How To Get Rid of Belly Fat (and All Trouble Areas)
This email from a meal plan user popped up in my inbox:
"I have a question about belly fat. I know you say that it is really hard to get rid of and has to do with your overall body weight; but I am technically underweight and I still have belly fat. I'm not sure how to lose that fat and not get really underweight. Any advice would be great. Thanks!"
I don't think I've ever said it's really hard to get rid of belly fat... fat is fat. Our body type and genetics determine where we store it. Some of us (particularly men) store excess fat in their midsection. Some of us (like myself) store it in the hips or thighs. But all fat is fat -- stored energy to be used later. How to get rid of excess body fat remains the same no matter where it is on our bodies.
One quick note: it's true that we often lose fat in a certain way, i.e. where we put it on first is typically the last place we lose it when we're losing weight. This is where the misconception that certain areas are "harder" than others. It's not that they are "harder", they just take longer based on your body type. For example, I can lose belly fat very easily, but it's my thighs that are more of a challenge because that's where I store most of my fat. That's just body composition from person to person though.
Your being underweight, however, is a great example of why using the scale can be so unreliable. Numbers on a scale can't tell you your body composition (fat vs muscle). It's entirely possible to appear slender but have a low percentage of muscle and a high percentage of body fat or, as in your case, be "underweight" but still have unwanted fat stores.
In those instances, the goal is not to lose more weight -- meaning watch the scale go down further. You may even want the scale to go up, because it's a sign you've put on muscle.
If you've reached a goal weight and are unhappy with how you look physically, or your body fat percentage is too high, consider adding exercise that will increase your muscle mass. Change your body composition. Get leaner, more muscle, less fat. (See this post What weighs more? A pound of fat or a pound of muscle? (& Why the scale is a frenemy) for more info and the story of my client who stayed the exact same weight but looked like a totally different woman based on the change in her body fat percentage!)
The best way to lose weight (fat) is through diet.