Working as a personal trainer in Toronto, one of the most recurring questions I hear is “How do I get rid of my stubborn belly fat?”.

Before I answer that question, I want to clear a couple things up.

 

Stubborn Fat

To be frank, if you have 25, 30, 40+ lbs of fat to lose, it is not “stubborn” fat, it’s simply fat.

Stubborn belly fat would be referred to an individual who is already somewhat lean, but they still have that last layer of belly fat.

It seems like for whatever reason, that’s where the body prefers storing it and try to preserve it more acutely.

Or someone who is the skinny-fat body type. Skinny-fat refers to an individual who looks quite small, with no muscle clothed, yet carries some fat usually around belly, chest and lower back areas when naked.

Another example would be a bodybuilder or fitness competitor dieting down for a show and there’s still a layer of fat around the belly, lower back or glutes hanging on for dear life. That would be a stubborn area to eliminate fat from.

 

Spot Fat Reduction

Spot fat reduction is an age-old fitness myth and whoever claims to have the magic formula for spot reducing fat is trying to sell you something.

If I were you, I wouldn’t buy it.

Unfortunately, we don’t have the luxury to pick and choose where we lose body fat from.

The body works as a unit. That means it loses overall body fat from burning more energy than it is given.

Our fat deposits are genetically predisposed.

The same order we tend to gain the fat on our bodies is the same way we tend to lose it.

Some individuals have visible abs even at close to 15% body fat, others have a hard time seeing it even at 10%.

Other causes of stubborn fat deposits are:

• Cortisol
• Insulin
• Estrogen
• Testosterone
• Growth hormone
• Thyroid

If you are starting to notice some new belly fat storage that you haven’t had previously or other areas such as thighs, lower back “handles”, chest or hips then it’s best to get your blood work done and take a look at your hormones.

Age, chronic stress or both can have a significant impact on your hormone levels which have an impact on fat storage as well.

 

So what’s the secret to torching the last layer of that stubborn belly fat?

Well, there is no secret. Unfortunately, there is no magical way of doing it.

Here’s the truth instead.

The longer we diet down and the leaner we become, the more our bodies will start fighting back with the goal of preserving the remaining fat as a survival mechanism.

If you are at a point where fat loss has plateaued and the last layer of belly fat is being stubborn, the answer is persistence.

Now, I know it’s not the sexy, magical trick you’d hope for but it is the truth.

The only way to get rid of stubborn belly fat is to continue dieting and being persistent. 

However, here are a few factors to consider:

Calorie Intake

Firstly, take a look at your caloric intake.

If all you’re eating is salad leafs and shredded walnuts, it is no bueno.

Eating a low calorie diet will tremendously decrease your metabolism making it quite difficult to lose any substantial amount of fat, especially the stubborn areas.

Having a slow metabolism creates an environment where your body’s survival mechanism will be heightened and fighting to preserve the remaining fat stores.

If that’s the case, slowly work your way back up in calories and restart your fat loss program.

This time, keep the calories only in a slight deficit and increase energy expenditure through other means instead (workouts,cardio,etc.).

Two steps forward, one step back

Secondly, If you’ve been on a weight loss program for longer than 12 to 16 weeks, it would be wise to take a break.

Start increasing your calories and give your body a break for a couple of weeks.

Fat loss (or muscle building) doesn’t happen in a linear curve.

There are many mechanisms and hormonal processes involved in making a physique transformation.

At a certain point (anywhere between 8 to 16 weeks), the body will require a break to re-adjust itself.

After the break, go ahead and restart the fat loss program. You should get past your plateau this time around.

Switch things up

Another recommendation is to change up a fat loss variable.

If you have some calories left to decrease, do so.

Possibly implement an extra HIIT session every few days or ramp up the intensity of your workouts.

Often, an extra push from one of these variables is all your body needs to start tapping into those stubborn fat areas to use them as fuel.

The body adapts fairly quickly and it requires constant adjustments in nutrition and/or workout regimen to continue making progress and avoid plateaus.

 

Final Words

The main point that I would like to get across is the fact that we cannot choose where we lose our body fat from.

The body is genetically predisposed to storing and dropping fat from specific areas which we have no control over.

What we do control however, is losing overall body fat through proper nutrition and intelligent training.

With that in mind, it’s simply a matter of time and persistence before the stubborn belly fat starts melting off.

So keep following your nutrition plan, training hard and you’ll succeed.

 

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Primal Breed is committed to providing you effective personal training in Toronto, helping you lose unwanted weight permanently and build lean muscle for life.

The weight loss process itself is simple in its core, but the mind is the complex one. Out of all the things that could possibly become the barrier to reaching your goal, it almost always boils down to these three biggest killers of fat loss.

 

Biggest Killers of Fat Loss

 

Inconsistency 

This is probably the biggest reason why the vast majority of the population is out of shape, overweight or obese.

