How Do I Lose Belly Fat?

With bathing suit season fast approaching, many people are wondering what is the best way to trim belly or abdominal fat. People tend to concentrate on this area, in pursuit of the perfect 6 pack of abs, almost to obsession. They will purchase fat burning pills, machines that will melt the fat away, and a whole host of other regimens, pitched in the wee hours of the morning by modern day carnival barkers. The common name for this type of fat reduction is spot reduction. The theory being that if exercises are done for a very localized area of the body, that the fat there will disappear in proportion to the amount of exercise done. Unfortunately, spot reduction is not possible. The reason for spot reduction not being possible is that when you exercise, energy, including fat, is drawn from throughout the body and not just the area you are targeting. For instance, when doing crunches, you are working the abdominal muscles and building them up. However, the subcutaneous fat of the belly is residing on top of the muscle, not in the muscle. No matter what exercise you are doing, you will burn overall fat, but you can not target where. Usually, the first place you put on fat is the last place you will lose it. Most of this is genetic, and is specific to your body type. The best way to lose belly fat or any fat is through a proper diet that provides you with a slight net calorie deficit and a good strength and aconditioning program that helps improve your lean tissue to fat ratio. A good personal trainer can help you achieve your goals, and work with you to develop a plan tailored to your needs. Stephen Stern, BS, CPT Common Sense Fitness Personal Training 605 Washington Avenue North Haven, Ct. 06473 203-530-1811 www.comsenfit.com stepstern@comcast.net