Yes, there is good fat and bad fat. Let’s start with the good guy, subcutaneous fat. This is the fatty layer just under your skin in the lower half of your body. Subcutaneous fat is the source of two useful metabolic hormones: leptin, which tells your body whether to hang on to or let go of weight, and adiponectin, which decreases your blood sugar.

The fat in your stomach is the bad guy. Visceral fat is hidden deep within, so even if you don’t have a pot belly, you can still be carrying this bad kind of fat. Visceral fat lies far from your skin, surrounding your organs and releasing harmful hormones. Having this type of fat slows your metabolism; increases cortisol; reduces the growth hormone; leads to insulin resistance; and makes you more vulnerable to various health conditions including high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and fatty liver disorder.

Cardio and body fat

Being overweight increases your chances of having visceral fat, so how do you get rid of it? Through good diet and exercise! Taking care of your body will not only reduce visceral fat but also lower your chances of acquiring all the health issues associated with it. Keep in mind that doing hundreds of crunches daily will not eliminate visceral fat and give you a six pack.

For the nth time, you can’t achieve results by spot reducing. Moreover, this deadly type of fat resides deep within your stomach, so the best method of making it go away is to eat healthy and work out regularly. Of course, you can include some sit-ups in your routine to help you tone, but remember that these alone won’t do the trick. You must perform cardio exercises and strength train in order to lose weight and see results. So do what your trainer says!

If you want to change your body because of how you looked in last year’s vacation photos, take some "before" photos when you start your new routine. When you use pictures, you get a better sense of your appearance and feel more motivated to work hard to reach your fitness goals.