Why You Are Not Losing Belly Fat – Here’s How To Lose It!

Have you ever lift your shirt after a workout to look at your abs; with hopes that you’ve finally shed some of that belly - only to realize that nothing’s changed? Everyone who is undergoing weight-loss has done this once (I have too!).

Unlike chest fat, belly fat takes a longer time to burn. This is because of the fat cells located in the belly. But what do I mean by this??

• The Science Involved

Well, a Fat Cell stores excess energy to be consumed by other cells when in need. When the fat cell “burns”, it releases this energy for other cells to consume.

So, how does it “burn”?

Burning fat consists of two processes: Lipolysis and Oxidation.

Lipolysis is the process of fat cells to release their energy molecules (Or fatty acids), into the bloodstream. These molecules are absorbed (utilized) by other cells through a process called Oxidation.

Lipolysis occurs when stimulated through an external source – in our bodies, this source is called Catecholamine.

Catecholamine is an enzyme consisting of three other enzymes: Adrenaline, Noradrenaline, and Dopamine.

These enzymes are released to the blood and travel across our body, to be ‘received’ by points called as Receptors.

Every fat cell has two receptors: Alpha and Beta.

Alpha receptors hinder these enzymes, while Beta receptors help to absorb these enzymes. When these enzymes meet the fat cells, they release their fatty acids.

But that still doesn’t answer the question, “What does belly fat take a long time to burn??”

Well, my dear Watson, each fat cell has different ratios of the two receptors. I.e., some cells have more Alpha receptors than the Beta ones (And vice-versa).

So, if a cell has more Alpha receptors, it will take longer for the enzymes to trigger the release of fatty acids. While, if a cell has more Beta receptors, the fatty acids can be triggered earlier.

The fat cells in our bellies contain more Alpha receptors; making it harder to lose, while the fat cells in our chests contain more Beta receptors; making it easier to lose.

• Myth-busters​

1. Myth: You are not losing weight/fat because you are not doing a sufficient amount of exercises (say, sit ups).

However, this is incorrect!

In-order to lose fat, you must execute exercises such that they stimulate the ‘fight-or-flight’ response.

The ‘fight-or-flight’ response is the body’s reaction to an intense situation, that is dealt with the release of Adrenaline (Which is a Catecholamine!).

Such a training wherein adrenaline is utilized for weight-loss is called as High-Intensive Interval Training, or HIIT (I will explain it further later).

2. Myth: If you consume certain food products, you will lose weight; you need not exercise. 

Yet again, this is incorrect!

There is no food that can solely cause weight-loss. However, there are certain food products that contribute to weight-gain – they must be avoided for weight loss.

Yet, some food products can contribute to weight-loss, along with exercise.

Doing physical activities help burn calories; thereby losing weight.

For weight-loss, one must not neglect exercising - physical activity is the only way to lose those fat cells.

So, here’s the question that stress all overweight victims: How do I lose belly fat?!

Continue reading…

• How To Lose Belly Fat

Now that we have got the facts right, let's learn how to lose that belly!

1. Reduce Stress ​​

SMXL

In everyday life, we all undergo stress for multiple reasons:

You may have not started an assignment/presentation that you must present the following day. Or that you just cannot recollect the answer to a question in an exam. Or, more common – you’ve put on weight.

Stress hormones, Cortisol, raise your body temperature; causing your body to overheat.

During exercise, our bodies overheat; burning calories. However, when Cortisol is released, it provides us a feeling of losing calories – ironically, we don’t lose any calories!

Stress hormones increase the production of insulin (a hormone responsible for digesting Carbohydrates, Fats, and Proteins), and lowers blood sugar levels.

As said by Jason Perry Block, MD, assistant professor of population medicine at Harvard, eating can be a source of solace and can reduce stress.

As a result, we are inclined to break our diet of fruits and vegetables with sugar-rich foods like cookies, cupcakes, etc. (Collectively termed ‘Comfort Foods’).

