Fat Fingers Won’t Be A Problem!
Sometimes people look at their chubby, plump fingers, and wonder what can be done. Your hands are an important part of your overall aesthetics, and slim, long fingers fall under the beauty standard in Western culture. How to get rid of fat fingers? Is there a simple and fast way of targeting them with exercise, or are you stuck with your chubby hands up until you lower your overall weight? Read this article to find out about the tried-and-true ways to tone up your fingers once and for all.
What Causes Fat Fingers?
To understand how to get skinny fingers, you first need to get the hang of how weight loss and weight gain work. Sadly, your chubby fingers are very likely to be corresponding to the looks of the other parts of your body. Unfortunately, spot reduction is consensually considered a myth, so you won’t be able to alter the way your hands look without dropping weight in general (5).
That is because your body does not strictly use up the fat stored in the body parts you’re working on. Instead, it takes the necessary energy from the cells across your whole body. That is why you shouldn’t hope that performing specific exercises that focus on your fingers without altering your menu and level of physical activity would be effective. Those exercises won’t slim down your fingers. Instead, they will make them somewhat stronger, which is useful, but not the same thing.
That is why, if you’re asking how to get rid of fat hands and fingers, the only possible and reliable answer is changing your diet and lifestyle.
Does Dieting Make Your Fingers Thinner?
In short, it sure does. And here are some particular dieting tips to make your fingers slimmer.
Cut Down On Salt
Foods high in sodium and carbohydrates trigger water retention, causing a spike in weight. Sodium attracts water and keeps it in your body and excess carbs are stored as glycogen with associated water, so the more sodium and carbs you consume, the more water weight you retain (1). And this may be the reason your fingers look fatter than they should. So, to get rid of water weight, you can lower the amount of salt you consume.
But throwing away the salt from your dinner table is not exactly the most effective way to do it. In reality, the overwhelming amount of salt is hidden in packaged foods, which can also contain a lot of added sugar. So, to help minimize water retention, opt for whole foods, or at least read food labels. You might be eating tons of salt and/or sugar without even realizing it.
Read More: Does Hunger Mean You’re Burning Fat And Can You Lose Weight Without Feeling Famished?
Follow A Balanced Diet
USDA claims that the majority of your daily calorie intake should come from fresh fruits and vegetables. Whole grains and lean protein should also be included in your daily menu along with low-fat dairy, nuts, and legumes (3). A balanced diet can improve your health, smoothen your skin, decrease harmful cholesterol, and enhance heart health. The number of benefits of a healthy diet is potentially uncountable. And, of course, it will help you reduce fat in your fingers as well as the rest of your body.
Just remember, first of all, that you need to maintain a caloric deficit. But you shouldn’t go overboard. Creating a deficit of 500 calories a day can yield a healthy and sustainable weight loss pace of 1 pound per week. You should not lose more than 2 pounds of weight per week.
Practice Mindful Eating
Sometimes the reason people overeat is just the fact that they eat too fast and get distracted. When you eat too fast, your body doesn’t have the time to signal you it’s full, so you end up consuming more. When you’re distracted scrolling through your Instagram feed, you may not even notice how much you’ve eaten. Mindful eating allows you to develop a healthier relationship with food. Besides, you should avoid skipping breakfast, as eating nothing in the morning might trigger your body to store the calories you consume later in the day as fat rather than burn them for energy (4).
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Can Exercise Help You Get Rid Of Fat Fingers?
Yes, exercise does help you get rid of fat fingers. But instead of trying to target your fingers, consider full-body workouts. One of the most effective ways to reduce body fat is high-intensity interval training. HIIT involves bursts of vigorous training with short recovery segments. The huge plus of this approach, aside from its effectiveness, is that it’s not time-consuming. HIIT session usually lasts for 20-30 minutes (2). Your body burns tons of calories when you work out this intensely.
Indeed, there are other alternatives for those who don’t favor building up their muscles in the gym. You can lose extra pounds effectively by running, walking, swimming, or bicycling as well.
How To Strengthen Your Fingers?
Now you know how to get rid of fat fingers. You need to follow a healthy diet and be physically active to lose fat throughout your entire body. But sometimes your goal might be to strengthen your hands or fingers specifically. In this case, consider doing grip exercises for fingers using grips, stress balls, or stretchy bands. You can also include waist exercises in your workout routine, or start playing on a musical instrument to improve dexterity. But remember that those won’t yield significant results in terms of fat loss as they have another focus.
Final Thought
How to get rid of fat fingers? The rules are pretty simple: follow a balanced diet and be physically active. Your fingers will become slimmer, just as your whole body does. Remember to keep your water intake high to improve your performance.
DISCLAIMER:
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!
SOURCES:
- 8 Things That Can Make You Gain Water Weight (2018, health.com)
- American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: guidance for prescribing exercise. (2011, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- The 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2015, choosemyplate.gov)
- What Happens to Your Body When You Skip a Meal (2014, womenshealthmag.com)
- Why Spot Reduction Is a Weight-Loss Myth (2020, verywellfit.com)
