14 DAY TRIAL // One of the biggest draws of products we see advertised on TV, be they workout gear or weight loss solutions, is that they promise wonderful results in minimum time and with minimum effort on our part. In real life, though, things are never that easy, which is why we may often find ourselves discouraged and disheartened because we can’t achieve what we set out to achieve.
When it comes to losing weight and reducing fat, not all hope is lost, though, author, nutritionist and weight loss coach Jonny Bowden says for That’s Fit. The idea that we can work a single part of the body (usually the tummy and the thighs / backside if we’re talking about women) and only get results on it is wrong. Instead of beating ourselves up because of it, we should try other things to reduce fat all over the body and thus lose the pounds we’re trying to shed.
“Exercises for a specific area of the body are, unfortunately, pretty ineffective for reducing fat in that specific area. Despite what late-night infomercials may claim, the only fat that things like Thighmasters separate you from is any excess fat in your wallet. ‘Spot reducing’ – the idea that you can get rid of fat by working the specific area of the body in which frat accumulates – just doesn’t work. Fat won’t come off the belly by doing crunches, no matter how many of them you do. Does that mean you shouldn’t do crunches? Or thigh exercises? Of course not. Besides supporting your center (core) and helping with your posture, a good ab routine will help ensure that you’ll have some nice muscle tone to see once the fat begins to melt away. Ditto with the thighs,” Bowden explains.
Exercise is clearly a must – but it must be the type that works all the muscle groups and not just one. Weight training is ideal in this sense, the expert says, since it helps speed the metabolic rate, while also burning more calories than other types of workout (say, cardio) because it builds muscle mass which burns calories just to exist. Another step to ensure that our body gets rid of excess fat is to change the diet to include lots of lean protein and vegetables, and no sugar, no carbs and no flour.
“Eat a minimum of starch (and get it from oatmeal, beans and legumes). Eat more vegetables. Eat only low-sugar, high-fiber fruit like berries, apples and grapefruit. Eat double the amount of fiber you think you’re eating (You can use fiber supplements, in addition to beans and vegetables. You can also sprinkle flax meal on everything as well.) Be religious about drinking eight to 10 glasses of pure water daily. Don’t eat late at night. Add rest, relaxation, good thoughts, stress reduction, sunshine, deep breathing and a healthy dose of patience. You’ll be happy with the results. I promise you,” Bowden concludes by saying.