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on February 13, 2019
Dieting to lose weight is difficult at best, and generally ends in frustration for the average person. The majority of people gain most of the weight back within the first year. However, there are three strategies that have consistently proven to be effective in losing weight and maintaining the loss. More...
on February 13, 2019
Years of misjudging your intake by just a few calories at a time will end up sabotaging your weight. For example, if you gain the average amount of one pound per year, this means you’re off by only 10 calories a day. More...

I know we can't spot-reduce but if I continue to lose weight and do my resistance training, can I reduce my waist?

On Wednesday, February 13, 2019

 

Question: I've gone from over 50% body fat to 22.8%.  However, I still have a roll around my waist.  I know you say we can't spot-reduce but if I continue to lose weight and do my resistance training, can I reduce my waist?

Answer: Yes. If you continue to do the correct things (eat less than you burn), you will continue to lose fat. Will it come directly from your midsection? If that is your genetic predisposition, then yes. The good news is this: if you continue to lose fat your body will have no choice but to take fat from the waist at some point.

As long as you can deal with the work and food demands of your current program, without developing an unhealthy obsession about one trouble area, then keep at it. You will continue to lose body fat and it will come from your waist eventually.

One final point you might want to consider: Many people will lose fat from the top portion of the torso and belly at a quicker rate than the lower portion or waist. If this is the case, it can make the waist look bigger for a period of time until fat loss in this area catches up.