You’ve been hitting the gym consistently, pushing through high-intensity workouts, and eating a balanced diet, yet that stubborn belly fat just won’t budge. It can be incredibly frustrating when all your hard work doesn’t seem to translate into a flatter stomach. But the missing piece of the puzzle may not be another ab workout or longer gym sessions – instead, it could come down to a much simpler change in your routine.
Dr Eric Berg, DC, a nutritionist and chiropractor, is the director of Dr Berg’s Nutritionals and specialises in healthy ketosis and intermittent fasting. In an Instagram video shared on May 16, he breaks down what he believes is the most effective way to tackle stubborn belly fat.
Stop wasting your time at the gym!
According to Dr Berg, the best exercise for achieving a flat stomach is neither crunches, sit-ups, nor planks. Instead, he says the most effective exercise doesn’t target the abdominal muscles at all. Rather than focusing on the stomach directly, Dr Berg suggests that a different form of movement can have a greater impact on reducing belly fat and helping the midsection appear flatter.
He highlights, “The absolute best exercise for a flat stomach is not crunches, it’s not sit-ups, and it’s not planks. The best exercise for a flat stomach doesn’t even target your abs at all. And once you understand this, you’re going to avoid a lot of extra time at the gym doing all these crunches because most of those crunches don’t do jack.”
What affects belly fat more
Dr Berg explains that exercise accounts for only about 20 percent of fat loss, while the remaining 80 percent is largely influenced by your diet. This, he says, is why spending hours at the gym without addressing your eating habits is unlikely to deliver the results you’re after. According to the chiropractor, effective fat burning also depends on balanced hormones, particularly insulin. When insulin levels remain elevated, the body shifts into fat-storage mode, making it much harder to burn stored fat.
The chiropractor notes, “80 percent of fat loss, especially in your midsection, comes from your diet, and only 15 percent of it comes from your exercise. That means you can’t out-exercise your belly. The most important thing you need to know about burning fat is you must keep certain hormones very low, specifically insulin, because the minute insulin goes higher, fat loss gets locked up.”
What actually works for belly fat
According to Dr Berg, the most effective exercise for losing belly fat is one that keeps insulin levels low while encouraging the body to burn stored fat. He recommends walking in a fasted state, explaining that fasting is the key component. When you walk before eating, your body becomes more insulin-sensitive and is more likely to tap into stored fat for energy instead of relying on recently consumed carbohydrates.
He emphasises, “The single best way to drop insulin and burn belly fat is the exact same exercise: walking in a fasted state. This means that you definitely need to do fasting because when you’re walking in a fasted state, you are not just improving insulin, you are using your stored fat at the same time. And you will see more weight loss, especially in your midsection.”
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