They’ll state that they have tried this diet and that program and this workout, but it does not work for THEM.

Well, when you do anything for less than 12 days, the results will be minimal to none.

Consistency is the key factor between someone who succeeds and someone who fails.

It is even more important than accuracy.

Even if you finish off the week with 60% of your nutrition followed, you will still be progressing and moving in the right direction.

 

Let’s put it in perspective.

It’s Monday morning and the alarm clock did not go off.

You finally wake up and realize you’re late for work.

In a rush, you throw on whatever outfit you find and sprint out the door.

Today, you forgot to shower.

Do you stop showering the entire week now because you didn’t do it on Monday? Obviously not.

It’s the same exact principle for dieting, working out or anything else worthwhile in life.

Even if you cheated with a snickers bar on Tuesday or didn’t eat your veggies or whatever, does not mean you say “screw it” and repeat those bad habits the entire week and start “fresh” on Monday.

Keep going. Even if it’s not perfect, stay as consistent as possible and keep progressing.

With a little time, things will become easier and you’d have built a new positive habit that will require essentially no effort to upkeep because it will become second nature to you.

You’ll actually look back and wonder how in the world was I living up until now and never look back again.

The entire concept of change is to destroy the “old you” and evolve into the you that’s stronger, fitter, healthier, wealthier.

That requires consistency.

Not eating ENOUGH

No, it’s not a typo.

Eating too little is just as bad as eating too much.

Our body doesn’t like change, it loves homeostasis.

With every alteration you add into your diet and/or training routine, the body immediately begins to adapt.

Losing weight is a game of small, incremental changes to essentially force the body to tap into stored fats for energy.

If you eat too little, even if you lose some weight initially, you’ll quickly plateau with a slow metabolism and no where to go.

The moment you eat a little more than usual, the body won’t be able to cope with it and deposit the extra food as fat.

 

Sports car analogy

It’s like having a quarter tank of gas left in your BMW M4 and the next gas station is not for another 150 km.

If you drive like Vin Diesel in Fast and Furious and use hard accelerations every chance you get, you’ll move about 30 km, rather quickly, but you’ll run out of gas and won’t make it

Instead, if you drive slowly, you’ll eventually make it to your destination.

It won’t be as exciting with huge high’s of emotion, however the constant motion forward will win the race.

 

Metabolism

You can train your body to increase your metabolic rate so that you’re able to eat higher calories without fat deposits.

Small incremental changes in calories with added daily activity will train you body to speed up your metabolism and put those calories to good use.

A low calorie diet equates to a slow metabolism.

Losing weight from this state is extremely difficult since going any lower is unhealthy and unsustainable.

A healthy average person needs about 2000 calories for maintenance.

If you lead an active lifestyle (have a non-sedentary job), you’ll need more.

If you add working out and cardio to that you’ll burn an additional few hundred calories on top.

The majority of people eat really low calories on the days they’re being “good” and fairly high calories when they give in and decide to indulge at a dinner party or on the weekend.

This results in mostly fat gain and a slow metabolism.

Not a good place to be.

Instead, if you train your body to handle more calories, you’ll be able to enjoy more food without the fear of getting fat. 

Also, fat loss will become easier since you have a lot of room for decreasing calories.

 

Sugar

Here’s the deal.

Sugar is as addicting as heroine.

Eating sugar consistently creates a cascade of negative side effects including poor insulin sensitivity, sluggishness, mood swings, ups and downs in energy, strong need for cravings and fat gain.

Can you eat some sugar and still lose weight? Yes you can.

But it’s like walking to the convenience store on your hands.

Can you do it? Probably..maybe not. But you get the point.

Bottom line – If you are 15%+ body-fat (men), 23%+ body-fat (women) and aren’t working out, there’s absolutely zero advantage to having sugar in your diet.

In addition, if you keep sugar in your diet, even if you’re in a calorie deficit and losing some weight you’ll still feel the mood swings, hunger (‘hangry’ feeling) and/or strong need for cravings which will makes things much more difficult to stay the course.

When you completely eliminate sugar from your diet, you’ll actually notice the withdrawal feelings just like you would stopping a strong stimulant or a drug.

The brain stops receiving the feel good chemicals sugar releases when ingested and gets upset when you suddenly stop feeding it.

Once the withdrawal symptoms pass, it will make sticking to your diet much easier. You’ll experience decreased cravings, less mood swings/hangry feelings.

Also, insulin sensitivity will improve and energy levels will increase providing you with the ability to push harder in the gym and promote greater fat loss as well.

 

Most beneficial time for sugar

The primary benefit for using sugar would be immediately post-workout, when muscle cells are sensitive to receiving nutrients. 

At this time, inducing an insulin spike through fast digesting carbohydrates (sugars) is beneficial to replenish the muscle glycogen stores and promote recovery.

