Why You Can’t Reduce Belly Fat

Written by Henry Barnard

Ketosis.  In a word, this is the reason we are so fat, but it is also the solution to belly fat and stored fat in general.  When the body can get its energy supply from currently digesting food, it avoids using stored fat.  That digestion cycle takes 12 hours — so for that period there is little to no ketosis, that is, when the body is substituting stored fat as it energy source.   Unfortunately, Americans tend to eat once again either before that 12 hour deadline or soon after, so that the body never really gets going with ketosis — thus the inability to reduce belly fat because we eat too frequently.

But here’s also where the solution lies, for any time past 12 hours that you don’t eat again, your body is now in full-blown ketosis mode.  So if you go for, say, 16 hours from one meal to the next, you’ve just had 4 hours of fat-burning ketosis.  If you do that on a regular basis — let’s say 4 or 5 times a week — you will see that belly fat finally begin to shrivel.  Make it just what you do, and you are destined to be that sleek — and healthy — person you’ve always wanted to be.

Henry Barnard

I’m a certified nutrition coach through Precision Nutrition, but my education began long before my certification.

In the mid-1990s, I was significantly overweight. During my lunch breaks, I would visit a local bookstore and spend my time browsing nutrition and diet books, searching for an approach that would finally help me lose the weight. That search became a lifelong passion. More than 30 years later, I still study nutrition every day, and my interest has only grown stronger over the last decade.

My coaching philosophy is built on a few simple principles.

No diet pills. I believe lasting weight loss comes from changing habits, not relying on quick fixes.

Gradually increase dietary fiber. Fiber is one of the most powerful tools for managing hunger because it promotes fullness while supporting gut health. As people naturally feel more satisfied, eating well becomes easier.

Eat more whole foods and fewer processed foods. Whole foods retain the fiber and nutrients that help support health and satiety. Building meals around minimally processed foods makes it easier to create eating habits that last.

Use intermittent fasting when appropriate. For many people, intermittent fasting can be an effective strategy to help reduce body fat, improve appetite control, and simplify eating patterns. It isn't the right approach for everyone, but when it fits a person's lifestyle, it can be a valuable tool.

Evaluate level of exercise and quality of sleep.  Simply because these factors have a major impact on any concerted effort to lose weight.  

Focus on 1% improvements. I don't ask clients to transform their lives overnight. Instead, we identify small, realistic changes they can consistently maintain. Those small improvements compound over time.

I tell clients not to judge success after a week or two. Real, sustainable change takes time. As healthy habits accumulate, the results begin to build on one another. Three months of consistent effort can produce remarkable progress—not just on the scale, but in energy, confidence, and overall health.

My goal isn't to put clients on another diet. It's to help them build a way of eating they can enjoy and maintain for the rest of their lives.

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