Do you choose your clothes based on how much of your arm shows? This post will tell you how to get rid of arm fat, and in the process, do a LOT of good for your body!
Do you have arms that make you feel self-conscious?
First off, let me say that I don’t want you to ever feel ashamed of your body. I once did and I know how painful and destructive that can be.
It leads to yo-yo dieting, negative thinking, anxiety, and sometimes even eating more. I talk a bit about loving your body and not counting calories in this video. I stress that eating healthy is way more important than trying to limit your food intake.
Eating in a healthy and mindful way is one of the steps to getting rid of arm fat. In this post, I’ll explain that a little more and also share other ways to feel and look stronger.
It’s completely doable and I tell you right now, you do not have to give up delicious meals and snacks. In fact, I encourage you to eat well and to eat the foods you enjoy (more on that below!).
Read on and see what I mean!
What Causes Fat In Arms?
Arm fat is often a result of excess fat in the body. Chances are, your body has decided to store some excess fat under the skin – and it happens to be on your arms. It can also show up on your thighs and on the stomach and honestly, it’s just a natural occurrence when you gain weight.
But if you want to change the way you look by getting rid of the fat stores in your body, keep reading and we’ll cover how to get rid of arm fat and much more.
How Long Does It Take To Lose Arm Fat?
If you follow a clean-eating diet, stay away from processed foods, and add exercise to your life, you can lose 1-2 pounds a week. Doing this will reduce the amount of fat on the arms. After a 4 week period, you will definitely notice results.
It’s important to point out that getting rid of arm fat is not a spot reduction process. There really is no such thing. Exercising and losing weight results in all-over body toning and muscle building – and isn’t that good news?
How Can I Tighten My Arm Fat?
Lifting weights or doing resistance exercises is a good way to tighten arm fat. But remember, this is an all-over body approach. We can’t target a certain part of the body with exercise – but to look at this in a positive light, exercise will tone your body all over by encouraging weight loss, muscle strengthening, and fat loss.
To back this up, a study on arm fat showed that specifically training one arm over the other showed an overall body fat loss but no more in the area specifically trained.
Still, working to tighten your body will result in a healthier you. Exercising is good for the heart, lungs, and for your total well-being.
Where Is The Hardest Place To Lose Fat?
Losing fat anywhere on the body takes work. I do think that losing belly fat is particularly challenging, especially if you have an issue with bloating. Feeling full and bloated only adds to the issue. I’ve written a post on how to lose belly bloat, so I suggest you take a look at that for 15 awesome tips to get you started.
Tips like staying away from processed foods – they’re full of trans fats – and avoiding hidden sugars are tangible ways to lose belly fat. Eat tasty and healthy foods like avocado and broccoli instead!
Other places where fat can try to hang on are:
- Thighs
- Butt
- Lower back
- Love handles (lots of us have ‘em – let’s get rid of them along with arm fat!)
How To Get Rid Of Arm Fat
Let’s tackle the arm fat and get fit and fabulous in the meantime!
Tip #1: Aim For Gradual Weight Loss
Basically what I am saying here is to aim for a slow and steady improvement. Don’t try drastic weight loss diets because THEY DO NOT WORK! Sure, you’ll lose weight and you may even drop several pounds pretty quickly.
But the fact that these diets (eating bowls and bowls of cabbage soup or eating only eggs and not much else) may help you lose weight does not mean that it’s a sustainable weight loss. As soon as you revert to your regular eating habits, the weight will return.
Instead, try an eating regimen (or as I really like to call it, a lifestyle change) such as Intermittent Fasting or my 7-Day Meal Prep For Weight Loss. The great thing about the meal prep lifestyle is that meals are prepped for the entire week in just a few hours, leaving you with extra healthy options when hunger strikes. Gotta love that!
Intermittent Fasting is fantastic too. Once you find the eating window that suits your schedule, it’s easy to follow. Learn all about how to start Intermittent Fasting in this post!
Tip #2: Aim For Overall Weight Loss
These two go hand in hand. Gradual weight loss and overall weight loss. We’ve already said that you cannot target-lose weight. It’s an overall process (and gives overall benefits!).
Work on improving what you eat and how much you move. Try steps like counting your macros – I’ve explained it all here; it’s not difficult and I can even help you with that if you like.
To say it again, the fat seen on the body is extra calories stored as fat under the skin. We all need fat; it is important and healthy. But if you feel you have too much fat, you can create a calorie deficit by eating wisely (cutting out empty carbs) and adding more activity to your day.
Tip #3: Increase Your Fiber Intake
If you’ve been following me for a while, you will know that I’m a big fan of fiber-filled meals. Fiber is great for you! How to get rid of arm fat by eating more fiber?
Adding fiber to your diet means that you will be helping your digestive system work the way it should. Foods with fiber keep you feeling full longer and that helps you stay away from those processed snack foods!
There have been studies on the fat-reducing effects of fiber. In fact, one study showed that increasing your fiber intake can result in weight loss even without doing anything else.
Of course, I want you to take a complete weight loss approach by exercising, drinking more water, and taking “me time” when needed because that’s important too.
Tip #4: Eat More Protein
Right alongside fiber is protein. Protein is a nutritional way to build muscle and keep your appetite for junk food at bay. What are some of the benefits of protein?
