It’s the Fork

How do I get rid of this as she squeezes her belly and shows me her arm and waves it (her triceps)?

 

What can I do or or what do I need to do to lose this?

 

I make the hand gesture of bringing food up to my mouth.

 

its the fork

 

I’m sure she was surprised by my answer as most people are. People are still looking for this magic secret that works quickly. Sorry, nope! I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there aren’t any magic secrets.  To me, that’s  good news and I have some education that I can share on how to lose fat in a sane and sustainable manner.

 

Unfortunately, we cannot spot reduce any areas or control where we lose fat from first, genetics decide where we lose first. Sure, we can train the abs, and we certainly can gain muscle in our arms, but we can’t reduce the fat in the midsection through a million crunches, waist cinchers/squeems, diet pills, etc.

 

Losing fat in the midsection starts with a caloric deficit followed by strength training with a tiny bit of cardio activity (the minimal effective dose) added in there, then sleep and stress management.

 

It’s the fork she said; I said yes, that is right and probably a few other reasons.

 

Belly fat tends to be stubborn, especially if it is the area where you tend to store your fat. For others, it could be their glutes, legs, etc. We all are built differently.

 

Don’t fret though, it is possible to lose it still, but it’s important to do it right.

 

Forget about the targeted belly exercises, diet pills, teas, and wraps. And forget about cutting whole food groups or only eating 1200 calories. This will backfire on you. You will be hungry and miserable trying to subside on 1200 calories.

 

All the weight lost will come back once you are done dieting. Guaranteed! It happens every single time. Think about your past dieting history.

 

At the end of the day, you must look at your lifestyle, your nutrition, your activity level, and your sleep & stress management.

 

Start with a calorie deficit. Take your bodyweight x 10-13 to get your starting calories. From there set your protein to about .7-1g per lb of body weight, then fats and carbs set according to your preference and your activity level.  This is a start – then give it 3-4 weeks before you change anything.

 

If you don’t want to count macros, start adjusting your portions and serving sizes. Eat more vegetables – fill half your plate with them for every meal, make sure to have protein with every meal, adjust carbs according to activity level – the more active you are, the more carbs you will have and vice versa.

 

The next thing is to start Strength Training, i.e., Lift The Things.

 

Start squatting, deadlifting, do push-ups and other pushing exercises, pulling exercises, lunges, and core training – not just planks.

Think Compound exercises first. 👆🏾 These are going to give you the best bang for your buck – builds muscle, maintains muscle, and burns calories like a mofo. Save the isolation exercises for the end of the workout; these will be things such as bicep curls and triceps kickbacks.

 

Lastly – Stress and Sleep Management.  We tend to discredit how important this is when it comes to body change. We feel as though we are not stressed, or that it just affects the mental space – it affects the physical too.

 

Don’t get me started on sleep! Sleep is so underrated. I’ll sleep when I’m dead, etc. I’ve got some news for you. Sleep is affecting your body in more ways than one.

its-the-fork

 

– You know that willpower you always say that you don’t have – Sleep!

– Those cravings – Sleep!

– That lower belly fat that is hanging around – Sleep!

– No energy – Sleep and eat better!

I can also add eat better to all bullets above. Eat more nutritionally dense foods overall!

 

Ok, I think you get the point!

 

You don’t have to be doing the most to lose fat. You just should take the right approach for YOU – one that is sustainable and sane!

Grab my FREE Diet Blueprint below and get started on a Sustainable journey to fat loss.

 

its the fork