The act of eating unhealthy foods to reduce stress is called Stress-Eating.

(An example of this can be seen in the 2014 animated movie Big Hero 6, when Aunt Cass munches on a muffin; stressed out because of Hiro and Tadashi Hamada - She was Stress-Eating)

Remember: fat is stored the most in the belly; one of the hardest to burn. So, less stress = less belly fat.

In a nutshell: If you stress, you tend to eat sugar-rich foods, which causes you to put on weight (which can, again, make you stressed).

2. Reduce Playing Games That Increase Adrenaline Production

Utilizing adrenaline is a great method to lose weight. However, when adrenaline is produced because of games it increases the body temperature, providing the feeling of losing calories – but just like stress, nothing’s lost!

This feeling craves you for more calories that are not required – even though you may know this, your body will still ask for more food.

More the release of unnecessary adrenaline = More the intake of unnecessary food = Weight-gain!

3. Diets

​​SMXLA Calorie Deficit diet is a diet in which you reduce your calorie intake as much as possible.

The goal of this is to burn fat faster by burning out more calories than you take in, without affecting your muscles.

One such diet is to consume more proteins, and utilize them for weight lifting, and keeping a calorie deficit to approximately 20% - 25%, while you perform minimum cardio exercises.

4. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

(Story Time!)

Researchers at the Health and Exercise Science program in the School of Medical Sciences at the University of New South Wales performed a research with 45 obese Australian women divided into two groups; each performing different types of workouts, however, their diet remained the same. Here is what they performed:

            Group A: 20-minute cardio workouts, three times a week, on a specialized exercise bike, permitting 8 seconds of interval followed by 12 seconds of cycling of light cycling.

            Group B: 40-minute slow and steady cardio workouts, three times a week, on the same exercise bike.

After 15 weeks, Group A participants lost weight up to three times as that of the Group B participants.

 Here is how the Head of the research, Professor Steve Boutcher, explained this:

“Intermittent sprinting produces high levels of chemical compounds called Catecholamines, which allow more fat to be burned from under the skin and within the exercising muscles. The resulting increase in fat oxidation drives the greater weight loss.”

The form of training performed by Group A is called High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).

HIIT is a type of workout (training), that involves one to do high-intensive exercises with periodic breaks.

HIIT workouts relies on your brain to release Adrenaline, epinephrine, during the workout.

As mentioned earlier, Adrenaline is a Catecholamine enzyme that is secreted by the brain during intense situations. It is the body’s defense system to any potentially dangerous situation. You may have heard it as the ‘fight-or-flight’ response.

Adrenaline itself increases the body’s temperature -  making the workout more effective.

Mixing a Calorie Deficit Diet along with HIIT workouts is highly recommended. However, this is optional. The only difference will be that diets along with workouts reduce the time involved for weight-loss!

HIIT workouts are one of the most effective workouts for weight-loss, and is widely performed by trainers.

Here's an example of a HIIT workout on a Treadmill:

Set your gradient to level 2.0 (gradient remains the same throughout the workout), with total workout time as 20 minutes. 

Commence with a 3 minute warm-up with your speed being 7 km/h. 
Then, jog for 1 minute with your speed, preferably at, 11 km/h. However, you can slow it down to your convenient jogging/sprinting speed.
Walk for 1 minute with speed set to 7 km/h.
Jog again for 1 minute with your speed being 11 km/h.
Walk at 7 km/h.
Repeat this cycle of jogging and walking for 20 minutes.

• Exercises To Reduce Belly Fat

Here are a few exercises that are effective for reducing belly fat. However, note that doing these exercises alone won’t help you with the loss; you must execute them before and/or after a workout (Say, HIIT):

1. Sit Ups

Lie on an exercise mat with your legs outstretched - pull your legs inwards.

Place your hands on the back of your head, and keep your back straight; rest your head on the mat.

Lift yourself using your back – not your head – and slowly bend towards your knees. Remember to keep your back straight.

To rest, slowly move your back away from your knees (keep your back straight), and rest on the exercise mat.

