You may have bought into the whole "ab flex" or "thigh master" marketing and purchased one of these machines or something similar thinking it would help you get rid of that extra fat in that particular area.
Unfortunately that's exactly what it was, good marketing. Many handy dandy "weight loss" tools have filled late night tv with the hype of spot reduction. Despite the fact the whole spot reduction myth is rampant, it is in fact, just a myth.
Here are three myth busters for the whole idea of spot reduction. Hopefully you will realize this just isn't the way to lose weight, and by the end of this article you will be looking for a more effective way to burn fat, and lose weight.
Spot reduction does not burn enough calories alone.
Losing fat is very different than gaining muscle. To lose fat you have to use more calories than you take in. The types of exercises often recommended for spot reduction will never burn enough calories for you to lose fat using just those exercises. It is true that you will gain muscle when you do spot reduction exercises like crunches. However, just because you have strengthened muscles in the particular area means nothing. Now you have nice muscles under a layer of fat.
You have no control of where you body burns fat.
You can work and work at losing weight from a specific body area, but the fact of the matter is, you have no control over where you body loses fat from.
Just because you do a million crunches does not mean the fat will leave your belly first. It may leave from your thighs, tummy and rear end, in an equal measure.
You simply have no control over where the fat comes off.
The First on Last off Rule
Generally speaking you our bodies tend to lose the fat we gain the easiest last. So if you easily gain weight in your belly area, it will probably be the last part of your body you begin to notice fat loss at.
It is an unfortunate reverse cycle. Where you gain easily is where it's most difficult to lose it. Just another one of life's paradoxes.
As you can see there are many reasons why spot reduction just doesn't work. You can't burn enough calories with spot reduction type exercises alone. You can't control where you body loses fat from, and you generally lose weight last where it's easiest gained.
For these reasons and more it's best to forget about spot reduction and try more appropriate fat loss techniques. You will find you lose fat not only in the spot you want, but all over, making you look and feel better.
- Prev:Lose Belly Fat to Avoid Health Issues
- Next:How To Get Rid Of Your Fat Belly - Heres Some Tips To Lose Belly Fat Fast