profession before taking this,
Stubborn fat can also be insulin sensitive.
Insulin is your fat storing hormone and can block your fat burning process
So stubborn fat can be insulin sensitive but to counter this I recommend a low insulin diet. To achieve this you can add more leafy vegetables, add more protein and consume non starchy carbohydrates.
Intermittent fasting can also help with insulin sensitivity, Remember guys, maintaining a calorie deficit is also compulsory alongside the above mentioned points.
- I recommend a 25-35% calorie deficit.
- Next, focus on building muscle mass.
- Muscle is your metabolic sink.
If you want to keep the fat off for your lifetime then you must focus on increasing your muscle mass. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue and can increase your BMR. So more the muscle, higher the BMR. So hit the gym and lift some weight to get rid of that stubborn fat.
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
Can also help with mobilising and burning stubborn fat, In HIIT training you raise your heart rate to high levels for short bursts of time and take an interval before repeating the same for 5-6 rounds.
HIIT has time and again shown to be the best training protocol to get rid of stubborn fat. But HIIT is not for everybody. If you are a beginner or you are extremely out of shape then HIIT is not for you
Talk to your doctor as it can be extremely dangerous for your heart and joints. HIIT works best when you only have to lose the last bit of fat, when you’re already accustomed to a certain work capacity.
Increase your daily steps
Going 100% in the gym and just lazing around for the rest of the day isn’t the best strategy.
- Try to walk 10-12k steps on average.
- Hit 10k steps everyday
- and you will notice the fat melting away.
What are the best Abs exercise?
I made a small mistake on my cut that I did not train my core enough. I skipped on direct core work and maybe that is why my abs aren’t as defined today.
But now I Have started direct core work and hopefully I will have mid section definition by the end of the year. I dont enjoy training core but you probably shouldn’t skip it. If you train abs regularly then by the end of your cut you will have visible definition.
I have introduced some of the best core exercises in my workout program. having abs is cool but there is a lot more to health and fitness.
You must aim at being strong, muscular and maintaining healthy body fat percentages. Maintaining abs for a long period might not be sustainable for a lot of you guys.
Because it might require you to be on a deficit for months or years together. You aren’t lean naturally. Maybe you have a slower metabolism and an inactive lifestyle.
Everybody can achieve abs but maintaining that low of a body fat is not for everybody. So a little bit of fat around your belly and love handles is completely okay and not unhealthy.