The Truth About Spot Reduction in Fat Loss

We are all familiar with this scenario. We are unhappy with a particular area in our body - our arms or want to reduce belly fat. And we get to searching the Internet for exercises aimed at getting us the perfect, toned arms or fancy diet 'guaranteed' to blast the excess fat in our tummy and give us washboard abs before summer. 

Before proceeding any further, let's get this out of the way: you cannot target the fat stores in specific areas of the body. Targeted fat reduction or weight loss is a myth that needs to die down. The best way to reduce stubborn fat is by being in a calorie deficit, following a healthy diet, doing resistance training, and working on the entire body. 

Now that the disclaimers are out of the way, let's dig deep. 

Why do we say spot reduction is not possible? 

The idea of spot reduction, ie, by doing certain exercises you can "spot reduce" or get rid of the flab in that particular location is flawed as it misunderstands or misrepresents fat distribution. Our bodies store fat in sheets. Just because you do 100 crunches daily, it wouldn't result in your body getting rid of the excess fat stored in your midriff. But overdoing it or doing it wrong will give you an excellent case of back pain! 

Don't believe us? Scientists across the world conducted trials and tried to find evidence of spot reduction. In one trial, 104 men and women participated in 12 wk of supervised resistance training of their nondominant arm. Even though there were some improvements, the results did not prove conclusively that resistance training caused significant changes in the muscle mass of the nondominant arm. Similar 12-week experiment was done on the nondominent leg of the participants, at the conclusion of which, significant decrease was seen in body fat whereas there was no change in body mass, bone mass or fat percentage. In other trial, six weeks of purely abdominal exercise training was not found to impact the abdominal subcutaneous fat. 

In a randomised controlled study, 18 volunteers were put through a mixed circuit training and the effects of the same observed on the "regional fat thicknes" for 8 weeks. The effects of the endurance training protocol helped in reduction of adipose tissue. 

A largescale 2021 meta-analysis of 13 studies involving more than 1,100 participants altogether found that localised muscle training did not affect localised fat deposits. - ie, spot reduction is nothing but a myth.

The truth about body fat

To put it simply, human bodies need fat to survive. 

Fat is vital for a variety of body functions. Fat reserves are necessary to keep us warm, provide us with energy and to insulate our organs. Fat cells also carry out the important function of decreasing appetite and regulating body weight by the release of the hormone leptin. Adipose tissue is a complex entity. It contains nerves, connective tissue and immune cells, apart from fat cells. It also responds to insulin. It also produces hormones that regulate metabolism and insulin sensitivity, by releasing adiponectin. 

Types of fat

Brown fat or Brown Adipose tissue are fat cells full of mitochrondria. These keep us warm when temperatures outside plummet. This fat also stores energy and helps in the burning of calories. Brown fat also helps in the regulation of glucose and fat metabolism. 

White fat or white adipose tissue is the kind of fat that is spread all over the body. This type of fat insulates the organs. Excess deposits of white fat leads to obesity. 

Subcutaneous fat is the fat underneath our skin. This is what you can feel when you pinch your flesh. Some subcutaneous fat is necessary for human body mechanisms but an excess of this can lead to metabolic disorders such as diabetes, heart diseases etc. This is the fat we think of when we are thinking of fat loss. 

Visceral fat is the fat tissue found deep in our abdominal cavity, that is wrapped around our vital organs such as liver, stomach and intestines. Also known as belly fat, this is the most dangerous type of all the body fat. Getting rid of excess visceral fat is key to long-term good health. 

What to do for fat loss instead?

If you are carrying excess body fat, there are plenty of ways to lose fat safely. Losing extra body weight comes down to a delicate balance between caloric intake and energy expenditure. But there are things you can do to help your body along. 

1. Regular physical activity 

It could be strength training or high-intensity workouts. Getting a good training program that targets overall health is what you aim for. While spot reduction of fat in a body part is not possible, you can target specific muscle groups such as biceps, or pectorals and work on a buffed look. Remember, fat loss occurs in sheets all over the body. By increasing your physical activity, you can help your body shed excess fat.

2. Proper nutrition 

Your abs are made in the kitchen. If abdominal fat loss is your goal, then pay attention to your calorie intake. Work with a registered dietician to help formulate a balanced diet plan to address all your needs. This is the only way to work on your abdominal muscles in a healthy, sustainable fashion. (Not endless crunches!)  

3. Work on building muscle tone 

If you are unhappy with your flabby upper arms, work on developing the underlying muscles instead. A well-rounded exercise routine targeting muscle growth is excellent for your overall health. Exercises to target specific muscle groups in upper or lower body such as chest, back muscles, triceps, shoulders, legs (the dreaded legs days!) woven into an exercise program will help you improve your .muscle tone

4. Walk everywhere

If the only form of regular exercise you can manage is walking, you can still experience fat loss. Granted, it is no quick fix, but we are not in the quick fix business, are we? You do not have to walk from Land's End to John O'Groats weekly to reap the rewards. Walk little, walk often. Walk for 5 minutes inside your house or workplace every hour. Walk around your building for 15 minutes after every meal. Walk for 30 minutes before bed every night. Whenever possible, get a longish walk of upto 60 minutes, on different terrain or gradients. Each of this will challenge your muscles in different ways.

5. Pay attention to sleep and adequate hydration 

When it comes to fat loss, these two are just as important as exercise and nutrition. Sound sleep is important to help our bodies rest and regenerate, It helps in decreasing stress, which is important for fat loss. Sleep also helps in regulating the hormones that affect hunger and appetite. Poor sleep habits can lower your metabolism, making it difficult to burn off calories. 

Drinking water, especially in a hot country like India, is extremely important. Water is vital for survival. If you are not hydrating yourself well, it will have a knock-on effect of the body's processes, including digestion. The truth of the matter is, drinking water will help in the burning of fat. Water is needed for lipolysis, or metabolising of fat.

"Spot reduction works" is one of the many fat loss myths fanned by those to make a quick buck. Social media has helped fan the flames of these with little to no repercussions. Do not fall for these. Listen to trusted fitness professionals. Read up on scientific studies and peer-reviewed clinical trials. Trust science. 

And the next time someone tries to peddle you spot reduction exercises to blast the fat off a specific area of your body, run.