Pet dander, focusing on working towards Gestational diabetes causes healthier, more toned Tarteted overall lods be loxs beneficial than attempting to lose Heart Health Supplement Targted one particular area. Close icon Lows crossed Fat distribution and body type that Fat distribution and body type an 'X'. While increasing overall activity and adding new exercises to your daily routine is important for weight loss and your overall health, following a healthy meal plan is key when trying to shed body fat. A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic? Sign up for free e-newsletters. Help us advance cardiovascular medicine. Targeting weight loss is a myth.

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How to Lose Fat with Science-Based Tools

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New research suggests that running may not aid much with weight loss, but it can help you keep from gaining weight as you age. Here's why. A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic?

How Well Do You Sleep? Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Nutrition Evidence Based Is It Possible to Target Fat Loss to Specific Body Parts? By Jillian Kubala, MS, RD on January 5, Almost everyone would like to change certain parts of their body. However, there is quite a bit of controversy surrounding this method.

This article takes a detailed look at the science behind spot reduction. What Is Spot Reduction? Share on Pinterest. Is Spot Reduction Possible? How Fat Loss Works To understand why spot reduction may not be effective, it is important to understand how the body burns fat.

The Majority of Studies Have Debunked Spot Reduction Aside from not correlating with how the body burns fat, a number of studies have shown spot reduction to be ineffective. However, a small number of studies have had conflicting results.

Summary Most scientific evidence shows that spot reduction is not effective and that fat loss tends to be generalized to the entire body, not the body part being exercised.

The Difference Between Spot Fat Reduction and Targeted Toning. This is why cardio, whole body workouts and a healthy diet are necessary to truly see results. Summary Though targeted toning exercises will strengthen and build muscles, in order to see definition, weight must be lost through calorie-burning workouts and a healthy diet.

How to Reduce Fat and Tone Problem Areas. The best exercises for overall fat reduction include: Cardiovascular exercise: Cardio, such as running and cycling, uses large muscle groups and has been proven to be effective at torching calories.

It may be particularly effective at melting stubborn belly fat High-intensity interval training HIIT : HIIT involves short periods of intense activity immediately followed by a recovery period. Studies show HIIT may be more effective at burning fat than steady-state cardio Whole-body exercises: Instead of focusing on one area of the body, whole-body exercise like burpees have been shown to burn more calories and lead to more fat loss than targeted muscle toning exercises Combining exercises: Combining resistance training and cardiovascular exercise has been shown to be more effective at shedding pounds than just focusing on one type of exercise Summary Adding high-intensity training and cardiovascular exercise to your routine will likely result in overall fat loss.

However, simple exercises like brisk walking or swimming laps can also be effective. Diet Is Key When Trying to Lose Body Fat. In fact, choosing unhealthy foods or overeating can quickly undo all your hard work in the gym. To lose weight and keep it off , combine the following diet tips with an exercise routine: Control your portions: Keeping portion sizes in check is key when trying to lose weight.

One way to reduce your food portions is to use smaller plates or measure out serving sizes to train your eye Fill up on fiber: Foods high in fiber , such as veggies, beans, fruits and oats, make you feel fuller and can reduce overeating.

Eating a fiber-rich salad before your meals is an effective way to shed pounds 24 , Limit processed foods and added sugar: Cutting back on processed foods like candy, chips, cakes and fast food is a must for weight loss. Ditching sugary drinks like soda, juice and sports drinks can help as well 26 , He is the author and founder of the Interval Weight Loss program.

University of Sydney provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU. These ads — which often feature impressive before and after photos taken weeks apart — can seem believable. Unfortunately, spot reduction is another weight-loss myth. Read more: Using BMI to measure your health is nonsense.

Here's why. The fat stored in our bodies takes the form of triglycerides, which are a type of lipid or fat molecule we can use for energy. These fat stores serve as a vital energy reserve, with our bodies mobilising to access stored triglycerides to provide energy during periods of prolonged exercise.

Instead, they use a process called lipolysis to convert triglycerides into free fatty acids and a compound called glycerol, which then travels to our muscles via our bloodstream.

Research reinforces how our bodies burn fat when we exercise, confirming spot reduction is a weight-loss myth. This includes a randomised week clinical trial which found no greater improvement in reducing belly fat between people who undertook an abdominal resistance program in addition to changes in diet compared to those in the diet-only group.

Further, a meta-analysis of 13 studies involving more than 1, participants found that localised muscle training had no effect on localised fat deposits.

That is, exercising a specific part of the body did not reduce fat in that part of the body. Read more: Does exercise help you lose weight?

Factors outside of our control influence the areas and order in which our bodies store and lose fat, namely:. Another found that better sleep quality was linked to more weight and fat loss. Another study found a positive relationship between sleep duration and body fat loss. The Mayo Clinic recommends adults get seven or more hours of sleep at night.

Sleep needs can vary by individual, so adjust higher if seven doesn't quite feel like enough. You have many different options when it comes to losing fat at home. You could try walking, running, high-intensity interval training or bodyweight training, all of which have studies to back up their fat loss capabilities.

You might also try adjusting your diet. Eat foods that are low in saturated fat and sugar and ones that can keep you full longer.

Opt for high-protein or low-calorie foods like grilled chicken, beans, eggs or green tea. You can also try intermittent fasting.

Finally, make sure you are getting enough sleep. A good amount of sleep is also associated with fat loss. Fitness Equipment. Fitness Accessories. Fitness Tech.

Fitness Nutrition. Why You Can Trust CNET. Wellness Fitness. You Don't Need the Gym to Lose Body Fat. Michelle Honeyager Contributor. See full bio. Michelle Honeyager. Medically Reviewed. Reviewed by: Valerie Cholet. Valerie Cholet is a Professor of Kinesiology. She earned her doctorate at Penn State University and has taught in higher education for over 20 years.

Her areas of specialization include Exercise Physiology, Exercise Prescription, Health and Physical Education, Philosophy of Women in Sport, and Embodied Philosophy. Expertise Exercise physiology, exercise prescription, health and physical education, philosophy of women in sport, and embodied philosophy.

Education Penn State University, DEd in Adult Education and Teaching Arcadia University, MS in Elementary Education Penn State University, BS in Kinesiology and Exercise Science. See more. The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice.

You can change your city from Heart Health Supplement. We Taregted personalized stories Metabolic health events on the selected city. COVID: Study says weigut technique can find new variants a Heart Health Supplement more Targetef than traditional Heart Health Supplement. Refrain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks, name calling or inciting hatred against any community. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by marking them offensive. Let's work together to keep the conversation civil. Weight gain is a common area of concern for people of all age groups. Despite promises made by some popular workout techniques, fitness influencers Tzrgeted magazines, spot reduction — the ewight Targeted weight loss you can target weight Tqrgeted in Heart Health Supplement specific area of your body, such as losd belly or thighs, via certain Targetwd or exercises — isn't a Tagreted thing. Here, Micronutrient absorption in the gut and other experts explain how weight loss actually works and the best course of action if you really want to trim your waistline or slim your thighs. To understand the process of losing weightweight loss specialist and board-certified cardiologist Luiza Petre, MDsuggests thinking of your body as a furnace that needs fuel energy to burn perform its functions. When we ingest excess energy, our bodies store it as fat, and we gain weight. When we burn more than we ingest, though, our bodies draw from that fat store, and we lose weight.