How to Lose Belly Fat

I was recently asked how to lose belly fat exclusively without getting rid of fat anywhere else. The unfortunate answer is that it’s impossible. That’s called “spot reduction”, and it’s a myth. The theory is that if you do exercises for the muscle underneath the fat, you’ll get rid of the fat. Unfortunately that’s not the case. Sure, the muscle will get stronger, but without any dietary changes, the fat will stay there.

Up until a short while ago, I would have said that the first place you put on fat is the last place you take it off. So for pre-menopausal women, it tends to be the buns and thighs and backs of the arms. For men and post-menopausal women, it tends to be the belly. And yes, there are exceptions.

Why did I say “up until a short while ago”? Because the more I learn about biosignature modulation, and the more clients that go through the protocols of biosignature, the more I learn that it may not be the case. The first place you put on fat may not have to be the last place you take it off. So we now have a new answers to the question of how to lose belly fat.

I’ve mentioned this in earlier newsletters, and even given talks about it, but the underlying theory is that where you store your body fat is indicative of your hormonal profile. We know this intuitively because of the different fat storage patterns in men and women, but it goes a lot deeper than that.

With biosignature, 12 different areas are measured with skinfold calipers (this is what they look like: http://www.nexgenergo.com/medical/images/12-1125.jpg), and these areas have hormonal correlations. Here they are:

Triceps = testosterone

Pecs (chest) = aromatase in men (this is an enzyme that converts testosterone to estrogen) and “bad” estrogen in women (there are actually 3 different types of estrogen, and it’s balance that’s important)

Subscapula (under the shoulder blade) = genetic tolerance for carbohydrates. The lower this measurement, the more carbohydrates a person can tolerate.

Mid-axillary (over the ribs) = thyroid

Supra-ilium (love handles) = insulin. The more insulin you secrete, the higher this area.

Umbilicus (belly) = cortisol (stress hormone). This is usually what most people want to reduce when they ask how to lose belly fat.

Knee and calf = growth hormone (my clients who’ve had the knee measured are laughing now. They know that if they’ve been drinking, their knees get fatter for 2-3 days after)

Quadriceps and hamstrings (front and back of the thigh) = estrogen.

By targeting different hormones specifically, you can preferentially (important distinction: I said preferentially. I didn’t say exclusively) recruit body fat from different regions. Each hormone has a specific training, nutrition and supplementation strategy to it.

Let’s take an example: love handles. You store extra flab in your love handles. This correlates to insulin.

The correct training approach would be using multiple sets of 40-70 seconds. This duration has been shown to be the most appropriate for burning sugar.

The correct nutrition approach would be a low carbohydrate diet, which minimizes insulin secretion.

The correct supplementation approach (beyond the basics of multi-vitamin, fish oil, magnesium, zinc and vitamin D) would be using something like gymnema sylvestre, chromium, alpha lipoic acid and others.

On the other hand, if belly fat is your biggest problem, it would necessitate a completely different approach.

The correct training approach would be using only 1-3 sets of 3-5 repetitions. In addition to that, breathing exercises, tai chi and gentle exercise would be more appropriate. The worst thing you can do for belly fat is lots of cardio. That is definitely not a good answer to the question of how to lose belly fat.

The correct nutrition approach would be a heavy emphasis on the berry family, plenty of veggies as well as red bell peppers.

The correct supplementation (again, beyond the basics) would depend on a person’s stress profile. Some people are stressed and wired, others are stressed and tired, yet others are stressed and immune challenged (when they’re under stress, they get sick), and several other options.

This approach gives individualization a whole new meaning.

There are also some special considerations based on who you are. I actually made a video specifically about weight loss for women over 40.

If you would like to find out what is the correct training, nutrition and supplementation approach for you, see if you qualify for a Dream Body MAP Session by clicking here.