Is It Possible To Lose Only Belly Fat?

It is not possible to zap fat away from one targeted area. Although spot reduction is one of the biggest fitness myths, the truth, according to the American Council on Exercise, is that selectively exercising one area will not eliminate fat from only that location. But there are things you can do to target belly fat as part of an overall weight loss program.

Spot Reduction

Spot reduction doesn't work because effects of the exercise aren't limited to the specific area you're targeting. Researchers Kostek et al. asked 104 people to perform resistance training on only one arm for a 2007 study published in "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise." They compared both arms using an MRI and found generalized fat loss, instead of loss in the targeted area. In addition, the MRI did not show a significant difference between the trained arm and the untrained arm. Kostek and team concluded that spot reduction does not occur as a result of resistance training.

Total Body Fat Loss

The myth prevails because fat may indeed be lost in the targeted area. But ACE says this is most likely because you are burning enough calories through exercise to produce weight loss all over your body. A 2009 study published in the "European Journal of Endocrinology" supports that idea. Authors Christiansen et al. found that the effect diet and exercise has on your visceral fat, a name for the abdominal fat surrounding your organs, is linked to the changes in the total body fat mass. In other words, the more total fat you lose, the more belly fat you lose.

Exercise

While you won't be able to lose fat just in your belly, there is an exercise you can add to your routine that might help you lose more fat from that area. Stephen Boutcher conducted a literature review of research studying high-intensity intermittent exercise. His findings, published in the "Journal of Obesity" in 2011, state that HIIE significantly reduces abdominal fat as well as subcutaneous fat, or the fat located below the skin. It also created significant changes in waist circumference. The specific workouts varied but generally speaking HIIE involves brief sprints followed immediately by a rest period. Add this technique into your routine with a 30 minute workout. Warm up for five minutes then sprint with all-out effort for one minute. Walk slowly for one minute to recover. Continue for 20 minutes alternating between the sprints and rest. Cool down with five minutes of slow walking.

Diet

In addition to your exercise routine, you must watch your diet to target belly fat. The Christiansen study found that a reduced calorie diet had the biggest effect on abdominal fat loss. Exercise did not provide additional reduction in that area. Find out how many daily calories you need by multiplying your weight in pounds by 15 if you are a moderately active male or by 12 if you are a moderately active female. The answer is the amount of calories you must consume each day to maintain your current weight. To lose one pound per week, subtract 500 calories from this total. Experts at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology recommend reaching a total of 500 calories by cutting 250 calories from your diet and burning 250 calories through exercise.