The Secret to Targeting Fat Loss

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secret targeting fat lossI get this question a lot. People want to know how to get rid of fat in a certain area. They want to know how to firm up or tone up a specific body part. It can be frustrating to hear these questions at times, but I understand why people ask them. As a society, we’ve been brainwashed by the fitness companies and their marketing departments. They put out product after product trying to get you to buy into their hype.

The fitness industry would fall flat on its face if they told you the real secret to getting rid of fat in those pain-in-the-butt places. With television commercials and ads like these being blasted at you, why wouldn’t you think you could target fat loss. A Google search brings up some of the following workouts:

  • 10 minute toned abs
  • Thigh toning workout
  • 5 minute toned body legs workout
  • 20 minute total body toning workout
  • 8 workout moves for a toned body
  • Triple threat toned abs

The Secret to Targeting Fat Loss

The real secret to targeting fat loss in a specific area is through proper diet. I’m really sorry to let you down. You were probably expecting some mind blowing revelation on how to get six pack abs through some amazing 10 minute abs workout. If you were, then I guess this really is a revelation for you.

You cannot target fat loss through exercise. Read it again. Read it again. You cannot target fat loss through exercise. Doing situps is not going to give you six pack abs. Doing butt blasters (or some other catchy marketing term) is not going to give you buns of steel. You aren’t going to get “toned” arms or legs by doing leg or arm workouts.

Do you see a pattern here? I’m sorry, but no amount of exercise is going to make that body part look good if there is a layer of fat covering it up! Healthy eating is the only way to target fat loss. Fat loss is systemic – not localized.

To better explain this, take your typical arm workout. Maybe you are doing some curls in the hope to have “toned” arms. As you are lifting the weight, your biceps send out a signal that it needs energy – fat. This fat is both used for lifting the weight (especially if you are not lifting heavy), and used to repair muscle tissue.

When your muscles send out this “I need fat” signal, your body releases all sorts of fat-burning hormones and chemicals into the blood stream. Within seconds and a couple of heart beats, these fat burning chemicals are dispersed throughout the entire body. They start pulling fat from all over the place – from the fat in your midsection, to the fat on your fingers. It would be great if your muscles would just use the fat from the surrounding muscle, but it’s just not physiologically possible.

From commenter Jason – You can’t tell your body where to deposit fat, so why do people think they can tell it where to remove it?

Read more about the localized fat loss myth.

Stop Trying to Tone, and Start Building Muscle

I really despise the word “tone”. It’s another one of those words misused by the fitness industry. It was created to target women who didn’t want to get big and bulking through strength training. Here’s the thing though, being toned means nothing more than having muscle and being lean. There is no exercise that accomplishes this. Your goal should be to build muscle in the most efficient way possible, and then use proper nutrition to remove the fat covering it.

what women think
Stop wasting your time with crunches, leg lifts, or any other isolation exercise that doesn’t challenge you. You might feel a great “burn” while you do them, but that has nothing to do with how effective your workout is. Get in the gym and start lifting some weights, or do your strength training at home – just do it. Build that fat-burning muscle, and then focus on your diet.

Here are 50 tips for building muscle the right way.

If you don’t want to get bulky, then you have to watch what you eat. If you put on muscle but do nothing to decrease your body fat (diet), you are going to look bigger. However, if you get in the gym and do squats and other highly effective compound movements, and couple that with a great diet, you are going to start seeing the true potential of your body.

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About Tony Schober

Healthy living curator, blogger, foodie, certified personal trainer, husband, & step-dad to 3. Founder of Coach Calorie. Hates scales.

  • Risa Casey

    I just want to say THANK YOU. I am going to post this to my group biggest loser facebook page. I am leading the group and losing weight along with them. The same question I get all the time is how do I get my belly slimmer or how do I get the thigh gap without bulking up my legs? I keep telling them that the weight loss is 90% diet and 10% exercise that will get them the body they are looking for. So just wanted to say thank you for confirming it for me.

    • Coach Calorie

      Thanks for sharing on your page Risa. It’s an easy concept, but one that many people are in denial about.

  • http://goo.gl/QnUWT Jason

    Great post Tony. It hits I few problems I run into when I first start to train a new female client.

    As you know I am big on adding resistance training to the mix when it comes to fat loss. And the first thing women say is that they don’t want to look like me or a female bodybuilder. It is very frustrating to hear that. Sometimes I think it is an excuse to not change their lifestyle. For someone who is extremely overweight my thinking is that a muscular body is more attractive than an extremely overweight one.