Otherwise, you are better off with a more complex carbohydrate to promote a more even energy curve and less blood sugar spikes.

One other beneficial time would be during a refeed day or a cheat day.

Refeeds are implemented during a low caloric diet when the body is depleted, thus having decreased levels of leptin (appetite-suppressing hormone).

Fast-digesting carbohydrates (example: sugar) are great for boosting leptin levels and resuming fat loss, in this particular case. 

Lastly, sugar is usually coupled with fats when generally consumed.

Either in the form of a cookie, or peanut butter and jam sandwich, ice cream, etc.

Combining high sugar with high fat is a recipe for fat gain.

Yes, it’s true that total calorie intake vs. total calorie expenditure is what creates fat loss.

However the type of foods you eat greatly affects your body composition, the way you look, feel and overall health. 

In addition, it’s much easier to indulge and eat more than your share with something like a chocolate bar than it is with oatmeal.

Let’s say two identical individuals eat the same amount of calories.

Person A gets his/her calories from mostly whole foods, while person B gets his/her calories from foods higher in added sugars, processed, packaged/in boxes with lack of micro-nutrients and emptier calories, there will be a significant difference between the two.

Even though they both lost weight, there will be a definitive difference in the way they look, feel and long-term sustainability of their weight loss.

 

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**Primal Breed is committed to providing you effective personal training in Toronto, helping you lose unwanted weight permanently and build lean muscle for life.

Holiday season is fast approaching and most of us are already coming to terms with the fact that it’s inevitable not to gain a solid 5 to 10 lbs yet again. Well, it doesn’t have to be that way. In this article I’ve put together five simple, but effective hacks to help you avoid weight gain this holiday season.

 

Use Intermittent Fasting ‘til the big dinner

If you start the day by eating carbs, especially fast digesting carbs (sugars) it will have a snowball effect and make you want to eat more and more.

Sugar releases feel good chemicals in our brain and the more we have it, the more we want it. Sugar is notorious for causing intense cravings.

Instead, there are two effective alternatives to help you avoid unnecessary weight gain.

One is to simply fast until your big dinner. Coffee, water and tea is fine.

Second alternative is to eat a couple meals consisting of high quality protein and healthy fats during the day prior to the family gathering or event.

This will provide satiety, eliminate the need for cravings and keep a steady blood sugar levels for an even energy curve.

 

Up your water game 

If we’re being honest, most of us forget to drink water altogether.

And if we do, it’s usually when our body is so dehydrated signaling an intense thirst feeling.

The rule is if you’re thirsty it’s too late – you’re already dehydrated.

Make it a habit to drink a bottle of water (500ml) every hour or so.

If you really want to add some punch to your water, adding some calorie-free flavoured BCAA’s would do the trick without the damage.

• Keeps you hydrated and full
• Decreases cravings

 

Sneak in an intense workout 

If you have 45 to 60 mins, hit the gym and smash some weights.

If you have 30 mins or less, complete an intense HIIT workout either at the gym or even at home.

Both methods of training will not only burn calories, but will also induce EPOC (Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption) which will ramp up your metabolism and continue to burn calories up to 24-48 hours later.

This will allow you to enjoy some goodies at dinner without the guilt.

In addition, an intense workout will signal the release of certain hormones such as growth hormone, testosterone and insulin. This will help utilize the post-workout nutrition much more efficiently, favoring to store the nutrients in muscle cells rather than fat cells.

 

Protein first 

Prioritize protein and have it be the largest portion of your meal. Followed by some complex carbs and lastly some healthy fats.

It is extremely hard to overeat whole foods. So throw yourself a big plate of healthy foods and indulge until you’re full.

Leave the dessert and goodies for last.

By the time you’re done eating your whole meal, you’ll have little room left for the  dessert.

This will help you eat only 1 or 2 servings instead of 8.

 

Practice mindfulness

If you’re full, stop eating.

Be mindful of how you’re feeling and the signals your body is conveying to you.

Self-awareness leads to far better choices than ignorance.

When you become aware of your body and what’s happening around you, you won’t be able to justify your bad decisions as easily.

Even if you do, the guilt will follow you around making you eventually stop.

There’s generally two types of people in this category.

Type A is able to have a cookie resulting in his/her mind relaxing and the deed is done. If that’s the case, have the cookie and live happy.

Type B (this is me) is the type that if he/she gives in, the entire trey of cookies will be gone and he/she will be looking for the next prey to conquer. If that’s you, be self-aware and control yourself.

 

Final Notes

Major results stem from completing a large sum of small actions leading up to it.

Having a little piece of chocolate here, a bread stick there, a glass of wine with some cheese, pancakes, eggs with bacon breakfast, skip today’s workout, etc. all adds up quickly to a 10 lb fatter you.

Practice self-awareness and follow these simple steps to avoid weight gain this holiday season and/or whenever you’re attending a big (food) event.