Loosing belly fat "myth"?

leomom72

When your body loses fat, it loses the fat from wherever it damn well pleases. You have absolutely zero control over where the fat you lose comes from.

yeah..thats why we lose our boobs :sad:

grinner30

One thing that you might not like to hear is that you cannot loose fat. Fat cells are never lost. They can be made, but the body does not remove fat cells. Fat cells can shrink.

The more lean muscle mass that you have the higher your metabolism will be at resting state(and active). This will help keep your weight and fat cells in check. Calorie deficit is the only way to "shrink" what you have. Maintaining a healthy diet afterwards will keep it in check.

Now go sweat and eat clean!

NicoleFray

i noticed the most change in my tummy area after i started running on the treadmill. after 1 month of running, my flab is almost 100% gone!

I just stared running outside/treadmill i've never been a runner but now im starting to love it and i have seen my stomach go down slightly so i'm defiantly going to keep running

yeah, ive never been a runner either, so my main exercise was walking and the elliptical, but last month i started running, and so i run 2 miles per day, then walk... since i started running, im noticing alot more firming in my tummy area. i used to have a belly flap that hung, now its gone. i dont measure, only weight, but i bet if i measured, ive lost a couple inches just from my belly this month. i know spot reduction isnt really possible, however, being that running really works the abs more than walking, i think im putting those muscles in my mid section to work, and in turn, its tightening, as well as burning up fat and tightening the skin... i just posted a swim suit pic today, i was really surprised at how flat my tummy has gotten... i hate running, but will continue, due to the awesome results im having.

I hope I get the results you got from running, I know for sure running is doing something to my abs because my body isn't used to me running and I still get sore abs, legs, everything haha.
..And you look amazing by the way! Amazing job!

shadow2soul

I've been told that doing crunches and all those belly workouts only strengthen your abs/stomach area and that it wont help you loose your fat there just strengthen (which is good) but is it true that just doing workouts ex. treadmill, lifting, elliptical, (all the other stuff as well) etc.. will that eventually make your belly go down?
I'm confused haha.

Yes. I do very few exercises that are meant to strengthen your core (crunches, planks, ect). My belly is shrinking.
I have pics posted here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1011152-87-days-of-using-mfp-p-lots-of-pics?hl=87&page=1#posts-15485906

NicoleFray

When your body loses fat, it loses the fat from wherever it damn well pleases. You have absolutely zero control over where the fat you lose comes from.

yeah..thats why we lose our boobs :sad:

Haha, true! You never loose it where you wanna loose it!

CorvusCorax77

well, i'm at the point where my goal is to see defined muscles in my abs. It's damned elusive for me. I think I have loose skin from being so obese for so many years.... so my current plan is to build my ab muscles while lowering my body fat and hope I can fill out my skin with something I can be proud of!

NicoleFray

I've been told that doing crunches and all those belly workouts only strengthen your abs/stomach area and that it wont help you loose your fat there just strengthen (which is good) but is it true that just doing workouts ex. treadmill, lifting, elliptical, (all the other stuff as well) etc.. will that eventually make your belly go down?
I'm confused haha.

Yes. I do very few exercises that are meant to strengthen your core (crunches, planks, ect). My belly is shrinking.
I have pics posted here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1011152-87-days-of-using-mfp-p-lots-of-pics?hl=87&page=1#posts-15485906

Omg! You look so good! What did you do to get your results!
Amazing!

mommy3457

I read on a bodybuilder site that some men would lose that last bit on their stomach by wearing something on their belly which makes them sweat. Who knows? I wonder the same thing. And, before I post this, because I know someone will want to comment and tell me how I'm all wrong even though I did not say these bodybuilders are right. I know that spot reduction is not true overall, but I just don't know.

shortie_sarah

it's genetic and every one is different. I can be at 19% bf (I had it tested hydrostatically) and still have a belly. Others can lose belly fat and still have a chest. What your body does is up to your genetics.

Still, the only way to ensure that something is happening there is to lower your bf% overall. You do this by having a caloric expenditure that is more than your caloric consumption (and by expenditure, I don't just mean exercise- which i'm only saying cuz there is so much dumb in the forums today about this- your body burns calories existing: heart pumping, nerves firing, lungs breathing, eyes blinking, organs excreting stuff, muscles keeping your pee and poop from shooting out of you, etc.).

