How to Lose Belly Fat by Gaining Muscle

Someone recently asked me how to lose belly fat. If you search on Google for “how to lose belly fat” you get 240,000,000 results! And who hasn’t clicked on the link “one weird trick to lose belly fat instantly?”

If you click on a few of the 240,000,000 results, you find topics from my previous blog posts. For example:

1. Reduce sugar and highly processed foods in the diet.
2. Drink plenty of water.
3. Get enough quality sleep.
4. Manage stress.

Unfortunately, we cannot lose fat in just one body part. There is no quick fix for belly fat either.

However, there is hope! Let’s focus on three ways to lose belly fat by gaining muscle.

Strength training to build muscle

Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and a geriatrician, states “obesity is a symptom of disease of skeletal muscle. We are not overfat, we are under muscled.”

Skeletal muscles are the muscles we can control, like the biceps, as opposed to smooth muscle we have no control over, like the heart muscle.

Our skeletal muscle system plays a major role in metabolic health, which is how well we generate and process energy in the body. Skeletal muscle regulates blood glucose, the primary energy source for the body, by moving it out of the bloodstream and into the cells of the body.

In addition, skeletal muscle regulates blood lipids and secretes proteins that help regulate metabolism in all other tissues of the body. Therefore, if we build healthy muscles, our bodies burn carbohydrates and fat more efficiently. We become metabolically healthy by reducing storage of fat in the belly, and avoiding chronic conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

So, how do we lose belly fat by gaining muscle? Resistance exercise, also called strength training, weight training, or lifting weights. The more active our muscles are, the more likely we will be metabolically healthy. But you don’t need a gym or lots of equipment. There are many resistance exercise routines using just your body weight.

Eat more protein

In order to lose belly fat by gaining muscle, we need quality dietary protein to build healthy skeletal muscle.

The current RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight (or about 0.36 grams per pound). Dr. Lyon recommends at least 1.4 grams per kilogram of body weight when building muscle through resistance exercise.

However, math was never my best subject, so I prefer using Dr. Lyon’s guidance of consuming at least 30 grams of protein per meal, and 40-50 grams at the first meal of the day.

There are some plant-based sources of protein. But most quality protein sources come from meat, poultry, seafood, and dairy. To give you an idea of how to increase your protein, download this list of protein in foods from Today’s Dietician.

Eat fewer carbohydrates

The Standard American diet contains too many carbohydrates. Though the RDA is 130 grams carbohydrates per day, most Americans eat over 300 grams daily.

Along with increasing protein intake, consider reducing carbohydrates to about 130 grams per day. For an adult, this works out to be 5 servings of vegetables, 3 servings of fruits, and 3 servings of whole grains per day.

Also, limit or avoid ultra-processed carbs such as cereal, white bread, crackers, snacks, baked goods, candy, and ice cream.

Final thoughts

Dr. Lyon discusses the amino acid profile of proteins, fat in the diet, and many other topics on her website and podcast. I suggest you download her PDF, The Lyon Protocol ^TM, for more information, or consult a dietician or nutritionist for guidance.

In addition, if you are starting an exercise program, find a good personal trainer, experienced exercise buddy, or a gym to help with an exercise regime that suits your needs.

Have you failed sticking to an exercise plan before? Ask for God’s power to overcome failure on the journey to wellness.

Finally, do you need another good reason to exercise? This is it! Instead of concentrating on losing belly fat, let’s focus on improving our overall metabolic health by building strong muscles with exercise. It’s not just about fitness, but improving your overall wellness and honoring our bodies as God’s temple.

Disclaimer

Any information on this Website is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by a healthcare professional. You should not use the information on this Website for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease or prescribing any medication or other treatment. You should always speak with a healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or homeopathic supplement, or adopting any treatment for a health problem. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, promptly contact a healthcare professional.

References

1. Lyon, Gabrielle, and Peter Baker. “The Lyon Protocol TM.” Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, n.d. https://drgabriellelyon.com/.
2. Purohit, Dhru (Host). (2022, May 19) Why Muscle is the Key for Longevity with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from https://shows.acast.com/broken-brain/episodes/why-muscle-is-the-key-for-longevity-with-dr-gabrielle-lyon.