FEMALE MUSCLE

Q. How do you train/diet clients with stubborn body fat?

A. What people tend to call stubborn body fat are really just areas on the body that have more fat cells that can be loaded with fat. When an area has more fat cells full of fat, it makes perfect sense that this area will take the longest to show progress. This is why we call it stubborn.

What dictates fat cell locations and or fat storing capacity?

• Genetics
• Gender
• Age
• Lifestyle

Health issues can also increase fat storage and reduce fat burning. Again, lifestyle will dictate how much or how little, so you can’t use these as your main excuse. Some examples are: Insulin resistance, chronic stress, and estrogen dominance/low testosterone.

What can make stubborn fat more stubborn?

• Trying to lose weight too quickly
• Keeping calories too low and skipping meals
• Making poor food choices and bad timing
• Using improper training methods or overtraining
• Drinking too little water
• How we think and feel about our goals

It’s absolutely essential that clients understand that fat loss takes time and effort. Here are my top tips for shedding stubborn body fat:

• Build muscle. The more muscle you have, the leaner you are. This is your single best way to eliminate and avoid stubborn body fat. It takes time and patience.
• Lose the weight gradually. Don’t try to lose 30 pounds in 30 days. That’s a recipe to increase fat! Focus on shedding no more than one to two pounds per week.
• Eat four to six small meals spread evenly through the day. Skipping meals and starving yourself backfires because it lowers metabolism (causing endocrine shifts and muscle loss) and leads to erratic blood sugar levels (impairing fat burning, increasing cortisol, and increasing appetite).
• Drink up! By the time you’re thirsty, you’ve reduced your metabolism by 2 to 4 percent. Drink 12 to 16 glasses of water day for fat loss. It supports detox, fat loss, and muscle growth.
• Follow a training program that combines weights with cardiovascular work.
• Reduce rest periods.
• Be mindful in each workout and push yourself.
• Change up your program every four to 12 weeks.
• Factor rest into your training phases. Recovery is crucial in fat loss too.
• Be persistent. I always say that Rome wasn’t built in a day. It takes time to get to where you’re going. Be patient and stay mindful of your goal.
• Have a qualified professional create a nutrition and exercise program that is right for you.

To read more strategies for tackling stubborn body fat, click here!