Now when your caloric intake is less than your caloric expenditure, your body reduces body fat and body muscle. To have that loss be more fat and less muscle, you work out (resistance train) to preserve muscle mass. So in a long sorta round about way, crunches help- sure- because it burns calories and preserves muscle mass. But so would doing bicep curls or chin ups.

Capiche?

well put

shadow2soul

I've been told that doing crunches and all those belly workouts only strengthen your abs/stomach area and that it wont help you loose your fat there just strengthen (which is good) but is it true that just doing workouts ex. treadmill, lifting, elliptical, (all the other stuff as well) etc.. will that eventually make your belly go down?
I'm confused haha.

Yes. I do very few exercises that are meant to strengthen your core (crunches, planks, ect). My belly is shrinking.
I have pics posted here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1011152-87-days-of-using-mfp-p-lots-of-pics?hl=87&page=1#posts-15485906

Omg! You look so good! What did you do to get your results!
Amazing!

Thanks :blushing:

I workout 5-6 days a week. 20 mins minimum and 90 mins max.

Occasionally (maybe 1-3 times a week) I'll go on walks with my hubby and son. The length increases each time. I've also noticed that my speed has improved. I was walking an average of 3mph and now I average 4mph. On days where I go on a walk I will workout for 40 mins max, but usually only 20 mins.

Up until the end of may, I was doing the following for workouts (there was no set in stone day for any of it, just whatever I felt like for the day):

-Your Shape FE 2012 = for the Cardio Boxing and Boot Camp workouts (Kinect)
-Dance Central 2 = used the Fitness section for 20 -40 mins (kinect)
-EA Sports Active 2.0 = I did the Cardio Kick Start Program (12 workouts total)...combines cardio and resistance training...I used 5lb dumbbells instead of the resistance band...some workouts would have 10 - 20 crunches (2 different versions 10 each) and 20 second planks but not every workout...it took 20-30 mins (each day was different)... (kinect)
- JM 30 Day Shred = umm well, this workout bores me to death and as I result I only used it twice (literally 2 days)

I've recently switched things up a bit:

-Wii Fit Plus (had it last year, wii died, hubby just bought me a new wii)
-Golds Gym Cardio Workout = cardio boxing...I got rid of Your Shape, because I prefer the boxing in this game
-Stronglifts 5x5 = 3 days a week
- Dance Central 2 = same as before
- EA Sports Active 2.0 = I'm going to start the 9 week Program eventually (last time I started it, I ended up getting hurt and not being able to workout, probably just coincidence, but I haven't put it in the xbox since :laugh: )
- Running = I'm going to start running, but atm I'm waiting for an itunes gift card (10 days left till arrival..:grumble:, but it was free so I can't complain too much) so I can get the ZombiesRun! app

Mcgrawhaha

Think about it. If the the ab muscles grow from doing crunches or sit ups, what will happen? You'll get bigger there. What you want to do is just work on losing the fat. That takes a balanced diet, and watching your calories.

I am not against exercise, but make sure it's well rounded.

i respectfully disagree.

Disagree with what?

on just working on losing fat, i think you should also strength train at the same time.

ninerbuff

One thing that you might not like to hear is that you cannot loose fat. Fat cells are never lost. They can be made, but the body does not remove fat cells. Fat cells can shrink.

The more lean muscle mass that you have the higher your metabolism will be at resting state(and active). This will help keep your weight and fat cells in check. Calorie deficit is the only way to "shrink" what you have. Maintaining a healthy diet afterwards will keep it in check.

Now go sweat and eat clean!

Actually you do lose fat. What fills a fat cell is fat. So when it deflates, you are losing fat from the body. Same can also happen with muscle if it's not stressed when losing weight.


A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

jonnythan

Think about it. If the the ab muscles grow from doing crunches or sit ups, what will happen? You'll get bigger there. What you want to do is just work on losing the fat. That takes a balanced diet, and watching your calories.

I am not against exercise, but make sure it's well rounded.

i respectfully disagree.

Disagree with what?

on just working on losing fat, i think you should also strength train at the same time.

The two are not mutually exclusive. Strength training is, in fact, the best way to ensure that, while you are losing weight, most of the weight lost is fat mass instead of lean mass.