Do you ever have those frustrating days and even weeks when you are busting your butt, but just can’t seem to rid of some stubborn areas of fat! I am not an expert, (just a guy on a journey) but talking with many people in the health industry and doing much research I have come to some conclusions. From what I have seen, often the case is that people have caused metabolic and hormonal imbalances from overly restrictive dieting. THAT is what makes some areas of fat harder to lose; not because the butt or ab fat cells themselves are more stubborn, but because you’re simply not burning as many calories as you used to.

Example, you’re an individual with a daily energy expenditure of 2800 per day and you stay on 1500 calories each day for 90 days (starvation diet), according to the mathematical calories in versus calories out calculations, you’ve accumulated a 117,000-calorie deficit. With 3500 calories in a pound of fat, that means you should have lost 33.4 pounds of fat. But you didn’t!! You lost maybe 15 pounds and got stuck at a plateau with that last bit of lower ab flab still defiantly clinging to your waistline. Why? Because you’re no longer BURNING 2800 calories per day!!! Your metabolic fire has dwindled to a tiny flicker. There is no longer a 1300 calorie per day deficit.

Basically you have hit a plateau – metabolically and hormonally. Your metabolic rate is depressed. You’ve lost lean mass, which has slowed your metabolism even further. Last, but certainly not least, your appetite has gone crazy and you have become ravenous, and you seem to get constant cravings!

Obviously we want to avoid metabolic slowdown in the first place and then patiently and persistently follow through until we are as lean as we want to be.

Unfortunately we can’t jump in our time machine and start over! Thoughts are that you put muscle back on through weight training and eating like a human being instead of a little mouse! Patience and persistence will make it worthwhile!

My apologies for my rant, but far too often I have seen friends, family suffer through these frustrating & difficult times. Again these are just my thoughts and I welcome your feedback.

Remember NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER give up on your journey!