fat loss

tarheelboy

I have been on MFP for 26 days and have lost 8 pounds. I have 22 to go to reach my target weight. I have noticed my face, neck, shoulders, and chest areas have slimmed down quite a bit. But....not the belly. I know that men typically hold their weight in their midsection so it makes sense that that will be the last place to see results. Any ideas on increasing fat loss to go along with my steady weight loss? I'm glad I am losing weight but I really want the body fat to go. Should I just keep going and wait for it to come on its own?

jemhh

Just keep going (and going and going.) I'm not a man but, unfortunately, have the same issue with weight in my middle. I'd say just keep up the good work on losing and, if you aren't already, add in strength training because once you lose that belly fat you'll likely want to see/feel muscle in that area.

AdrianBry

belly fat is usually the last to go. you lose weight all over so stick to what you are doing (while making tweaks to lose weight faster along the way)

tarheelboy

so adding some heavy lifting could help? if so, total body or focus on larger muscle groups like back, legs and chest?

cajuntank

tarheelboy wrote: »

so adding some heavy lifting could help? if so, total body or focus on larger muscle groups like back, legs and chest?

Yep, you definitely need to be lifting. Get on a good starting program which focuses on your big compound movements like squat, deadlift, bench press, pull-ups, etc.... Stimulating the large muscle groups with compounds burns calories, builds strength, builds muscle (for newbies), etc... which in turn accelerate calories burned and thus fat loss. Not lifting, you could end of looking "skinny fat", meaning you lost weight, but don't have enough muscle mass underneath to look good.
Many programs are mentioned in these forums including, but not limited to, StrongLifts, Starting Strength, Ice Cream Fitness, and many others. The key is to follow the program as written and not think you know better how to program (ooh, I'm gonna add in this exercise for this many reps because I saw Arnold do it and he was huge...), as you don't right now. That comes much, much later. Read and research to see which program aligns better to your goals.

jemhh

Lifting is going to help your overall weight loss and physique. It won't spot-reduce your midsection. Compound lifts like bench press, squat, overhead press, deadlifts, and barbell rows will work out your whole body. Stronglifts 5x5 is super popular as a starter program and includes those exercises. I do Greyskull LP, which is also compound-lift centered.

AmyRhubarb

Best success I've had with fat loss is eating at a small calorie deficit, and listing as heavy as possible. I throw some cardio in there too, but my priority is the weights.

SueInAz

tarheelboy wrote: »

so adding some heavy lifting could help? if so, total body or focus on larger muscle groups like back, legs and chest?

Short answer: "Yes", focus on all over. You could certainly start just by targeting the larger muscles but compound moves with free weights also work the smaller muscles which act as stabilizers. Maintaining your current muscle mass by strength training will ensure that you're losing mostly fat.

tarheelboy

I printed off the stronglifts 5 spreadsheet so I can start it. Thanks for the inputs.

Sued0nim

tarheelboy wrote: »

I printed off the stronglifts 5 spreadsheet so I can start it. Thanks for the inputs.

Good plan

tarheelboy

ok so gonna start the stronglifts 5 program. With regards to the calorie deficit, should I be shooting for a certain macro percentage of protein/fat/carbs? I know there is no magic combination of one size fits all but in general what percentages should I try to maintain during my cutting phase? Right now MFP has me on a 50% carbs, 35% protein and 15% fat. That's to lose 2 pounds a week.

dieselbyte

tarheelboy wrote: »

ok so gonna start the stronglifts 5 program. With regards to the calorie deficit, should I be shooting for a certain macro percentage of protein/fat/carbs? I know there is no magic combination of one size fits all but in general what percentages should I try to maintain during my cutting phase? Right now MFP has me on a 50% carbs, 35% protein and 15% fat. That's to lose 2 pounds a week.

As you stated, there is no magical macro ratio. I recommend getting more than 15% fat however. Fat is an essential macronutrient, and when in a deficit, fat is even more essential. Too little dietary fat can lead to a myriad of complications (TRT and HRT isn't good). A good rule of thumb for protein and fat minimums is .86g/lbs of protein and .35g/lbs of fat, then fill the rest in with carbs.

mom3over40

I am still working on this myself. Just want to ask if you are taking measurements. If you are like me, someone with a significant tummy, it would be difficult to visibly see a difference in the size even if you drop inches.

tarheelboy

no I'm not taking measurements. Right now I just go by the scale and how my clothes fit. When my fat boy jeans get loose I try on the smaller ones. My wife says my gut is shrinking but I cant tell.

tarheelboy

dieselbyte I was wrong about my percentages. Right now MFP has my percentages at 20% protein, 30% fat, and 50% carbs.

mom3over40

Start making measurements may help you keep going with the above good suggestions you received above. I lost a good 2 inches before my pants began to feel loose. I guess I had always been wearing them a bit tight at the waist. And I bet, 2 inches lost at waist would not be as obvious as a centimeter lost around the neck.