How to Lose Arm Fat and Tone Your Triceps, According to R.D.s and Trainers

the American Society of Plastic Surgeons found that the number of women undergoing upper arm lifts to reduce excess flab and fat pockets increased by nearly 5,000% between 2000 and 2016. An upward trend in the number of requests for procedures shows that arm fat (or body fat that is around your arms) is a concern for some women in the United States, but what is it? Reallywhy do women seek the procedure more and how do you lose arm fat?

“In general, men have more lean body mass, so they tend to have less overall body fat,” says Shana Maleeff, MA, RD. And while genetic makeup and disposition decide how much fat you have and where you store it, men tend to store fat in their stomachs, while women tend to store fat in various places, including their arms.

There is also a strong hormonal component to fat deposits, which is why more women may experience arm fat. “Your biological sex characteristics will have a lot to say about where your body stores fat, and the arms are one area where fat is more common in women than in men,” says Caroline Grainger, an ISSA-certified personal trainer at FitnessTrainer Online Personal Trainers.

Since women tend to have lower testosterone levels than men, building muscle can also be a more extensive process. “Combine this with stress, poor diet, lack of sleep, weight fluctuations due to pregnancy and/or menopause, and genetics – these things are a recipe for fat making a home in your arms.” , He says Megan Johnson McCulloughEd.D, Certified Fitness Trainer.

How long does it take to lose arm fat?

First, fat is an essential nutrient that our bodies need. “Every cell in your body is made of at least one part, and it’s essential for things like healthy metabolism, temperature regulation, and protecting your organs from damage,” says Grainger. Also, having too little body fat could be a health concern because enough body fat keeps the body warm, protects vital organs, and helps with cholesterol levels and heart function, Maleeff adds.

Maintaining a healthy weight can help your body function better and protect against various diseases, and you can do this by finding the right balance between your diet and your calorie needs. The time it takes to lose excess fat depends on consistency, diligence in changing a healthy lifestyle, genetics, weight loss, and the amount and type of exercise.

“The typical person can lose fat in 4 to 6 weeks by following a specific training and diet regimen,” says McCullough. “More calorie output than input during this duration will lead to results.”

So what is the best way to lose arm fat?

Multiple experts believe that the best approach to losing arm fat is an overall weight loss strategy that includes a balanced diet, resistance training, and healthy lifestyle choices. “The body will choose where it stores fat and loses weight,” Maleeff says. “Those factors cannot be controlled.” There is also no exercise or diet that will burn fat from one area over others.. However, you can choose healthier lifestyles to decrease overall body fat and increase muscle mass.

“Healthy weight loss is evenly distributed throughout the body and occurs at a rate of half a pound to two pounds per week,” says Maleeff. If shedding arm fat is your goal, then you should be aiming for your overall body weight and fat percentage, Grainger adds.

Even if you don’t like to exercise, there are some ways to lose weight and tone your arms.

1. Try a low-calorie diet

To lose weight, you will need to eat and drink less than you burn. The calories, or units of energy, you burn in a day are used to keep your body working at rest (resting energy expenditure), digest and metabolize food (thermic effect of food), and help you move (resting energy expenditure). per activity). If you provide your body with fewer calories than it needs to support these three functions, then you put your body in a calorie deficit, which can result in weight loss. Talk to your doctor or RDN to determine exactly how many calories you should eat and burn each day.

2. Cut down on refined sugars

Although sugary drinks and cookies are just as tasty, a diet high in refined sugar can contribute to a prolonged rise in blood sugar and insulin resistance, which is linked to weight gain and excess body fat.

“Avoiding high-fat foods, processed foods, refined sugars, and excessive intake of nutrient-deficient carbohydrates can boost metabolism for arm fat loss,” says McCullough. Instead, include lean protein, fruits and vegetables, and whole grains in your daily menu. “A good rule of thumb is to aim for your plate to be 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat,” Maleeff adds.

3. Load up on fiber

Adding more fiber to your diet helps keep you full longer, which helps you cut down on snacking throughout the day. Fibrous foods can help with weight loss because they help slow digestion and help stabilize blood sugar, says Maleeff. Broccoli, beans, berries, avocado, apples, and whole grains are all high in fiber, so you should definitely consider adding them to your daily menu. (Plus, they’re delicious!)

4. Try lifting weights

“The best way to lose arm fat is to replace it with muscle tissue,” he says. ramona braganza, celebrity fitness trainer. Building muscle will allow the body to become more efficient at keeping fat storage down, as the energy provided by fat fuels muscle tissue even while the body sleeps.

Braganza recommends strength training to reduce arm fat and build muscle. “While bodyweight exercise has benefits as well, I find it less effective for building muscle tissue, to build muscle, muscle fibers need to be torn and repaired and that usually requires lifting heavier weights,” she says.

You’ll want to focus on the muscles in your arms, including your biceps, triceps, and deltoid (shoulder) muscles. Push-ups, pull-ups, chest presses, bicep curls, triceps dips, and lateral raises help tone the muscles in your arms.

5. Do some cardio

Cardiovascular exercise is another way to lose weight. Long walks, running, biking, swimming, and rowing are all great options. Although the number of calories each person will burn during any given day varies, daniel jumpscertified personal trainer and founder of Train with Dannysay what walking you can burn 300 to 500 calories in an hour, and running can burn that amount in about half the time.

You can also look for small opportunities throughout the day to take more steps, such as parking further away from the grocery store, standing up while you work, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. “This will make a big difference in the number of calories you burn,” she says.

6. Drink more water

Hydration is one of the most overlooked factors when it comes to losing weight, Maleeff says. “Being dehydrated can slow down your metabolism,” he explains. “Drinking enough water is very important to keep metabolism efficient, as well as helping to control cravings when we mistake hunger for the need for water.”

Even being dehydrated by as little as 3 percent can wreak havoc on delicate systems that are trying to function at peak performance, such as regulating our metabolism and digestion, says Braganza. In general, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine suggest that women drink a total of about 2.7 liters of fluid and men about 3.7 liters daily. And it doesn’t have to include just water. Whole, nutritious foods and beverages count toward your fluid intake. try a motivational water bottle to get better hydration!

7. Sleep better

Even getting more sleep can help you lose weight. “Too little sleep causes a cortisol spike, which tells your body to conserve energy instead of releasing it,” says Braganza. Sleep deprivation can also reduce the amount of fat burned overnight.

A to study published in BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine found that people who slept less than 7 hours a night were more likely to develop obesity (the study also looked at BMI, which is a problematic health measure, but found an important hormonal connection to weight loss). Lack of adequate sleep caused increased levels of ghrelin (a gut hormone that triggers the hunger response), salt retention, and inflammatory markers, as well as decreased levels of leptin (a hormone that inhibits hunger) and insulin sensitivity.

Sleep deprivation can also increase cravings. “When we are sleep deprived, we tend to make unhealthy food choices, craving foods that are high in salt and sugar,” Maleeff says.

The bottom line

In general, weight loss in any form comes down to eating a balanced diet, maintaining an adequate amount of exercise, and having a healthy lifestyle. Having fat in the arms is normal. If you would like more information on how to lose weight, consult with a health professional about the right routine that works for your body type, age, gender, lifestyle, and goals.