Can You Lose Fat From Specific Places?

It is often a misconception that you can lose fat from a specific place. If you lose fat from the body, then the fat loss would be from the entire body and won’t be restricted to a specific area of your body. Exercise and diet combined together form an effective tool which you can use to lose fat from your entire body.

The fat in the body is stored in the form of triglycerides, which the body cannot break down for energy. The triglycerides are first broken down to glycerol and fatty acids, which are then released into the bloodstream, following which they can be used as energy. 

Initially the body uses the available carbohydrates present in the blood for energy; fat is only used as fuel after the carbohydrates supply is exhausted. Hence, prolonged steady state exercise, such as jogging for 50-60 minutes is an efficient method of burning fat. Another strategy you may employ to lose fat from your body is by a method called high intensity interval training. 

High intensity interval training (HIIT) is increasingly becoming the new fad in fat loss. This method utilizes a concept where you do an exercise at full thrust for a short time of 20-30 seconds followed by a short rest period of 10-15 seconds; this comprises of one set. Repeat for another 9 to 10 sets for a proper HIIT workout. The idea is to burn energy during the exercise and after the exercise is complete.

The exercises in HIIT are done at full throttle which means your heart rate centers around an anaerobic zone and this creates an oxygen shortage in the body. An effect called EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) is induced in the body that results in an elevated metabolism for up to 24-48 hours after the workout. So you would be burning fat simply by doing nothing.

The fat loss process occurs when the fat cells around the body shrink. Doing body specific exercise such as crunches to lose fat from the stomach does not work and will only work the muscle underneath the fat. It is better to focus on compound exercises that involve the entire body to burn more calories and lose fat from the body.