PERRY BUCHANAN: Less intake key to losing extra weight

How do I lose this?

That’s one of the most frequent questions I’m asked. Usually it’s asked as a client grabs one of those areas hated so much it’s given an affectionate name like “love handles,” or named after an over-indulgent food that contributed to the problem, such as “muffin top” or “beer belly.”

We are flooded with fad diets, gadgets and gimmicks to help us burn fat from these problem areas. There are hundreds of items sold to help shed the fat from these areas, even though it is impossible to do. Spot reducing is a myth that refuses to die. This is mainly because advertisers keep the myth alive by pushing their products to those desperately looking for a solution.

The fact is, to lose that spare tire, you will need to lose weight. However, the weight will be lost by your body in areas specific to your genetic makeup. You cannot direct the fat to be burned in one specific area.

The idea that you can do exercises to target fat with certain exercises is untrue. Even though you may do hundreds of crunches, you are not going to melt the fat in your abdominal area. The same as when you do dozens of exercises for your arms; you are not reducing the fat in the arms. By strength training, you will tone the muscle, but the fat does not burn from that area just because you work the muscle.

As simple advice as it is, if you want to lose those trouble areas, you just need to eat less and move more. Regardless of the thousands of diets that claim to work by magically “unlocking the fat,” the only way fat is ever burned is by creating a caloric deficit.

A caloric deficit means you are burning more fuel than you are consuming. This is known as the laws of thermodynamics and is the only proven way to lose weight. You will lose a pound of fat by creating a 3,500-calorie deficit. For example, 250 more calories burned through exercise and 250 fewer calories consumed daily will allow you to lose one pound per week.

Hundreds of diet and weight-loss programs have you eat and avoid certain foods or consume special pre-packaged foods or supplements and avoid certain foods. Many of these diets claim that calories don’t matter, yet, ironically, if any of them are successful it is always done by reducing calories consumed. Even if you don’t count calories, calories do count.

When it comes to good health, energy and performance, there is more to consider than calories. And no, those gluten-free baked Cheetos don’t count as proper nutrition! For best results, we should limit refined and processed starches and grains, sugar, and soft drinks and fried saturated-fat foods. These foods contribute to the surplus calories that lead to obesity, but it is only the total sum of calories that need to be considered for weight loss. We should mainly avoid these foods not because of the calories, carbs or fats they contain, but avoid them because they are not the best choices for health.

If I wasn’t concerned about what is going on inside my arteries, I would be eating cheeseburgers, pizza and Haagen-Dazs every meal, every day!

Avoid the temptation to find a quick fix through a magic pill, special supplements or the latest infomercial gizmo. Beware of any program that claims to spot reduce or lose more than a couple pounds per week. Follow the American College of Sports Medicine recommendations of 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week or at least 75 minutes per week of vigorous intensity activity. Along with aerobic activity, add strength training two to three times per week to preserve your muscle and boost your metabolism while losing fat.

In planning your workouts, focus on your whole body, not just some trouble area. With your diet, keep in mind no specific class of food (fats or carbs) makes you fat. It is only excess calories that make you fat. If you’re not losing weight it is not because of your slow metabolism, genetics or any of the many excuses we come up with. There are many factors important in a successful weight-loss program. But remember, it all begins from having an ideal caloric balance.

Perry Buchanan, owner of PT Gym, is certified as an Exercise Physiologist through the American College of Sports Medicine, and Fitness Nutrition Specialist through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Email him at [email protected]. Follow @ptgym on Twitter.