A Rebel in one of my Facebook groups says:
“I’ve lost weight in my feet and legs and behind. I’ve never had this happen in all my years of dieting. This feels so great. But how does this happen????”
It’s a great question. And a lot of programs out there – both “diets” and fitness programs – promise you can spot reduce fat on your body, meaning pick and choose where the weight comes off.
That is both true and not true.
Here’s what I mean.
Your natural shape and genetics do not determine if you can reach a healthy weight for YOUR size and shape.
They do heavily influence where the weight comes off and where it doesn’t. If you’re someone who naturally carries more weight in your lower body, like me, it’s not that you won’t lose weight in your lower body. But you may not get to the size of someone whose lower body stays slender, but they gain weight easily on their upper body.
It’s really individualized. Another example: Some women’s breasts shrink a lot with weight loss, and some women’s don’t. There’s no magic food that will “make” your breasts stay (or drop to) the size you want them to. Your body lets the weight go the way it wants.
So why is it, then, that this lady is losing weight in places she never has before?
The reason is different for everyone, but what I can tell you is this: Some ways of losing weight are healthier than others.
Yeah, you can drop pounds eating processed frankenfood that’s SOAKED with chemicals that are absorbed into your fat cells and stored there.
But you’re still gonna have inflammation, and you’re gonna have those chemicals marinating in your fat tissue doing lord knows what. (Fat doesn’t actually “burn off” – your fat cells just shrink.)
Your body’s not happy about that, and even if you lose pounds, you’re not gonna be as healthy as you would eating a clean, real food diet, drinking water, and getting your sleep.
Your body’s still holding onto water and weight in places it wouldn’t if you lost weight with a clean diet.
So no, you cannot spot reduce fat, despite what the fitness magazines tell you.
But you can make peace with your body’s natural shape, and you can give it its best chance by losing weight in a gimmick-free, simple, sustainable way that focuses on real food, water, and sleep.
Get started on Code Red with the 30-day 10 Pound Takedown Challenge, where you can lose 10 pounds in 30 days and feel better than you have in years. Join the challenge at www.10PoundTakedown.com.