Why You Can’t Spot-Reduce Fat and Other Fat Loss Myths You've Been Told

Sep 27, 2025
4 min read

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**Your scale isn't lying, but your brain might be**

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Ever feel like your belly has a mind of its own? Like no matter how many sit-ups you do, that little bit of extra fluff just won't budge? The truth is, that stubborn belly fat isn't just a nuisance; it's a bit of a strategic villain. It behaves almost like its own little factory, releasing hormones that make it harder to burn fat, creating a vicious cycle. And while you might think it's all about diet and exercise, this particular kind of fat is also influenced by things like stress. Our bodies, in their infinite wisdom, release a stress hormone called cortisol, which not only encourages fat storage around the midsection but also ramps up your appetite.

This leads us to one of the biggest fat loss myths of all time: the idea that you can spot-reduce fat. Thinking you can lose fat from just your stomach by doing crunches is like trying to empty a swimming pool by scooping water from just one corner. Your body is a full-system operation. When you burn calories, it pulls energy from all over, not just the one area you’re trying to target. It's a frustrating reality for anyone with a "problem area." And when your body decides where to store fat in the first place, it's mostly listening to your genetic blueprint. So while those crunches are fantastic for building muscle, they won't magically make the fat covering them disappear. But this isn't the only way your body is secretly working against you. In fact, a lot of what you think you know about weight loss is based on some very convincing untruths.

It turns out that even being a deep thinker could be making you gain weight. When your brain is working hard on a difficult problem, it can get stressed out. Your body responds by releasing cortisol, which not only encourages fat storage but also ramps up your appetite. This is a throwback to our caveman days when stress meant you needed to find food to survive. Now, stress is more likely to come from a work deadline or a tricky spreadsheet, but the effect is still the same: you crave more calories.