Extra fat creates severe problems and insecurity in people. They want to address it for health reasons or to feel more confident in their bodies. Subcutaneous fat is a layer of fat. It is stored beneath the skin and plays a role in insulating your body. It protects your muscles and bones from any harm or injury. But even if they protect you, they can harm you also. You know anything extra can harm, and the subcutaneous fat has the same consequences. Too much of it can lead to health challenges or aesthetic concerns.
If you have subcutaneous fat and you’re looking to shed subcutaneous fat, then you must take an essential and sustainable approach. Let’s see how you can do it:
Before approaching how to burn the subcutaneous fat, let’s know what subcutaneous fat is.
What is Subcutaneous Fat?
There are two types of fat: visceral fat and subcutaneous fat. Visceral fat surrounds organs and is linked to higher health risks, while subcutaneous fat lies beneath the skin.
Subcutaneous fat is normal and essential, but if it is excessive, it may affect how you look and increase your overall weight. Believe it or not, losing subcutaneous fat is not easy. It requires consistent efforts through healthy habits; quick fixes cannot help you burn it.
Six ways to get rid of subcutaneous fat
- • Focus on the Diet: You have heard from everyone that eating healthy is very important. Well, truth be said, it is correct. A well-balanced diet plays the most significant role in fat loss. Let’s look at some changes you can make to your diet to make it healthier and more balanced.
- •Add Whole Foods to your diet : Change your diet. Eat unprocessed foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, white grains, and healthy fats. These foods help provide essential nutrients while keeping calories in check.
- •Watch Your Calorie Intake: Subcutaneous fat works on calories. When you create a calorie deficit in your body, the subcutaneous fat tends to reduce. So, make sure to burn more calories than you consume. But that doesn’t mean you starve yourself or start fasting. Take help from apps or journals to track your daily calories and aim for a small, sustainable deficit.
- •Create a restriction on sugary foods and drinks : If you have a sweet tooth, you must put some brakes on it. Sugary snacks, sodas, and processed desserts contribute to fat storage. Don’t cut the sweetness in your food abruptly; take alternatives. In moderation, switch these for healthier options like fresh fruit, herbal teas, or dark chocolate.
- •Increase your Protein Intake : Protein is your best friend when it comes to losing fat. It helps preserve lean muscle while keeping you full longer. Include protein-rich foods like eggs, chicken, tofu, and legumes.
Stay Active
Burning calories requires physical activity. You can do physical activities to stay active to reduce the risk of growing fat. Start incorporating exercises and physical activity into your routine. With exercises, you have to be patient too. The results will start showing in 2-3 weeks. Let’s see what activities you can incorporate into your routine:
- •Cardiovascular Exercise : Add activities like running, cycling, swimming, or brisk walking. These activities will help increase your heart rate and burn calories. Make short goals for these activities and then improve them. For the first time, aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio per week.
- •Strength Training: Strength training involves building muscles. Focusing on muscle building can help boost your metabolism, leading to significant fat loss. Strength training can include weightlifting, resistance bands, or bodyweight exercises like push-ups and squats, done twice to thrice a week.
- •Incorporate Movement into Your Day: Start making small changes in your life. For example, you can take the stairs instead of a lift or escalator, walk while talking on the phone, or park further away. These changes can add up and help you lose fat over time.
Don’t Skip Hydration:
Drinking water is essential. It plays a critical role in fat metabolism and overall health. Stay hydrated to help your body function properly. Hydration helps prevent overeating as it reduces the feelings of hunger. You can also replace sugary beverages with water, herbal teas, or infused water for variety.
Prioritize Sleep and Stress Management
Our parents say sleep is essential for health, and this is 100% true. Sleep and stress levels significantly impact one’s ability to lose fat. Try to incorporate some sleep and stress management steps into one’s life.
- •Get Enough Sleep : Get good quality sleep for 7-9 hours per night. Poor sleep can lead to hormonal imbalances that make it harder to lose fat and more straightforward to gain weight.
- •Manage Stress: Chronic stress leads to increased fat storage. That’s why even doctors recommend not to take stress too much. Excessive stress increases fat, especially in the abdominal area. You can practice stress management techniques like meditation, deep breathing, or yoga to stay balanced.
Consistency
Burning fat requires consistency. Fat loss is a gradual process that requires consistent effort. When you go for quick fixes or extreme diets, they only offer short-term results but often lead to burnout or unhealthy habits. Avoid these methods instead and focus on making small, sustainable changes to your lifestyle that you can maintain long-term.
Professional Support
If you’ve done everything and still can’t see the results, consult a healthcare professional, dietitian, or fitness professional. They can provide personalized guidance to you. These professionals can help you identify potential barriers, such as hormonal imbalances or medical conditions, and suggest customized solutions.
Avoid some common pitfalls during your fat loss journey
We have listed three things you should avoid during your fat loss journey. If you skip one of these, all your hard work will be in vain.
•Crash Diets: When you severely restrict calories from your diet or eliminate an entire food group, you will see the result, but it will be short-lived. This short-term weight loss can harm your health and cause rapid weight regain.
- •Overexercising:Everything extra is always harmful, including exercise. Overtraining can lead to injuries, fatigue, and burnout. You should balance intense workouts with adequate rest.
- •Comparison:Everyone’s body and metabolism work differently. Don’t compare yourself with others; focus on your progress rather than comparing yourself to someone else’s journey.
Tracking is Important
Tracking your progress is essential. Even a small amount can keep you motivated, but the scale isn’t the only measure of success. You will start feeling the loss when you start losing weight. You will also see some indicators like how your clothes fit, your energy levels, and improvements in strength or endurance.
You can also take photos or measure inches around key areas, such as your waist, hips, and thighs, to get a clear picture of your progress.
You should also celebrate your non-scale achievements. We believe losing fat isn’t just about losing numbers on a scale. It’s also about finding new confidence and the healthy habits you build. Celebrate small milestones like sticking to a workout routine, cooking more meals at home, or feeling more substantial and energetic.
Parting Note
Burning subcutaneous fat requires time, effort, and patience. Incorporating small things like a balanced diet, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and stress management can help you make better progress. In the end, we want you to remember that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution; find what world is best for your body and lifestyle. Stay consistent, and don’t forget to appreciate the improvements in your overall well-being, not just your appearance.
If you require further details or would like to discuss this in greater depth, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Dr. Jessica Cho. She’ll be happy to assist you.