    Diet is so important. Food is such a big part of culture, every social event involves food. So I can see it hard for people to change their diet when everyone around them is making poor choices. And when you go to all these different social events it is rare to find healthy snacks.

    You can’t tell your body where to deposit fat, so why do people think they can tell it where to remove it. I like how you bring some honesty to the subject.

    • Coach Calorie

      Great way of thinking about it Jason – You don’t choose where you get to put the fat on, and you don’t get to choose where to take it off. I like that!

    • Coach Calorie

      I added your comment to the article. Thanks for the addition.

  • http://artfitnessllc.blogspot.com/ Alisa

    Great article!

    it is amazing no matter how many times you tell your clients that diet is 99% of any weight loss program they still listen to commercials and magazine ads that promise a magic quick fix.

    Your message is 100% what we preach at my studio in Delaware.

    THANK YOU again.
    Alisa Robinson

    • Coach Calorie

      Advertising can be very persuasive. Sometimes you have to repeat yourself over and over again. It takes retraining. Thanks for stopping by Alisa.

  • Toshy

    The “diet” thing is a very big challenge for me because every time I read a lists of designed foods that help lose fat or whatever, most of the food items I don’t like or the combination of foods are nasty. How can someone eat healthy and still enjoy the foods they love? I love salads by the way but I can only eat it with Ranch dressing. :(
    Also this article confuses me. Should you diet more and exercise less? I have heard that you can eat what you want but only in moderation and if you want to lose a substantial amount of weight…90 minute workouts, 5 times a week is ideal. I understand resistance training is important but what is your take on aerobic activities? Thanks. :)

    • Coach Calorie

      Hi Toshy, I am by no means saying to exercise less. Diet is key for fat loss, but you still need muscle.

      I don’t believe you can eat what you want and still have the physique you want, unless your desired physique is sub par. If you still want that bad food, plan on having a cheat meal once a week.

      90 minutes 5 times a week is not needed. Start off with resistance training 3 times per week, and then add in cardio on 3 of your off days. Then take 1 day off per week. Add cardio days in as needed to break through sticking points.

      • Toshy

        Oh, I see. Thank you so much for taking the time to clarify. I will indeed use this. :)

    • Kevin

      I make my own ranch dressing because I love it too and eat salad a lot. I substitute good stuff for the bad stuff. 17 ounces of Fage Greek yogurt, plain. 1 cup of lite sour cream, 1 cup of skim milk and 3 packets of hidden valley buttermilk recipe seasoning packets. Blend thoroughly in the blender. I like it and its way better tasting than any store bought low fat low calorie dressing. Also way healthier than regular ranch Greek yogurt makes a great substitute for mayo.

  • http://brokenwon.blogspot.com Wendy T

    Is there an exercise DVD that you would recommend?

    Assuming I get the all clear tomorrow from my doc regarding other issues, I’m ready to actually do this thing. But I don’t get out much and that won’t change. So, any DVD exercise program that you recommend that would incorporate what you mentioned as “other highly effective compound movements” I can follow?

    • Coach Calorie

      I don’t know of any DVDs that I could recommend unfortunately. The good news is that you don’t need one to put together a good workout. Do you have a gym membership?

      • http://brokenwon.blogspot.com Wendy T

        No I don’t. And I can’t for a couple reasons. So it has to be something I can do in the house.

        • Coach Calorie

          That’s OK, you don’t need a membership or weights to get a good workout. Your question deserves a post of its own, and I’m working on it.

        • Kirsty

          Wendy there are so many DVD’s out there if you can find one that youre interested in doing its a start. It doesnt matter what it is as long as it keeps you interested.
          For example if you like to dance there are the Zumba ones. Think about what you like to do and look for one along those lines.
          Perhaps even a daily walk will do if youre just starting out?
          Good luck on your journey!

        • http://www.facebook.com/anna.szenfeld.5 Anna Szenfeld

          great and short workouts, Davina McCall ‘Body Fit’ and ‘Body buff’ I started with bike/cross trainer then added her workouts (love it) lost 3 dress sizes in a year ;)

  • Aideen McCarthy

    what would you recommend I add to my weight loss routine. I do kettlebells (high intensity) twice a week for 1 hour sessions but have just started a sedentry job and feel this is not enough as i still have about 30 llbs to lose?

