A fitness coach has shared the “one way” to lose belly fat and is advising those starting diets to “be patient.”
Many of us start diets or exercise routines in a bid to lose weight, with lots hoping to shed fat in specific areas. However, health expert James Ryder has offered a reality check about the weight loss process, while also encouraging people not to lose hope on their journey
In a now-viral TikTok post, James emphasised the importance of consistency in any fitness regime. He began: “You are going to lose body fat only one way.”
He went on to clarify: “Here’s how to lose belly fat, face fat, thigh fat, any fat.” Dismissing “special specific exercises” and “special types of diets,” as ineffective, he labelled them as examples of “what not to do.”
He refuted claims made by some diets that promise targeted fat loss, explaining the truth behind effective fat reduction.
James explained: “The only way you’re going to lose fat from anywhere on your body is through your nutrition and eating in a calorie deficit. If someone’s tried to tell you otherwise or perhaps sell you otherwise, they are lying to you. Your body chooses when and where it loses fat, you do not get to pick this.”
He then highlighted a common oversight in people’s weight loss journeys. “Be patient,” he advised. “And over time you will lose fat from that area.”
The TikTok post’s caption stated: “Let me make myself crystal clear. You are going to lose body fat only one way! And that is through eating in a calorie deficit. That is the only way to lose body fat from any area of your body. Your face, your chest, your belly, your back fat. You lose fat through eating in a calorie deficit and your body picks and chooses where it loses fat from first.
“Some people it’s their back first and stomach last.” He went on to say: “You don’t get to decide, that’s just the reality of it.”
According to NHS advice for those dieting, people trying to lose weight should focus on consuming a healthy, balanced mix of fruits and vegetables, along with sufficient protein and fibre.
This advice is distilled into six main points highlighted in The Eatwell Guide, which says:
- Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day
- Base meals on higher fibre starchy foods like potatoes, bread, rice or pasta
- Have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks)
- Eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other protein
- Choose unsaturated oils and spreads, and eat them in small amounts
- Drink plenty of fluids (at least 6 to 8 glasses a day)