Nothing instant: Experts say losing belly fat should be done mindfully

There are many tips circulating the internet on how to lose belly fat. From aerobic exercise in one’s daily routine and reducing refined carbs to adding fatty fish to one’s diet. Other tips included having a high protein breakfast, drinking enough water, reducing one’s salt intake and consuming soluble fiber.

In recent years, Instagram has gained popularity among fitness enthusiasts. Images of men and women with well-sculpted physiques are all over the photo-sharing app — adding to the pressure for people to lose weight and gain muscle. Some would even take it to the extreme, starving themselves or using certain drugs just so they could meet some vaguely defined standard for body perfection.

Carlo Christian Tamba, 40, a Jakarta-based fitness coach, said that getting rid of belly fat was almost impossible when other fat surrounds that particular section of the body.

“None of the steps [mentioned above] can actually contribute directly to fat reduction, which is a prolonged state of caloric deficit,” he said.

Separately, Casper Fittler, 40, a Bali-based registered dietician and fitness trainer, said there were no answers on how to specifically burn belly fat. He added that while a caloric deficit was the only way to reduce body fat, it would be one’s own body that would dictate where the weight would be lost from.

“There’s no definitive, scientific data that shows you can spot reduce fat from any part of your body,” said the Australian, adding that cardio was not the most effective way to burn belly fat.

He explained that weightlifting or resistance training has shown that your body would burn calories many hours after the exercise has finished, leading to reduced calories. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has also shown to be highly effective in continuing to burn calories after the workout ends.

“Hopefully, with more studies, we will find an answer to targeting stomach fat, but there is no peer review or third-party data to back up such claims,” he said, adding that fat loss would be a different process for everyone.

“You cannot simply target belly fat [...] Your body will dictate where the fat loss will come from and not a diet or a particular exercise."

Only athletes

Separately, Satriana Putra, 27, a Bali-based chef who runs 28 Kitchen Bali, a healthy catering service, said it was impossible to lose belly fat quickly for people in general, adding that it would take a lot of effort — unless you were an athlete.

“[If you want to lose belly fat very fast, then you have to] run in the morning and then [visit the] gym and then run again in the afternoon and then hit the gym again; [plus], steroid injections and human growth hormones,” he said in a text message, adding that it would definitely take more time and patience for people to lose belly fat.

Rahma Anisah, 25, a nutritionist with Gizi Kebugaran, recommended aerobic exercises such as fitness classes, cycling, crunches and burpees. In addition, she wanted people to return to the basic nutrition that was taught in elementary school. 

“There's also the balanced nutrition pyramid, which can be a reference for the amount of salt [we should] consume per day,” she said.

Rahajeng Ikawahyu, 45, a Jakarta-based psychologist, recommended consulting with a nutritionist because each person is different when it comes to losing weight. She also suggested hiring a personal trainer to ensure that the exercises are performed correctly.

“Under the supervision of these two experts, your lifestyle will change,” she said.

She emphasized that one's expectations mustn't be too high. While fat loss is important, especially if it already hinders one’s health, the process should be slow. Rahajeng estimated it would take around three months for a body to comply with healthy habits. That, she added, would be the real challenge: asking someone to change the habits they had built for years.

“It cannot be instant."