FAT-BURNING PILLS, DETOXES, AND SPOT REDUCTION: WHAT ACTUALLY WORKS FOR FAT LOSS?
If you've ever Googled how to lose belly fat, you've likely been bombarded with ads for fat-burning pills, ab workouts that “torch belly fat,” or juice cleanses that claim to detox your body and flatten your stomach. Nutrition advice is everywhere—and unfortunately, so are the myths. Some of them sound convincing, others just won’t die.
Fat loss isn’t a magic trick; it’s a physiological process. And unfortunately, a lot of popular advice is more marketing than science. In this post, we’re breaking down four persistent fat loss myths, explaining what really works (and what doesn’t), and helping you make sense of common buzzwords like spot reduction, detox, and fat burners.
MYTH 1: YOU CAN SPOT-REDUCE BELLY FAT
Can You Lose Fat in Just One Area?
Fat loss is a full body systemic process that happens when a person is in a calorie deficit. In a deficit the body uses stored fat as energy in order to make up the difference, and fat loss happens. Where that fat loss initially and subsequently happens though is mainly due to genetics. Some people lose body fat in their face first, others in their legs, and sometimes the bellyfat is the last thing to go. It’s outside of our control ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. We intuitively know this (everybody’s body is different!) and it’s backed up by research.
What the Research Says
One research example - this study included 40 women split into two groups - a diet-only group and a diet+abdominal exercises group. After 12 weeks, both groups lost body fat but the diet+ab exercise group DID NOT lose more belly fat compared to the diet-only group. It was more or less the same.
What Does Work?
So no, we can't reduce belly fat. However, there are two really impactful things we can do that encourage our body to burn fat when we are in a calorie deficit
Eat enough protein - eating enough protein signals to our body that it needs to preserve muscle and burn stored fat for energy
Lift weights. Similarly, lifting weights tells our body to build/preserve muscle mass and burn stored fat for energy
This information isn’t in the study, but I bet you the diet + abs group grew bigger ab muscles! And if they continued to lose fat, their bigger ab muscles would be more prominent than the group that did no ab exercises.
The moral of the story here - body fat spot reduction is a myth peddled by celebs and influencers trying to sell you an ab stimulator belt. But just because it’s a myth doesn’t mean you’re powerless to reduce body fat! Learn how to sustain a calorie deficit, eat enough protein in your diet, and find a weight lifting program that you like to do, or another muscle-building activity, like rock climbing. There are options! Don’t pigeonhole yourself.
Myth 2: Fat-burning pills burn more belly fat
From myth one we already know that nothing (pills, ab belts, all other supplements included) short of medical intervention can spot reduce belly fat, so that myth is busted. But what about overall fat loss? Fat-burning supplements (also called thermogenics) promise faster fat loss with minimal effort. But do they actually work?
The Reality of Fat Burner Supplements
There is limited evidence that fat-burning pills slightly boost calorie burn, with various studies giving values between 50-150 calories. There is a lot of noise here, though, because each supplement has different ingredients, they’re dosed differently, and choosing a reputable supplement brand is its own challenge.
But here are some of the realities of these supplements:
Most of that “burn” comes from caffeine or other stimulants like green tea extract or capsaicin.
They're expensive—many popular fat burners cost $60+ per bottle.
They're not regulated, and some include shady or dangerous ingredients.
You know what burns more than 150 calories? A walk, a workout, or just being active in your daily life in a way that feels good for you. A $60 spin class membership is a much better ROI than a bottle of supplements that mostly just make you jittery.
Fat-burning pills don’t burn belly fat. They may slightly boost calorie burn, but they don’t do anything magical (and they’re not worth your money!).
Myth 3: A juice cleanse or detox resets your body and burns more belly fat.
NO. This myth is silly, and I refuse to address it.
Just kidding, it’s always okay to ask a question and to admit that you don’t know something! So let’s learn together.
Why Detox Diets Don’t Work
Detox protocols do nothing to detox the body. They’re an oxymoron. Your body clears itself out on its own:
Your liver filters toxins into waste
Your kidneys filter your blood
Your digestive system excretes waste
Your lungs handle gas exchange
Your skin sweats
And lemon–cayenne juice? It does none of those things. It just tastes bad (or maybe you like it, in which case drink it because you like it!).
So no, detoxes don’t reset your body, and they don’t reduce belly fat. What they do is put you in a temporary (often extreme) calorie deficit, which causes rapid, unsustainable weight loss—mostly water weight, with maybe a tiny bit of fat loss.
Want to Support Your Body’s Natural Detox Pathways?
Let me finish with a bonus tip - want an activity that DOES actually help your body “detox”? Physical activity. Take the aforementioned group spin class I mentioned - what happens when you bike for an hour? You sweat, your heart pumps more blood, you breathe more, and exercise promotes healthy bowel movements. So again, save your money on that juice cleanse and go take a group exercise class, or move in whatever way feels good to you!
Myth 4: Eating at night makes you gain more fat
Let’s bust this one with a simple example that serves as a reminder that energy balance reigns supreme in our nutrition. :
Imagine someone named Drew who needs 2,500 calories per day to maintain their weight:
In Scenario A: Drew cuts off their calorie intake by 5 PM and never eats at night. On average, they eat 2900 calories a day.
In Scenario B: Drew sometimes has a snack before bed because they're hungry. In general, Drew listens to their hunger cues and averages around 2500 calories per day.
In Scenario A, Drew is in a calorie surplus and would gain fat over time.
In Scenario B, Drew is in balance and would maintain weight, even with nighttime eating.
It’s not about when you eat. It’s about how much you eat.
(And no, calories in food don’t spontaneously increase after dark.)
So... What Actually Works for Sustainable Fat Loss?
Most of these myths stick around because they offer simple answers to complex problems …or because someone’s trying to sell you something.
But here’s the truth: sustainable fat loss doesn’t come from shortcuts, supplements, or skipping dinner. It comes from behaviors you can actually keep doing.
If you want to reduce body fat, focus on the boring, unsexy basics that work:
Be consistent with your nutrition
Stay active in ways you enjoy
Get enough protein
Build or preserve muscle
Prioritize your sleep
And yeah, ignore the noise
You don’t need to be perfect; you just need to stop chasing nonsense and start building habits that move you in the right direction.
FAT LOSS: We believe that the best way to achieve your fat loss goals is working with a coach who creates a plan specific to you - your needs, your preferences, and your goals. A sustainable approach to our nutrition is essential to long-term habits and success. If you’re ready for support that’s personalized, flexible, and grounded in what actually works, learn more about our high-touch 1:1 nutrition support. We’d love to help you feel strong, capable, confident in your body, and like yourself again.