    • Coach Calorie

      Hey Aideen, I always recommend weight training. I don’t think you can go wrong adding it to your fitness program.

      • Aideen McCarthy

        Thanks for that, i thought kettlebells was weight training, but now i have defined it properly!

        • Coach Calorie

          It’s a form of resistance training. However, I wouldn’t use that as your sole source of weight training. Lift some weights, or even bodyweight exercises would be good. Just make sure the intensity is high!

  • Donna B.

    Thanks for these tips. I’m still working on overall weight loss but I would like to target my stomach and thighs so this information will definitely come in handy!! :) I got cleared by the doctor this week to start going to the gym (although I have to take it easy at first) so I’m excited to start putting some of your information into action :)

  • Silvia Papas

    The fundamental problem I believe is that a women’s body is totally different from a males body. If I were to do weights only without the cardio then I would totally bulk up. A male can do weights alone with diet as they can bulk up and look good. A woman needs all three to get desired results. That is where I go wrong because it is just too hard to do all three required element of training to get the optimum results. Thus I am constantly on the look out for quickie weight loss gimmick. But ultimately it comes down to diet primarily and the weights. It’s just too damn complicated when I am at work 10 hours per day.

    • Coach Calorie

      Silvia, a woman’s body might be different than a mans, but the way fat loss occurs is the same in both. You will not bulk up weight training as long as your diet is in check. Adding cardio certainly doesn’t hurt, but it’s your diet that’s going to have the biggest factor. It is very hard for a woman to put on muscle. It would take years and years and male hormone injections to look like the girl in the first pic.

  • http://ZDiets.net Ryan Parker

    A beautiful post and very enlightening indeed. It is with tips and information available online like this that I’ve managed to hit my weight loss and health goals.

    I’ve personally lost 180lbs since Dec 2009. My blood pressure was 160/110, now its 120/80. My cholesterol was 256 mg/dL, now its 176mg/dL. I’m no longer Pre-Diabetic and I’m in the best shape of my life. It wasn’t easy but I can say that everyone can do it if they have the right program.

    If you’re interested in my story please head over to Zdiets.net

    Cheers.

    Ryan E. Parker

  • Pingback: Can You Actually Target Fat Loss |

  • Merilee

    I’ve looked the same way since I was a teen, the “party belly” and I’ve found that a combination of isometric exercise, weights, high-intensity cardio & diet has worked wonders for me. Little cellulite “pockets” under my arms, mid-section and booty are slowly slimming. :)

  • Rosie

    Hi,

    I am a 39 year old woman, weighing 105lbs (dress size 2 on my upper body, and 4 on my lower body). I am 5’4″ tall. I am trying to put on weight and improve my general level of fitness, which is really poor. However, I have unusually large and ugly fat deposits at the top of my thighs which I want to reduce so that I can put on weight evenly. Currently I am running for 30mins 4 times a week, using wrist weights to improve my upper body muscle definition. My thighs have improved a bit but not much. Can you suggest ant other exercises which would target this area? Any advice really appreciated.

    Thanks
    Rosie

    • Coach Calorie

      Hi Rosie, as the article states, you can’t target fat loss with exercise. It’s all about your diet. Make sure you are strength training. Squats should be in every exercise routine IMO. Set your calories to around maintenance levels and focus on changing your body composition.

  • Caitlin

    Great article. People really have a tendency to make issues of weight loss much more complicated than they are. A healthy balanced diet is key to weight loss in conjunction with exercise. period. I feel as though even reading through the comments here where people appear to have very different circumstances and specific questions, the answer is always the same.

    I big problem I see, though, is misconception about what a good diet actually consists of. Many people hear an article like this talk about diet and have been trained by the same advertisements you’re talking about to think of “dieting,” which I think is very different. Good diet is a lifestyle, not a 6 week program with specific food requirements, etc. Or thinking that “healthy” just means salads. There is a lot of misinformation and a general lack of knowledge about healthy eating, nutrition, and even basic skills to cook and prepare healthy food for ourselves.

    I think that your article is a great confrontation of the misinformation around weight loss but I think the problem is deeper and stems from lack of understanding about practicing proper nutrition. It is one thing to identify diet as the key to weight loss, and another to understand what “diet” even means.

