6 Types of Body Fat and How to Get Rid of It

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Every person holds the fat in their body in a unique way. No two bodies are exactly the same.

As we strive for a our fitness goals, often the bane of our existence becomes body fat. We hate it. We desperately want to get rid of it because we feel it holds us back from visually looking the part of the physically fit person we’re becoming.

Many of us fail to realize that there is no universal remedy to burn the fat distributed in the various parts of our body, and often get discouraged when one plan or diet doesn’t give us the results we want.

In this article, we’ll discuss the six different types of body fat and how storing excess weight in these areas of the body should change how you target them.

 

 

The 6 Types Of Body Fat and How to Target Them

 

#1 A Large Stomach With Back Fat

The main reason why this type of fat storage happens is due to inactivity.

How to get rid of it:

An effective remedy for a large stomach and upper back fat is sleeping. Make sure that you’re getting enough sleep. Sleep deprivation can lead to hormonal imbalances and increased appetite and weight gain, which will result in fat being stored mostly in your belly.

We also recommend eating more foods that are rich in fiber. Adding beans, peas, lentils, broccoli, oatmeal, avocados, and raspberries to your diet is not hard. Fiber will help reduce your appetite and calorie absorption from food.

This will give your waist and back a much leaner appearance and help you feel better from the inside out. Please remember that a healthy diet and an active lifestyle will have the best impact on your body.

 

#2 Lower Leg Swelling

This type of body fat is common for women who have vascular problems in their legs or during pregnancy. Vascular problems reduce blood circulation, which can cause the legs to swell.

How to get rid of it:

To avoid swelling, you’ll need to cut down on salty foods drastically. Salt causes fluid retention in your body because water flows to areas of low concentration to maintain a balance.

If you do enjoy salty foods, this could be the reason for all the extra volume in your legs. Changing your diet and adding plenty of water to it should flush out any extra sodium through your urine.

Don’t sit without moving for more than 30 minutes at a time. Try to stand up and walk around frequently. Grab a glass of water, stretch, and move around. That’s right, now you have an excuse to go to the far corner of your office to talk to your coworkers.

Any extra movement will help you since it can help your body circulate any excess fluid the right way. If you have the opportunity to lie down with your feet elevated, you should do that to prevent fluid from building up in your lower legs.

 

#3 A Bloated Stomach

Excessive alcohol consumption, carbonated beverages, and even dairy products can swell up your gut.

How to get rid of it:

Reduce your alcohol consumption, since most of its calories end up becoming belly fat, just like soda pop loaded with sugar. Alcohol gives us calories, but not nutritional satisfaction.

This means it makes us hungrier and gives us food cravings. It brings down your level of leptin, which is a beneficial hormone that tells your brain that you’ve had enough food.

High levels of sugar intake can also lead to Type 2 diabetes where the pancreas does not produce enough insulin to metabolize the sugar, and your body’s cells lose their reactivity to insulin because it’s always present in the blood stream.

Reducing sugar in the diet and replacing it with complex carbohydrates will keep you feeling fuller for longer, reduce your risk for a variety of health problems, and of course, help you cut back your bloated stomach.

Now, before you reach for that diet soda, Think twice because it won’t help you in your fight either. Carbonated drinks, even the diet ones, have artificial sweeteners that kick your body into fat-storage mode. Stick to good ol’ water; it has no calories and will most effective at quenching your thirst.

 

#4 Fat in the Lower Body

One of the causes of those annoying chaffing thunder thighs is an excess of gluten in your diet and lack of aerobic exercise.

How to get rid of it:

In a world of elevators and escalators, take the harder route and walk up the hill or staircase. This is one of the more inconspicuous ways in everyday life to metaphorically set the fat and your thighs on fire.

Toning your leg muscles by riding a bike uphill, or increasing the incline of the treadmill will also work. Your heart will beat faster and you’ll have to work harder since you’re moving upward against gravity–a constant force.

What will that do for you? Well, you’ll burn more of those unwanted calories.

Don’t skip breakfast.  If you don’t eat breakfast to kickstart your metabolism in the morning, you’ll feel hungry and more tired and groggy throughout the day. This state actually tricks your body into eating more in an attempt to get energy.

Also, if you skip breakfast, your body will think it’s some kind of starvation situation, and will start storing supplies, turning everything you actually do eat into fat.

 

#5 Lower Abdomen Fat

You might have perfectly slim arms and legs, but still not feel 100% satisfied with your torso. Stress, depression, and anxiety contribute to fat storage in this area. Yes, stress and depression can even do that to you.

How to get rid of it:

You must avoid stress and learn to relax. Cortisol, also known as the stress hormone, encourages fat storage in the belly.

One way to combat stress is to meditate or do breathing exercises. Grab your best yoga mat. This is all about focus and mind power, trying to move your focus down to your stomach and let it soften as you breathe deeper. Your mind and body will get the calming message.

Green tea is a great natural fat burner because it’s loaded with antioxidants that can boost your metabolism. Plus, if you’re doing some physical exercise, green tea will also enhance its effect. Drinking a cozy hot cup of green tea is an excellent way to calm down when you need it to relax or even in your sleep.

 

#6 Upper Body (Arm) Fat

This type of body fat usually starts to accumulate if you consume more calories than you burn. The main contributors to excess fat in this area are overeating and inactivity.

How to get rid of it:

Do aerobics. Because this type of fat appears due to a lack of physical activity, make it a part of your daily routine to run or swim at least 30 minutes every day; these workouts will help you burn this fat right off.

If it seems impossible for you to fit any of these in your busy schedule, try briskly walking, or, again, taking the stairs whenever possible. The key here is to get your heart rate elevated, which helps you burn calories. Your muscles will need the added energy from these calories to keep up with your activity level.

 

Conclusion

In this article, we covered the six major ways the body holds onto excess weight and how to target these areas on the body.  Have you discovered any ways to target your personal “problem areas”? Comment below!

If you’d like ideas for an effective at-home ab workout, check out this article.

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