Skillet Chicken Piccata With Steamed Broccoli
Whether you have some extra weight in your upper arms or rear end, it makes sense that targeting those areas with exercise—curls for your arms, lunges for your butt—would slim them down.
Weight-loss experts refer to this as “spot reduction.” But it turns out that in most cases, this kind of laser-focused weight loss isn’t possible. One study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that six weeks of intensive ab workouts did nothing to slim the exercisers’ midsections. A related study found that 12-weeks of one-armed workouts resulted in the less loose skin in the trained arm, but zero fat loss.
Working out just one part of your body probably won’t slim it down, but some body parts are more likely to shed fat when you exercise. Your stomach is one of them.
MORE: The TIME Guide To Exercise
“Some fat deposits are more metabolically active than others, and those may be more responsive to exercise interventions,” says Arthur Weltman, a professor of medicine and chair of the department of kinesiology at the University of Virginia. “Abdominal fat, in particular, is one of the most metabolically active fats.”
When you exercise, your workouts trigger the release of hormones, Weltman explains. The higher the exercise intensity, the more of these hormones your body pumps out, and the more of that metabolically active fat you lose. (Some of Weltman’s research suggests that high-intensity interval training (HIIT), in particular, may slim your midsection.)
If you have fat stored in your gut, arms and chest, a lot of your fat is metabolically active, so it will likely respond to exercise and diet changes, he says. That’s especially true of your abdominal fat. The bad news is that extra fat in these regions is also linked with a greater risk for diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other ailments.
More: How Apple Cider Vinegar May Help With Weight Loss
On the other hand, if you store excess fat in the hips, butt, and thighs, that fat is not metabolically active. You have a lower risk for many diseases, “but that fat is very hard to reduce,” he says.
What type of exercise is best for targeting the tummy? One study compared to strength training to aerobic training in terms of fat reduction in different parts of the body and found that while aerobic training—running, swimming, cycling—led to a greater whole-body fat loss, resistance training targeted abdominal fat in particular.
In a nutshell, spot-targeting fat isn’t very effective—in most cases. But if you’re trying to lose fat around your stomach, a mix of resistance training and high-intensity aerobic exercise, along with a healthy diet, may help reduce your belly fat.
Recipe Is: Low Saturated Fat Ingredients 2 pounds ground turkey 1 cup panko bread crumbs 2 large eggs 1/4 cup chopped green onions 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 3 tablespoons sriracha 3 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 4 cloves garlic, minced 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch Cooked rice or quinoa (optional) Sesame seeds (optional)
How to Make It Step 1 Preheat oven to 375 °F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
Step 2 In a large bowl, mix together ground turkey, bread crumbs, eggs, green onions, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Once combined, shape into about 1.5 -inch balls (roughly 40 meatballs ). Place on baking sheet, spaced well apart.
Step 3 Bake the meatballs for about 25 minutes, or until they are browned and cooked through.
Step 4 While the meatballs are in the oven, place sriracha, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger in a small saucepan over medium heat; whisk to combine. Bring to a boil, whisking continuously. Once the sauce is boiling, reduce heat. Take 1 to 2 tablespoons of the sauce out of the saucepan and put in a small bowl. Add cornstarch and stir with a fork. Once combined, add the mixture back to the saucepan (to help the sauce thicken ). Simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes. When the meatballs are done, place them into the saucepan and toss to coat.
Step 5 Add 4 meatballs to a container with some rice or quinoa, if desired. Top with sesame seeds, if desired, and more green onions. Meatballs will keep, refrigerated, up to 4 days.
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