Most people would like to change a certain part of their body. Even celebrities who are famed for their tight, toned bodies often complain about “problem areas,” like their thighs, butt, or arms. It is little wonder, then, that so many people are interested in targeting fat loss to specific body parts.
Turning to “spot reduction” to trim down an area of your body is popular – but unfortunately, it does not work. When our bodies burn fat, it can come from any area in our body. While doing certain exercises may help you to gain muscle in a particular area, it won’t necessarily reduce fat in the same place.
The best way to get slimmer thighs or a smaller stomach isn’t through spot reduction. Instead, the key is to reduce your overall body fat by losing weight with Ideal You. Our program will help you change your metabolism from fat-storing into fat-burning…allowing you to lose a life-changing amount of weight quickly and sustainably.
What Is Spot Reduction?
Spot reduction is any type of targeted exercise that is intended to get rid of fat in specific body areas. For example, a person may do lots of tricep exercises to get rid of fat on the back of the arms (also known as “bat wings”) or lots of core workouts to shrink their stomach.
The theory of spot reduction is that by doing certain exercises, you can build muscle and reduce fat in a particular area. This idea is appealing to many people, particularly those who tend to carry pockets of stubborn body fat in places like their hips, thighs, butt, stomach, and arms.
We know that certain types of fat – like visceral fat around your abdomen – are more dangerous. It makes sense, then, that you might want to reduce that particular type of fat. Alternatively, you may simply not like the way that a part of your body looks, and want to make it smaller by building muscle and losing fat in that area.
Why Spot Reduction Does Not Work
While spot reduction is popular, there is no evidence that it actually works. To understand why, you must first learn about how the body burns fat.
Our bodies store fat in cells in the form of triglycerides. To enter the bloodstream and be used as energy, these triglycerides must be broken down into free fatty acids and glycerol. When our bodies require energy – such as during exercise – these free fatty acids and glycerol can come from anywhere in the body. In other words, if you are doing an arm workout, your body may break down fat cells in your legs to give you energy.
Scientific research has demonstrated that spot reduction simply does not work. In one study involving 40 overweight and obese women, doing core workouts for 12 weeks had no effect on belly fat loss, particularly when compared to a dietary change alone. Similarly, a study of 24 people found that doing abdominal workouts for 6 weeks had no impact on belly fat.
It isn’t just core workouts that don’t work for targeted weight loss. During a 12 week study involving 104 participants, a training program involving upper body resistance training did lead to some fat loss. However, this fat loss was generalized to the entire body – not to the arms.
While there are some small studies that showed that there may be some increased fat loss in targeted areas, the bulk of scientific research backs the principle that spot reduction is ineffective for burning fat in specific areas of the body. Instead, when people work out, any fat loss they experience tends to happen across their body as a whole – not just in one specific area.
Importantly, while you can’t target fat loss or spot reduce a particular area, you can do exercises to make an area more toned. For example, if you want to tighten up your thighs, you may do exercises that target your hamstrings and quadriceps, like squats and lunges. This can help strengthen these muscles, but if you want to see definition, you will need to lose weight through a healthy diet.
How Can I Reduce Fat?
While spot reduction is a myth, there are ways that you can lose weight and reduce the size of your “problem areas.” The best way to do that is through a healthy diet. Remember: exercise alone is not effective for weight loss. If you truly want to drop excess pounds, you will need to change the way that you eat.
There are lots of diets out there that promise you fast weight loss. Many of these diet plans are fad diets that rely on you drastically cutting calories or changing your diet in a way that simply isn’t sustainable over the long-term.
Ideal You is different. With our program, you get to eat real food that you buy at the grocery store. Your menu will include lots of lean protein, healthy fats, and fiber-filled fruits and vegetables. As part of our plan, you’ll get a structured food list that is designed to meet your specific needs. We will never ask you to buy or eat nasty diet shakes or bars, or expensive pre-made meals.
You’ll also get all natural, food based supplements that will help change your metabolism from fat-storing to fat-burning, and a weight loss diary so that you can track your food. By focusing on all of the factors that can affect your ability to lose weight – from sleep to hydration to stress – we will empower you to lose a life-changing amount of weight. When you follow our program, you’ll find that it is a sustainable way of life that allows you to keep the weight off over time.
Our clients have had a lot of success with Ideal You, losing unwanted weight and getting back to a healthier lifestyle. We are proud to have helped so many people throughout Michigan reach their ideal weight. If you’re ready to take charge of your life, we are here to help.
Say Goodbye to Diet and Exercise Trends with Ideal You
It’s tempting to buy into theories like spot reduction that tell you that you can lose weight in a particular area with “one simple trick.” The reality is that losing weight is a lot more complicated than just lifting some weights or slashing your calories. No matter how many spot reduction exercises you do, you can’t target fat loss.
What you CAN do is lose weight throughout your body with Ideal You. We understand how challenging it can be to lose weight. Our goal is to make it as simple as possible for you to get to your ideal weight, using a combination of real food, all natural supplements, weight loss coaches, and a food journal.
If you are ready to get started on your weight loss journey, we are here for you. Book your free weight loss consultation today at our Lansing, Livonia, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor or Sterling Heights locations by calling us at 888-488-7258. You can also fill out our online contact form to schedule a consultation at the location of your choosing.