- Reduces cholesterol
- Enhances learning
- Strengthens the bones
If you want to learn why women need more protein, read here.
Adding protein to your diet as a way to get rid of arm fat is easy. Add protein powder to smoothies and pancakes. Add protein powder and foods like plain Greek yogurt to shakes.
Protein does a lot as far as benefitting weight loss. Protein even decreases levels of ghrelin, which is the hunger-stimulating hormone. Protein also helps your metabolism to keep burning calories after you’ve exercised.
Y'all can see I'm a big fan of protein. So much so, that Dustin and I created cleanish Brand Protein Powder. With 20g of protein in every scoop, there are 3 flavors to add to milk, water, smoothies, and even your morning cuppa Joe!
Tip #5: Don’t Forget Carbs and Fat
Seriously, what you eat needs to be well-rounded. I’ve written posts on the importance of full-fat dairy and also on the best foods to lose fat and build muscle. The second post I am referring to gives a list of those foods and yes, the list includes carbs.
Carbs to eat to lose fat are things like quinoa and brown rice. Try my quinoa breakfast bowl for a satisfying meal that ticks all the boxes for nutrients and taste. Other muscle-building foods are salmon, nuts, and cottage cheese.
The 5 meals I eat every night for weight loss have a mix of these macros (protein, fat, and carbs).
It’s important to enjoy all types of foods and doing so will keep you satisfied and on track to getting rid of arm fat, all the while becoming healthier!
Tip #6: Kick Refined Carbs To The Curb
How to get rid of arm fat via diet? For more arm fat reduction, avoid refined carbs.
This means foods like:
- White bread (see healthy bread here)
- White pasta (try veggie noodles instead)
- Packaged cookies (paleo cookies are amazing)
- Store bought cereals (overnight oats are the best - full of protein and fiber)
Making foods fresh at home makes you feel so much better. No ultra-processed ingredients or things you cannot pronounce on the label. Looking for healthy dinners? I’ve got a list of 50 right here on the site!
Tip #7: Lift Weights Or Use Resistance Bands
Now that you’re eating lots of muscle-building protein, why not try using weights as a way to get rid of arm fat? It’s easy to set up a program at home (see how in this video!) that can give you the results you want.
My philosophy on exercise is that whatever you enjoy and can commit to is the exercise you should be doing. Whether it’s walking, running, swimming, or hiking with the kids, every step gets you closer to where you want to be. You’ll have more energy and can do more!
The icing on the cake will be if you can add some weights or a few minutes with a set of resistance bands into your day. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy and you don’t have to go to the gym if that’s not your thing.
Lift cans of soup in the kitchen for bicep curls as a way to tone your arms. Use resistance bands or light weights like I do in this video as an addition to the other tips.
You can also do exercises that don’t require equipment. Try pushups and triceps dips (great for the abs and arms) and squats (build those thigh muscles) two to three times a week. Try to increase how many you do each time you do the exercises for even more benefit.
Tip #8: Add In Cardio
You don’t have to be a runner or a long-distance swimmer to add cardio to your day. Sure, you can lose weight without cardio, but it’s also beneficial to get in extra steps by parking farther from the store, taking the kids to soccer and walking laps around the field while you watch them play, and taking the dog on extra walks every day.
How many steps do you need to lose weight? I answer that in this post and also go into detail about the benefits to your heart and immune system. Don’t be afraid to start small and work your way up.
Every additional step you take puts you closer to getting rid of arm fat.
You’ll burn calories and bump up your heart rate. Climb stairs or go for a bike ride with the kids. Fun forms of cardio exercise that work your arms at the same time are tennis, swimming, and even boxing!
Tip #9: Get Adequate Sleep
How to get rid of arm fat easily? Get the right amount of sleep! I explain all you need to know in this post called 10 Reasons Why You Need Better Sleep. It’s all about ways that sleep helps you and also how getting your zzz's results in weight loss.
This weight loss will carry over to the overall body health we’ve been talking about. Studies show that sleep aids in weight loss. For example, losing sleep for even one night may result in an increase in ghrelin, the hunger hormone I was talking about.
Eating well and exercising both have effects on sleep quality. Hop on over to the sleep post to learn more.
Tip #10: Drink Water
We all know how good water is for us. Our bodies are mostly water after all, so it only makes sense that it would be essential to good health. Drinking water helps to maintain good skin and works as a lubricant and shock absorber.
As for arm fat, drinking adequate water helps you feel full so you don’t snack when you don’t really need to. I’m all for healthy snacks full of protein, but it’s the extra nibbling and noshing because you haven’t fueled your body properly that you need to avoid.
Water can even increase your metabolic rate, enabling you to turn food into the fuel I just mentioned. Just remember to stick to healthy forms of liquid-like benefit-filled green tea and infused water.
Stay away from soda – if you are a soda lover, try one of these 16 healthy alternatives!
Arm Fat Takeaway
If you’ve got saggy arms that you don’t like, take the tips I’ve given you and put them into action. They really are not difficult to implement and making these lifestyle changes will do so much more than reduce your arm woes.
I think that you’ll feel awesome after a few weeks of following these 10 tips. Not only will you start to slim down all over, but you’ll also have more energy and feel better in general!
This post contains affiliate links to products I use regularly and highly recommend.
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