hard fat

Question
Hi
i have a question about my fat im 18 5feet 2 and 114 pounds ive lost 14 pounds and lost most of the fat around my body except my stomach...i cant lose more then 5-6 pounds cuz then ill be underweight for some reason i have the little amount of fat above my belly is hard and the rest at the bottom is soft id like to know what thats all about and would also like to know some foods that are good in burning bad fat or help burn bad fat or if there is such a thing ive heard olives are good!
and what type of excercise should i do to lose the belly fat
thank you

Answer
Hi Natasha.  Congratulations on your weight loss!!!  You seem to have the same problem many women have, discovering the stomach is the hardest spot to tone after losing weight.  Unfortunately, you can't lose fat in a specific area by eating certain foods or doing certain exercises.  What you CAN do, however, is work your stomach muscles so the muscles underneath are more toned and give your stomach a nicer shape.  Exercises that work your entire stomach or the bottom part of your stomach are best because the bottom part of your stomach seems to get the least workout in daily activities (which is why it feels softer).  Flutter kicks, supine bicycle, and leg lifts are great exercises to do that don't require any special skill or equipment.  (They can all be found at armystudyguide.com)  Of course, any full-body cardio exercise (such as running, aerobics, swimming, circuit workouts) will help you tone all over.

There aren't really any foods that necessarily burn fat for you.  People used to believe celery and cabbage required more calories to digest than they gave you so they could be used to lose weight.  Another theory is spicy foods speed up your metabolism.  Some studies have shown people are more satisfied with fewer calories when eating spicy foods, but I have never seen a study showing spicy foods actually speed up your metabolism.  In my opinion the only foods that could be considered "diet foods" are foods high in fiber.  The fiber makes you feel full longer because it expands with water in your digestive tract but you absorb fewer calories because the fiber also pushes food through your digestive tract faster.  Plus many foods that are naturally high in fiber (whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables) contain vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants you need to stay healthy.  Healthy fats (such as olives) can be beneficial to weight loss because fats also help you feel full longer; healthy fats (other examples are fatty fish, flax seed oil, and nuts) also provide omega-3 fatty acids that can help keep away depression, one of the reasons people over eat.  Studies have also shown consuming low-fat dairy products can help with weight loss, probably due to the proportional mix of protein, carbohydrates, and electrolytes.

I hope that answers your questions.  Congratulations once again and good luck getting your stomach into terrific shape!

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