How to Lose Lower Belly Fat: The Truth About Spot Reduction

 

 

When it comes to fitness goals, reducing lower belly fat is one of the most common aspirations. However, many people believe in the myth of spot reduction—the idea that you can target fat loss from specific areas of your body through certain exercises. Let’s break down the facts and offer practical, sustainable strategies to help you achieve your fat-loss goals.

 

Why Spot Reduction for Belly Fat Is a Myth

First and foremost, it’s important to understand that spot reduction is a myth. Your body doesn’t burn fat from specific areas during exercise; instead, it utilises stored fat from all over your body. The distribution of body fat loss is influenced by genetics, hormones, and other factors, meaning you can’t control exactly where you lose fat first or last.

To drop fat from your lower belly, you need to focus on overall fat loss. This is achieved by creating a calorie deficit, which means consuming fewer calories than your body burns. When in a calorie deficit, your body taps into stored fat for energy, leading to fat loss over time—including from your lower belly.

 

How Body Shape and Structure Influence Fat Distribution

Your body shape and structure play a significant role in how fat is distributed and how your physique changes during fat loss. For example:

• Longer torsos: If you have a longer torso, your midsection may appear leaner and more elongated when compared to someone with a shorter torso.
• Shorter torsos: Those with shorter torsos might notice a more compact look, which can make any fat in the area appear more prominent. You may or may not know that I used to compete in bikini years ago, to get my mid section to look lean enough, I had to get SO lean overall to achieve that. Where as other girls who had longer torsos didn’t have to drop as much overall body fat!
  

It’s essential to embrace your unique body and focus on what’s achievable and healthy for you. Personally, it took me years to embrace having a shorter torso. Once I understood the mechanics and uniqueness of my body, I learned to be kinder to myself and appreciate my structure for what it is. 

 

Strategies for Losing Fat: What You Need to Know

Here are 3 practical steps to help you reduce overall body fat and improve your physique:

1. Create a Calorie Deficit

First work out your maintenance calories I personally prefer to do this in a more realistic way then using a generic calorie calculator. You can determine your maintenance calories by tracking your food intake and weight. Start by recording your daily calorie intake as accurately as possible for a week, then calculate the weekly average (my app can do this for you automatically!). During this time, monitor your weight and weigh in at least 3 x and then also work out your weekly average weight. If your weight remains consistent, the average calorie intake is a reliable estimate of your maintenance calories. You may want to track for 2 weeks to get a more accurate representation.

Below is an example of how my APP averages your weekly calories and body weight. You can also do the equation yourself.

From there once you have an average of your maintenance calories, you can create a calorie deficit by slightly reducing your intake—start with a modest 100-200 calorie deficit. Continue to track your progress weekly and make adjustments as needed based on your results. Remember, dropping body fat doesn’t always mean the number on the scale will decrease! If you’re lifting weights, you can lose body fat while maintaining or even gaining overall body weight due to muscle development. That’s why I recommend taking progress pictures to track your physical improvements.

You also want to prioritise hitting your daily protein target on the daily not on a weekly average basis. Meeting your daily protein requirements is essential for maximising your progress with your fat loss goals. Once you’ve determined your maintenance calories, calculate your protein needs by aiming for 1.5–2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. 

If you find that your protein intake is low after tracking for the first week, start by setting a target of at least 1.5 grams per kilogram of body weight. Focus on building consistency with this baseline. Once you’ve achieved consistency, you can gradually increase your intake toward the higher end of the recommended range.

From here you can aim for to hit your protein target daily, and your overall calorie target on a weekly average. 

I prefer this method because, after coaching countless clients, I’ve found it crucial to empower them with a realistic and positive starting point. Many online calculators provide calorie and macro breakdowns that can be significantly different from what someone is currently eating. This often makes them hard to stick to and can leave people feeling discouraged right from the start. By taking a more personalised and practical approach, like tracking your intake and weight, you’ll set yourself up for success and long-term sustainability.

Additionally you want to Focus on nutrient-dense, whole foods such as lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats to stay satisfied and energised.

You want to continue monitoring your progress, if you are seeing a drop in weekly scale weight (your average weight), or improvements with your progress pictures, this is a good indication that you have successfully created a deficit and you are on track to achieving your fat loss goals! I would suggest not making changes to your calories too quickly, you want to aim to keep your calories as high as possible whilst achieving fat-loss and make intentional changes.

 

Check out my clients fat-loss results using the above methods HERE 

 

2. The role of strength training in fat loss

 

Strength training is essential when fat loss is the goal. If your goal is fat-loss you should be prioritising strength training over cardio!! Cardio can be a useful tool for burning calories, but strength training offers unmatched benefits when fat loss is the primary goal.  Strength training builds lean muscle mass, increasing your metabolism and helping your body burn more calories even at rest. It also will help you improve your body composition by preserving muscle tissue while you lose fat, leading to a more toned and defined appearance.  Incorporating strength training into your routine not only accelerates fat loss but also helps you maintain your results long-term.

Adding in even 2 x 30 minute strength sessions into your week, will be beneficial for you when working towards achieving fat-loss. 

 

3. Be Patient and Consistent

Fat loss takes time, and the lower belly is often one of the last areas to lean out for many individuals. This is why it is super important to ensure you have an approach that is sustainable and that fits into your lifestyle. 

 

The Path to Sustainable Fat Loss: Focus on the Big Picture

Dropping lower belly fat isn’t about targeting that specific area with endless crunches or restrictive dieting. Instead, it’s about adopting a balanced, sustainable approach to overall fat loss. Remember that every body is unique, and comparing your progress to others’ isn’t helpful. By creating a calorie deficit, embracing flexible dieting, prioritising strength training, and being patient, you’ll set yourself up for long-term success.

Celebrate your body’s unique structure, and focus on becoming the healthiest, strongest version of yourself!

I hope this gave you some clarity when it comes to achieving your fat-loss goals! If you are after some individual guidance to get you started on your fat-loss journey, I would love to help you! I now offer 1/1 online custom coaching for only $40 per week! Plus there is no lock-in contract! CLICK HERE to learn more.

 

Beth x