Stop the Confusion!

Too often in today's mainstream media, I see titles such as, "Total Abs! Build a better 6-pack in no time or "Slim belly breakfasts" (Both titles courtesy of Muscle and Fitness magazine) The problem with advertisements like these are many, but today I will focus on the top three. First, they promise unreasonably quick results for bodily processes that simply must take a long time. Secondly, they place a lot of importance on having attractive abdominal muscles, leading to imbalanced priorities. Thirdly, many of these "Six-pack" programs are based upon the false assumption that you can burn fat in specific parts of the body if you exercise that particular body part. This is not true! I will repeat it, because this axiom of fitness will come up many times throughout this blog: you cannot "spot" lose fat. 

But wait, Jesse, if you can't spot lose fat, how am I supposed to lose that pesky belly fat?

Good question. I will address it via the three problems I have mentioned above.

One of the most important things to remember whenever someone wants to set a fitness goal is this: progress takes time. Never listen to fitness moguls when they say that it's possible to "get shredded in three weeks with this diet!" Yes, this diet might get you looking good in three weeks, however, the methods that are used to lose weight and gain muscle in such a short amount of time are not sustainable. If someone wants to look good and be healthy, they need to do it in a sustainable fashion. To clarify, I'll provide an example. Let's say I want to lose twenty pounds and keep those twenty pounds off for good. I could pursue the quick route, effectively eating half the calories and exercising twice as often as I normally would. This would shed those twenty pounds quickly. On paper, this method looks foolproof. It's fast and simple. However, what it doesn't take into account is that for most people, this program would make the client miserable! I would be hungry and tired around the clock! So, once I achieve the goal and the twenty pounds are gone I will most likely say, "Screw this! I hate this program! I'm suffering!" Then, I would return to my old lifestyle that allowed me to gain the twenty pounds in the first place.

Program 2: I eat 200 less calories than normal per day and I exercise slightly more often. This method could take up to four months. That amount of time is daunting to many people, considering that our society makes people want things immediately. However, the major benefit of this approach is that I barely have to change my lifestyle. In effect, I can lose weight without having to be hungry or tired. Once I eventually lose the 20 pounds, I can continue my new healthy lifestyle because I don't feel mentally or physically fatigued. The takeaway: be patient, and diet in moderation. Above all, choose a program that has sustainability.

As important as it is to find a sustainable weight-loss program, it is equally important to understand the reason you're trying to lose weight. I have talked to countless people at the gym who want to achieve a body fat percentage of five percent (Pictured above). While such a low body fat percentage does look good, there should be many other considerations when choosing how "shredded" someone wants to be. Will they be constantly groggy from the extremely limiting diet that goes along with having 5% BF? Will they be at their happiest? While I fully support going to the gym with the goal of looking better, I think health and happiness should be considered above all. The bottom line is that there is a "Golden" area of ideal BF% that will, for most people, make them the happiest and healthiest. That range is from 10-15%. I am in no way saying that someone must have a 10-15% body fat percentage in order to be happy, nor am I suggesting that having a high body fat percentage is "not okay", however, for the average dedicated gym goer, they will find the ideal balance of health, aesthetics, and happiness in the 10-15% range. Research from the University of Pennsylvania has shown that subjects with a BF% lower than ten suffer negative health effects. The temptation to look good lives inside many of us, but it simply must be balanced with good physical and mental health.

Finally, let's return to the question that you asked earlier. Since it is biologically impossible to "spot" lose fat, how can I expect to lose my belly fat? The answer is exceedingly simple: be in a caloric deficit (Caloric deficit means burning more calories in a given day than one consumes). Don't fall victim to the companies that say that their fat-loss pill will work. I assure you, those pills will NEVER work. The ONLY way to lose fat is to burn more calories than you consume. It doesn't matter what you eat, whether it be carbs, fat, protein, etc. Heck, if you eat 1500 calories worth of Swedish Fish in a given day and burn 2000 calories, you'll still lose weight (Don't get me wrong- I'm not encourage a strictly Swedish Fish diet)! It is that simple. Don't be tempted by companies that offer bullshit methods of fat loss that involve anything else but being in a caloric deficit. It is simply the only way to lose weight.

My goal with this blog post was to clear the air for any readers who suffer from the confusion about weight loss that the mainstream media knowingly creates. Always remember to pursue your goals with patience, wisdom, and forethought.

Photo courtesy of EH Dome