In this insightful discussion, we follow Nimesh’s incredible journey as he loses belly fat using a science-backed, three-layer approach. Starting with a body fat percentage of 29.5% and a significant belly fat level of 34.4%, Nimesh faced the common struggles that many encounter when trying to lose weight. Surprisingly, belly fat tends to be the last area to shed excess weight.
The three layers of belly fat are crucial for understanding how to approach this journey effectively:
**Layer 1** is the soft outer layer that conceals abdominal definition. It’s generally easier to burn, disappearing around 20% body fat for men and 28% for women. Key habits for Nimesh included:
– Working out 3 times a week for fat loss and potential muscle gain
– Ensuring protein intake at every meal, primarily with home-cooked meals
– Walking 8,000 steps daily
– Tracking morning weight with a goal of losing approximately 1 lb per week
By Day 30, although he had lost 7 lbs, Nimesh struggled with doubts about his progress. However, waist measurements revealed a significant reduction of 3 cm, confirming the predictions of DXA data.
**Layer 2** introduces more challenges, as the body starts resisting fat loss. After initial weight loss, Nimesh had to increase his steps to 10,000 daily, ramp up strength training from a 3-day to a 4-day split, and follow a structured meal plan with calorie targets. Tracking his adjustments was crucial to maintaining his caloric deficit effectively.
In **Layer 3**, the journey becomes even tougher, as it includes the stubborn fat that fewer than 1% manage to lose. Here, belly definition becomes more visible, but every pound feels increasingly challenging due to hormonal changes that can lead to water retention. Nimesh employed techniques like strategic diet breaks and mindful calorie management to further his progress.
Over 275 days, Nimesh not only achieved his fat loss goals by lowering his body fat from 29.5% to 16.7% and his belly fat from 34.4% to 13%, but he also managed to gain nearly 7 lbs of lean mass—an inspiring reminder of what’s possible with the right plan and dedication.
For those seeking a structured approach to fat loss, you can try 2 weeks free of the BWS+ coaching app here:
https://bws.plus/7a
If you want a comprehensive meal plan to jumpstart your journey, download the free fat loss meal plan here:
https://builtwithscience.com/fat-loss-meal-plan-2026
By Jeremy Ethier