The unfortunate truth is that belly fat is like all other fat: it’s there until you get rid of it! The body is very effective at both putting on fat and taking off fat, when it needs to, and it does so by utilizing fat rather evenly from all the fat storages. What does this mean?
Spot training does NOT work
The myth of spot training has long been busted. No matter how many push ups you take, you will not burn more fat from the fat cells in front of your abdomens then other places on your body. Think of all the fat on your body as one big gas tank.
Total fat needs to be reduced
Your total body fat has to be reduced before you see any changes to your belly. Only through reducing your fat to lean mass ratio will you be able to get rid of belly fat, let alone sport a six-pack.
Weight reduction/gain = total calories in – total calories out
As a rule of thumb you can calculate your daily/weekly/monthly weight gain/loss by looking at the calories you take in and the calories that you burn. This equation is a lot more important for gain/loss then what kind of calories you eat, as long as you get enough protein.
Protein should be the foundation of all diets
When you are on a diet it is important that you are reducing fat and not other types of body mass, like muscles. Studies have shown that the ideal protein intake to prevent your body from using your own muscles as a protein source is around 0.5-0.7 grams of protein per pound. This translates to 1-1.5 grams per kilo. In other words with a body weight of 200 pounds you need at least 100 grams of protein per day, just to keep your muscles intact while dieting.
Design your diet on top of the 0.5-0.7 grams of protein per body weight pound, that is take your calorie target and add fat and carbohydrate calories. Say you weigh 200 pounds and go for the top end of 140 grams of protein per day. That calculates to 560 calories, as 1 gram of protein = 4 calories. You then take your target, say 1700 calories per day and subtract the protein calories, which add up to a remaining 1140 calories. Divide these remaining calories between fat and carbohydrates as per your preferences.
Calorie deficit is the only way to lose weight
The only way to lose weight is through a calorie deficit, meaning eating less energy sources then the energy you expend. Maintaining a deficit can be done either through dieting (the “in” side of the equation), expending more energy through activity and training (the “out” side of the equation) or both.