    As a side note, I thought that this was a pretty cool article tackling the issue: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/06/opinion/revive-home-economics-classes-to-fight-obesity.html

  • Renate

    I consider myself well-read in regards to nutrition. I have 30 lb to lose but with all the information out there, I am just too overwhelmed to even start. I have made a lot of changes and lost about 20-some lb but still have more to lose. Now I am stuck because I don’t know who or what to follow anymore. Even though I know intelectually what to do, I am almost paralyzed by all that’s out there. My friend said “Just pick one and stick with it.” Sounds easy, right??!! Then why is it so confusing and hard to do? I love your articles. They are very helpful! Thanks for caring about people and trying to educate them.

    • Coach Calorie

      Hi Renate, it’s true – this is a lot of information out there. It gets confusing because everything out there actually works for the most part. They all take into account the basic principle of eat less and move more. The key is to find what best fits into your lifestyle.

  • Faith Sole

    Hi Calorie Coach,

    I go to Hot Yoga at least 4-5 times a week and it is intense. I give my Yoga workouts all that I have. My question is can yoga be looked at as a strength building work out for muscle building? I know it is a slower process but wanted to know your thoughts on it.

    Thanks,
    Faith

    • Coach Calorie

      Hi Faith, I’ve never really liked yoga as a strength training workout, but whether or not it is is all relative. If you feel like you’re pushing yourself to your limits, it might be enough. As you become more physically fit though, you might need to graduate to something more challenging.

  • http://debroby.com Deb

    Oh the irony! All the “related posts” point to articles on toning a body part…

    • Coach Calorie

      That’s true Deb, but if you take the time to read them you’d see that they all say the same thing – it’s all about nutrition. Kind of like the title of this article “the secret to target fat loss”. Makes people read it to find out the truth!

      • http://www.facebook.com/erica.anik Erica Anik

        This is a GREAT article. I see posts on Facebook everyday with exercises targeting the abs. I just shake my head at the misinformed but I did let a couple of people know that abs are made in the kitchen and not from doing those workouts. Those workouts build the muscle underneath the fat but they wont show until you get rid of the fat. The way to do that is to clean up your eating. Once I understood that, my life became so much better! lol

  • bailey

    what if you dont have enough money to buy weights and there is not a local gym you could go to to lift weights. what is another thing you could do to loose weight?

    • http://www.coachcalorie.com/ Coach Calorie

      I would google bodyweight exercises. You don’t need a gym to get in a workout. Your body is all the resistance you need. Combine that with good nutrition, and you will get results.

      • http://www.facebook.com/erica.anik Erica Anik

        THIS!!!!!!! I LOVE doing full-body extreme calisthenics! I have free weights AND a full weight bench set with olympic bar but calisthenics is where it’s at! #clapping

  • Murphy

    I have seen the impact of diet with my two sons.

    My nine year old is not a very physical kid, very picky eater, and would gladly eat a loaf of bread every three days (no more processed carbs in my house). You cannot see any muscle tone on him and he is prone to love handles.

    My six year old cannot get enough of meat, veggies, and apples. The kid cannot sit still and is constantly running around the house. At times when I am trying to have a conversation with him and he will have an impulse to squat down and do a headstand.
    His whole body has clearly defined muscle tone and most days you can see his abs.

    My youngest knows the “secret” to a great body – eat right and live free.

    • http://www.coachcalorie.com/ Coach Calorie

      Sounds like a real-life lifestyle experiment. Sure would be nice if we could get our kids to eat exactly what we wanted them to, no questions asked. :)

      • Murphy

        It is a lifestyle experiment. :)

        My oldest learned his bad eating habits from me and as I am changing our lifestyle he is changing too.
        Some milestone’s we have passed include no more complaining about veggies, he doesnt like the taste of bread anymore, and recently he started to complain about how school makes lunches (they dont taste good anymore). With small gentle changes I’m slowely turning a picky eater around. He also tries to show me how to exercise. Granted he is only attentive for about 5 minutes, its a move in the right direction.

        • http://www.coachcalorie.com/ Coach Calorie

          Great! I’ve found that with my kids, it’s a process, and not an event. Small changes over time add up.

  • D

    Wonderful article!!

  • http://www.coachcalorie.com/ Coach Calorie

    The only way you will gain weight is if you are eating too many calories. The only thing strength training will do is improve your body composition. Waiting to add strength training in is like saying you’re going to hold of on getting healthy until you’ve lost some weight.