Breathe in-and-out 5 times, and repeat.

Do a minimum of 8 crunches.

You can try to touch your elbow to its alternate knee (Right elbow touches the left knee, and left elbow touches the right knee).

2. Semi-Sit Ups

Start with the position of a regular sit up.

The only difference between these sit ups and the regular ones is that hold yourself in the air mid-way through the sit up.

Hold yourself there for 5 breaths, and return to the initial position.

(Always keep your back straight!)

3. Knee Tucks

Lie on an exercise mat with your legs outstretched, and with your arms on the mat (Palms facing down).

Lift your legs off the mat – don’t lift your back.

Pull your legs inwards, then stretch it back; keeping it above the mat (in air).

Repeat 20 – 30 times.

Then, lower your legs.

4. Crossed Leg Crunch

Just like Knee Tucks, raise your legs with your arms and back on the mat.

This time, motion your legs up-and-down by alternating between them.

I.e., raise your right leg higher, at the same time lower your left leg (don’t rest it on the mat), then raise your left leg, at the same time lower your right leg.

Raise each leg 10 – 15 times.

Lower your legs.

5. Planks

​​SMXL(Oh, how we love this one!)

Lie on an exercise mat (or the ground; better if the mat), with your body facing towards it, and your back towards the ceiling/sky.

Place your arms on the mat (with a fold from your elbow of, preferably, 90 degrees), shoulder width apart.

You will find yourself in a push-up position – only here, you are resting on your arms, not on your palms.

Adjust your back, and hip such that you should look like a right-angled triangle.

Hold yourself in that position for a minimum of 30 seconds. Slowly increase your time to 1 – 2 minutes (You can have a friend clock your time).

Once done, lower your back towards the mat.

Throughout this exercise don’t forget to breathe!

6. Mid-Air Hold

(If you thought the others are hard, try this one!)

Lie on an exercise mat with your legs outstretched. Rest your back on the mat with your arms on the mat as well (palms facing the mat).

Raise your legs; keeping them straight, and hold them in the air.

Hold them there for a minimum of 20 seconds. Slowly stretch that time to 30 – 60 seconds.

Remember to breathe during this exercise.

You will find that your abdomen becomes tight/stiff. If it doesn't, lower your legs while still keeping on air.

This is great for ab-building as well.

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In between each exercise, rest for 10 seconds, then continue to the following one. Breathing is very important for all the exercises mentioned here – so don’t forget to breathe!

Execute exercises with caution: if you have injured yourself, consult a doctor to check whether you can continue with your training.

Before exercising consult a doctor to check whether your body is fit for exercise – Precautions Are Better Than Cure!

• See You At The Finish Line!

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SMXLLosing weight, or belly fat, is a long and exhausting process – especially if you have not done any physical activity in a long time.

But don’t get carried away with the high-intensity of exercises and the “struggles” during a diet – NO PAIN, NO GAIN.

Whenever you feel exhausted during a workout session and want to stop everything, remember this:

            “Imagine if you would one day look at the weighing machine contented by your weight. Imagine if you look at yourself and smile at the drastic change you have incurred.

 You will realize that all your efforts, your pain, and your time has shaped a body you are no longer ashamed of showing at a public pool. Imagine that day.

 But that day will not come if you stop burning the excess energy in you today – if you decide to stop today because that brain of yours is lazy, you won't experience the happiness on that day; only because you haven't experienced it yet - that is a happiness you will always crave for.

So, what are you going to do? Rest after the first step of the race, or rest after hundreds of those steps at the finish line?

The choice is yours…”

I wish you all the best – See You At The Finish Line!

Note to Reader: This is a dated post with information that may not be correct. While the advice could be helpful, do conduct your own research before following this. I wrote this out of interest in exercising as a 13 year old kid with no health certifications. I'm a more experienced hobbyist lifter now, but also want to preserve my younger self's writings - reach out to me directly if you'd like to discuss the content written here. Cheers.