Myths about spot reduction: can you target those trouble spots?
I would bet that it’s rare the person who can stand naked in front of the mirror and not identify a trouble spot or two. Most of us stand there pinching, prodding and wishing that those extra bits of fat – whether on the belly, the behind or the back – would just disappear. I thought the myth of spot-reducing had been pretty well busted by now, but I still get asked all the time if there are any special diet or exercise tricks that will target specific pockets of body fat.
The answer is – in a word – no. Your body parts don’t ‘own’ the fat that cover them. When a regular walking regimen leads to weight loss, you lose weight all over – not just in your legs. Performing hundreds of pushups or situps a day might eventually uncover a toned chest or six-pack abs – but it isn’t because you’ve burned off only the fat on your chest or your belly. It’s because you’ve increased your calorie burn – and reduced your body fat from nearly top to toe.
But here’s one reason the myth may still persist. Everyone has their own unique body fat distribution. Some might carry it like saddlebags on the side of the hips, or have a stubborn spot on the belly. When these folks lose weight, it may appear that they’re actually spot reducing – but it’s just that they’re losing from those areas where their fat happens to be. If you look at how people’s bodies change with weight loss, what really happens is that they pretty much stay the same shape – they just get smaller.
Men and women do have different issues when it comes to their trouble spots. Due to hormonal differences, women – at least before menopause – tend to store their fat in the hips and thighs, while men tend to gain weight around the middle. And men naturally carry less total fat than women do. With less fat overall – and most of it around the middle – it’s no wonder that men seem to have an easier time achieving washboard abs than women do. But spot reduction, it’s not.
In the end, improving the appearance of those trouble spots comes down to diet and exercise. Strength training helps you build a solid base of muscle, and that can help you look trimmer. But don’t neglect regular aerobic exercise and attention to your calorie intake, too. Your trouble spots might be less troubling if you build and tone your muscles … but not if they’re hidden under a layer of body fat.
Written by Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, CSSD. Susan is a paid consultant for Herbalife.
Tags: exercise to lose fat, fat belly, Herbalife, how to lose fat, nutrition, sport reduction, spot reduction myth, trouble spots, Weight Loss, WeightLoss, what is spot reduction
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When you eat less than you “burn”, your body turns fats back into energy. But our bodies try to protect the fat, since it’ is supposed to be saved for lean times, so it can be difficult to loose fats. But keep at it, dedication will win. Just burn more than you eat… either exercise a lot more or exercise a little more and eat less.*
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Excessive body fats are annoying but of course you can minimize it by performing some cardio exercise like running and brisk walking.
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Genetics, that which makes us all look different from each other, is what controlls how much and where fat gets stored or lost from our bodies, so this is going to be slightly different for everyone. Yes we can group gender and particular origins to have trends in where this occurs, but we are all different. It would be very boring otherwise!
There is something far more stubborn than fat, and that is people’s attitudes, still with patience and continued effort you can achieve almost anything.
Thanks for the great article.
I have improve my health feeling good .I have started taking over 3 litres of water .No to all Fatty food Now I am feeling Fresh . Full of energy at 77 years YOUNG!!!
Hi Rick-
Thank you for your comment. Men are indeed able to build more muscle mass than women. But since men carry more of their fat around the middle of the body – and pre-menopausal women carry more fat in the hips and thighs – with body fat loss, women will be losing fat stores from fat depots in both the upper and lower body, while men will be losing primarily upper body (abdominal) fat. Therefore, it will be easier for men to reveal their toned abdominal muscles with weight loss, since the majority of fat loss is occurring in that region.
You are confused about “washboard abs”. Because of hormonal differences, men can add more muscle mass than women. Lean men can develop prominent abdominal muscles through targetted exercise, but obese men have “pot bellies” from abdominal fat.