What to do to get rid of stubborn beer gut?

nazarah123

Long story short......I've been working out at some level most all of my adult life. In my 20's and some of my 30's I picked up the bottle. I didn't really gain a ton of weight from it, but the weight that I did gain stayed in my mid section. I'm 36, male and 230lb last time I weighed in.

Now the details that bring me here. Back in late June of 2018 I put down the drink. Haven't touched it since. Really kicked up my exercise frequency and started logging food on MFP. I feel like I've been doing what it takes to loose fat while still maintaining muscle mass. At first, I went from being comfortable in a 36 waist jeans down to 35/34. So there was *some* progress. Seems like in the past few months though, it's kind of tanked. I keep an eye on the scale, although I know that is sometimes your worst enemy. I've hovered in that 225-230 range for a long time.

What does a guy have to do to get rid of the gut? It's frustrating. I can post a couple of pictures from June and now if it'll help.

nazarah123

Might also help to add in what my current workout looks like:

Day 1 - Legs
Day 2 - Chest/abs
Day 3 - Arms
Day 4 - Shoulders/upper back/abs
Day 5 - Lats/lower back

I don't have any dedicated cardio time built in. I'm wondering (almost assuming) this is where I'm dropping the proverbial ball here. I do use a fitbit, and keep my heart rate in the 120's range while lifting.

RoxieDawn

Using your scale weight to help gauge progress is a good tool to use, the question is what type of regime are you following: Maintaining weight (eating at maintenance while attempting recomp)? Been in a deficit to lose weight?

The heart rate zone's do not matter, getting cals and program in check are. Based on your exercise listed above, you want to look into following an established program with built in progression and recovery days. You can add in cardio if you want around that.

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

What is your height? And YES post the pictures this will be very helpful.

jmule24

To add to the post listed above, you can't target fat loss to a certain area. You body decides which fat stores to use up first. For me, I've always had 'love handles' which is annoying but I continue to try and just keep focused on the prize.

Losing / Gaining weight truly is as simple as calories-in vs. calories-out. That information is only as good as your tracking though.

Personal opinion here....I'm not a fan of body part lifting days. I will do a full body routine 3x/week and 2x/week dedicated to cardio. It hasn't failed me yet. I attribute that success to following a lifting program regularly though.

cathipa

How are you accounting for the foods you log? Are you weighing your food? Weight loss comes down to calorie deficit. If you aren't in a deficit it doesn't matter how long or hard you work out.

nazarah123

I'll dig up some pictures and add them up here. I do weigh my foods, and log them all. From what I can tell in my food log, I'm almost always in a deficit. That being said, I'm probably high on my fats because I love steak. That's something I need to cut down on.

nazarah123

The first one is from vacation in July. The last two are from just a few days ago. Not a super close comparison because I'm seated in the first one, and natural posture and such. Second ones I'm standing and flexed/sucked in. But hopefully it gives an idea.

sgt1372

nazarah123 wrote: »

I'll dig up some pictures and add them up here. I do weigh my foods, and log them all. From what I can tell in my food log, I'm almost always in a deficit. That being said, I'm probably high on my fats because I love steak. That's something I need to cut down on.

You don't get fat eating fat.

You get fat from eating more cals than your body burns.

The only way to lose weight and body fat is to eat fewer cals than your body needs so that your body will burn stored fat.

That's also the only way you'll get rid of a beer belly to reveal your ab muscles.

Ab specific exercises will make your abs and core stronger but will never reveal those muscles no matter how many such exercises you do if you do not also lose weight and fat in the process.

If there is an absolute truth in terms of weight loss, this is it. It's called CI/CO or calories in/calories out

MikePfirrman

I lose last in my gut and face. I also store a bit of fat around my love handle areas. It's just how it is for me. The lowest I've gone (since being a teenager) is like 15% body fat and it finally started going away. I'd likely have to get around there again to lose the tiny gut and small love handles (I'm around 19/20% now). It's just how it is for some of us. With that said, you have some BF to lose still based on those pics to get to around 20% body fat. I'd start there.

sijomial

nazarah123 wrote: »

I'll dig up some pictures and add them up here. I do weigh my foods, and log them all. From what I can tell in my food log, I'm almost always in a deficit. That being said, I'm probably high on my fats because I love steak. That's something I need to cut down on.

If you are "hovering" around the same weight "for a log time" you aren't in a sustained calorie deficit.
It's your overall calories that would be too high rather than the individual macros whether that's fat or not.

Most likely causes are inaccurate food logging or poor adherence to your calorie goal.

dausly

Personal opinion... 1. Calories in needs to be in a range that keeps your metabolism burning. 2. If you get too few calories, your body burns muscle before fat unless you are in ketogenesis.

Three of my friends and myself have had success with keto in losing weight. Taking measurements other than the scale helps quantify progress. I use my fitness pals custom option to track waist circumference. I lost two inches off my gut with eight weeks of keto and mild activity earlier this year. I gained it back over the holidays by eating like a hungry bear preparing to hibernate for three months. Two of my friends lost over a hundred pounds on keto. The third has fluctuated due to self control issues with diet. Just saying, keto works. There's a website ruled.me or something like that with lots of info on it.

Tedebearduff

For the beer gut comment/ extended gut from alcohol .. for me it took a year of not drinking until it was gone and no longer extended. That's just my experience, could be different for you as I'm no scientist.

Track what you eat to lose weight, like legit track everything not just guesstimate like you're in your 20's still. You might not be working out as hard as you think you are or pushing yourself as hard as you think you are. PPL talk about going to failure all the time and what not but really have no idea what it takes to get there and then how hard each rep is .. how much it hurts .... stuff like that idk.. all assumptions not saying this is you more trying to motivate you to try harder brother.

kimny72

dausly wrote: »

Personal opinion... 1. Calories in needs to be in a range that keeps your metabolism burning. 2. If you get too few calories, your body burns muscle before fat unless you are in ketogenesis.

