Belly Fat

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I've always had a chubby belly and I feel as if it will never go away, no matter what I do. Have you felt that way and did you overcome ? Tell me your story, share some pics !

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  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
    edited March 2016
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    I've always had a chubby belly and I feel as if it will never go away, no matter what I do. Have you felt that way and did you overcome ? Tell me your story, share some pics !

    You can't spot reduce. You have to lose overall fat which eventually - when you've lost enough - will remove the belly. Belly fat (visceral fat) is the most dangerous kind for men as it contributes to disease. Yup, the big three: heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Knowing that - who the heck would want to have visceral fat? Especially when removing that high risk is FREE simply by dropping the weight.

    How to overcome it? Eat a daily deficit (CICO - calories in vs. calories out) until the belly is gone. Once it is gone, only eat what your body needs. A realistic target is to lose a half a pound to a pound a week until it is gone. Yup, it takes time. And you have to stick with it simply by counting, measuring what goes in - and what you burn.

    Your belly fat simply is telling you that you have been eating more - on a daily basis - than your body needs, and probably for most of your adult life since you mention that you've "always had a chubby belly". Those extra calories get stored as fat.

    If you want to lose it, it's time for a lifestyle change of eating fewer calories. Trust me - you won't be starving or hungry. I love to eat and eat just about everything. However, I remain within my calorie needs.

    I'm currently just about finishing a 3 month "cut" by dropping from the 180's down to the 160's. However, I dropped my original weight from 212 to 180 back in 2004 which took me 10 months. I decided to cut down to 165 in 2014, but lost a lot of muscle during that cut. So I bulked up last year with eating a surplus and lifting heavy weights all year long to prepare for this cut which I began at Christmas. 189 down to 167 so far with a target goal of 164. I've lifted weights throughout this cut to maintain as much muscle as possible. And I look much different this time around in the arms/legs/chest because of it.

    I read this back in 2014 when I was trying to lose weight from a link on the forums here at MFP which snapped me into reality...

    http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/

  • wi_maint_man
    wi_maint_man Posts: 99 Member
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    I've always known that spot reducing is a myth. I tend to relax on the calorie counting when I get close to a goal. One thing you said is making me think, 1/2 lb a week weight loss goal . I currentlyhave my goal set at 2 lb a week, which can make me feel deprived, time for a change!
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    1/2 per week is a good goal.
    A progressive weightlifting program improves body shape.
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
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    I've always known that spot reducing is a myth. I tend to relax on the calorie counting when I get close to a goal. One thing you said is making me think, 1/2 lb a week weight loss goal . I currentlyhave my goal set at 2 lb a week, which can make me feel deprived, time for a change!

    2 pounds a week will make you really, really grumpy to be around. Or you could modulate back and forth week to week. 1/2 pound one week. 1 pound another week. 2 pounds one week. Then back to less.
  • raishiwi
    raishiwi Posts: 56 Member
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    hey are right, you can spot reduce. If you are below 18% body fat AND are using intermittent fasting, you can try the supplement Yohimbine. It works well for shredding stubborn fat but only works in those conditions.
  • wi_maint_man
    wi_maint_man Posts: 99 Member
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    Thats it, new goal 1/2 lb per week loss, more food and I've already been increase my workout intensity. I've noticed while dieting in the past that I would lose weight from certain areas first, I just didn't stick with it long enough to see a big difference in my stomach,
  • betuel75
    betuel75 Posts: 776 Member
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    raishiwi wrote: »
    hey are right, you can spot reduce. If you are below 18% body fat AND are using intermittent fasting, you can try the supplement Yohimbine. It works well for shredding stubborn fat but only works in those conditions.

    can you provide a link with proof of this? Fat goes away first and last where it wants based on genetics.