Three of my friends and myself have had success with keto in losing weight. Taking measurements other than the scale helps quantify progress. I use my fitness pals custom option to track waist circumference. I lost two inches off my gut with eight weeks of keto and mild activity earlier this year. I gained it back over the holidays by eating like a hungry bear preparing to hibernate for three months. Two of my friends lost over a hundred pounds on keto. The third has fluctuated due to self control issues with diet. Just saying, keto works. There's a website ruled.me or something like that with lots of info on it.

1. If your metabolism stops burning, you die. Your body is always working, even when you sleep, and metabolism is your body burning fuel for the work it is doing.
2. If this were true, starving people would become piles of mushy fat and bones and then their body would burn their heart muscle and die before they wasted away.

Keto does work, along with most other ways of eating if you get your calories in line. If OP enjoys eating mostly fat and protein and finds those foods filling, keto might certainly help him with compliance for the long haul.

OP, if you want more reading, check this thread out:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach/p1

Teabythesea_

dausly wrote: »

Personal opinion... 1. Calories in needs to be in a range that keeps your metabolism burning. 2. If you get too few calories, your body burns muscle before fat unless you are in ketogenesis.

Three of my friends and myself have had success with keto in losing weight. Taking measurements other than the scale helps quantify progress. I use my fitness pals custom option to track waist circumference. I lost two inches off my gut with eight weeks of keto and mild activity earlier this year. I gained it back over the holidays by eating like a hungry bear preparing to hibernate for three months. Two of my friends lost over a hundred pounds on keto. The third has fluctuated due to self control issues with diet. Just saying, keto works. There's a website ruled.me or something like that with lots of info on it.

Keto “works” in the sense that it is a tool used by many to sustain a calorie deficit. Also, saying something is an opinion doesn’t grant it any more validity, those things are still utterly false.

musicfan68

dausly wrote: »

Personal opinion... 1. Calories in needs to be in a range that keeps your metabolism burning. 2. If you get too few calories, your body burns muscle before fat unless you are in ketogenesis.

Three of my friends and myself have had success with keto in losing weight. Taking measurements other than the scale helps quantify progress. I use my fitness pals custom option to track waist circumference. I lost two inches off my gut with eight weeks of keto and mild activity earlier this year. I gained it back over the holidays by eating like a hungry bear preparing to hibernate for three months. Two of my friends lost over a hundred pounds on keto. The third has fluctuated due to self control issues with diet. Just saying, keto works. There's a website ruled.me or something like that with lots of info on it.

That may be your opinion, but your opinion is absolutely not true. That's not how it works.

cwolfman13

You just need to lose weight. The midsection is primary fat stores for most males and it's the last thing to go.

dausly wrote: »

Personal opinion... 1. Calories in needs to be in a range that keeps your metabolism burning. 2. If you get too few calories, your body burns muscle before fat unless you are in ketogenesis.

Three of my friends and myself have had success with keto in losing weight. Taking measurements other than the scale helps quantify progress. I use my fitness pals custom option to track waist circumference. I lost two inches off my gut with eight weeks of keto and mild activity earlier this year. I gained it back over the holidays by eating like a hungry bear preparing to hibernate for three months. Two of my friends lost over a hundred pounds on keto. The third has fluctuated due to self control issues with diet. Just saying, keto works. There's a website ruled.me or something like that with lots of info on it.

Your body never burns muscle before fat...

strunch

It's all math. Weigh your food accurately and log everything and/or consider lowering your daily calorie intake.

ritzvin

nazarah123 wrote: »

What does a guy have to do to get rid of the gut? It's frustrating. I can post a couple of pictures from June and now if it'll help.

Simple answer: Eat less.

evilokc

i tend to lose fat in my lower belly last and gain it in my chin first both of which are really annoying. if you want big results your going to have to make big changes. it always seems like losing 15lbs will get rid of our gut but the truth is its probably closer to 30lbs. get serious with your tracking and keep a good deficit. cardio is great for the heart and helps keep you in your deficit but real fat loss is going to happen in the kitchen. plan on this taking a while and set small goals that will keep you going in the right direction. I thought I knew what I was doing when I started mfp because I had always lifted weights. however once I started tracking I really got to understand my body and what it needs in order to lean out. you got this man.

moogie_fit

Why are you doing a bodybuilding split? You are not an advanced bodybuilder are you?

I think I would switch to a three day full body routine around compounds like stronglifts and then do cardio the other two days.


Beer does not mean beer belly, excess weight on your body means beer belly. Where you store fat is genetic

IsETHome

nazarah123 wrote: »

Long story short......I've been working out at some level most all of my adult life. In my 20's and some of my 30's I picked up the bottle. I didn't really gain a ton of weight from it, but the weight that I did gain stayed in my mid section. I'm 36, male and 230lb last time I weighed in.

Now the details that bring me here. Back in late June of 2018 I put down the drink. Haven't touched it since. Really kicked up my exercise frequency and started logging food on MFP. I feel like I've been doing what it takes to loose fat while still maintaining muscle mass. At first, I went from being comfortable in a 36 waist jeans down to 35/34. So there was *some* progress. Seems like in the past few months though, it's kind of tanked. I keep an eye on the scale, although I know that is sometimes your worst enemy. I've hovered in that 225-230 range for a long time.

What does a guy have to do to get rid of the gut? It's frustrating. I can post a couple of pictures from June and now if it'll help.

Cardio, drop weight and focus on core strength. You probably have 45 lbs to drop in order to get the belly minimized. Recommend measuring. Your body won't initially drop it first where you want it and visually your belly could look bigger at first so ensure you track inches too.