So you want a nice stomach
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What he said ^^^^^bornforbattles wrote: »A nice stomach is going to be 95% nutrition. You can do all the ab work you want but if your diet sucks you will never see your abs or have a "toned" look.
Having said that, without the 5% proper exercise, you'll never look great, just skinny.
@427_Cobra that's why the first point is calorie deficit, to cut the fat. The rest of it is for body composition. Just telling people that nutrition is important isn't very helpful. That's why I spent time laying out how to put it all into action.0 -
SaraBelle0312 wrote: »These are my stats using the website you gave
I am 5'4", 195lbs with a 35in waist which gave me 27% body fat and 142 lbm. It has my TDEE at 1941 kcals, which means I need to be eating ~1550 calories? That is 100% sedentary and no exercise and I will just lose weight doing that? I know kitchen is MOST of the weight loss, but provided I eat correctly, I'll just lose weight doing that? Seems unrealistic/too good to be true.
@SaraBelle0312 The body fat could be wrong, but the calorie goal is correct. You will lose weight eating 1550 calories per day (which is actually below your calculated BMR). You can even have pizza or ice cream as long as you are accurate and eating 1550 calories you'll lose weight. Making sure you get adequate protein and resistance training are going to be important for making sure that the weight you lose comes mostly from fat instead of fat and lean mass, which happens when you just diet or diet and cardio. It might seem too good to be true, but it's not. Your body burns around 1600 calories keeping you alive and about another 300 showering, cooking, walking to the bathroom, etc.0 -
ilirlena40 wrote: »Hi Usmcmp, I want to get abs (flat stomach). I'm on a calorie deficit, so will i get a flat stomach if I eat anything I want as long as I'm in a calorie deficit?
@ilirlena40 To a degree, yes. You need adequate amounts of each macronutrient (carbs, fat, protein) as well as micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). If you plan everything well you can easily have things you love still. You can lose weight eating only pizza and ice cream, but you won't be filling your bodies needs. You could have some ice cream every day if you filled the rest of your calories and macros with fruits, vegetables and lean meats.0 -
I go through the motions like most people...look lean...then other times look chubby around the mid rift...what would you say...should i be working from a deficit...my calorie intake is 2000, my protein Around 150 -160grams a day usually achieve it....i really struggle with hitting my carbs....would you say this has am effect0
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rossscobie wrote: »I go through the motions like most people...look lean...then other times look chubby around the mid rift...what would you say...should i be working from a deficit...my calorie intake is 2000, my protein Around 150 -160grams a day usually achieve it....i really struggle with hitting my carbs....would you say this has am effect
@rossscobie Sounds like you have water retention issues if you look lean then look chubby. Although as you get even leaner the water retention is less and less noticeable. Carbohydrate intake and water retention from that usually goes to the muscles, not to the fat or subcutaneous tissues. Carbs or lack of are not causing water retention, inadequate water intake or high sodium cause the water retention.0 -
Thanks! You look amazing and give lil ol me hope
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rossscobie wrote: »I go through the motions like most people...look lean...then other times look chubby around the mid rift...what would you say...should i be working from a deficit...my calorie intake is 2000, my protein Around 150 -160grams a day usually achieve it....i really struggle with hitting my carbs....would you say this has am effect
@rossscobie Sounds like you have water retention issues if you look lean then look chubby. Although as you get even leaner the water retention is less and less noticeable. Carbohydrate intake and water retention from that usually goes to the muscles, not to the fat or subcutaneous tissues. Carbs or lack of are not causing water retention, inadequate water intake or high sodium cause the water retention.
So you think i should increase water? I drink around 2litres a day... As well as 6 black coffees...what is high in sodium il try amd cut out?if i add u can u look at my food diary0 -
rossscobie wrote: »rossscobie wrote: »I go through the motions like most people...look lean...then other times look chubby around the mid rift...what would you say...should i be working from a deficit...my calorie intake is 2000, my protein Around 150 -160grams a day usually achieve it....i really struggle with hitting my carbs....would you say this has am effect
@rossscobie Sounds like you have water retention issues if you look lean then look chubby. Although as you get even leaner the water retention is less and less noticeable. Carbohydrate intake and water retention from that usually goes to the muscles, not to the fat or subcutaneous tissues. Carbs or lack of are not causing water retention, inadequate water intake or high sodium cause the water retention.
So you think i should increase water? I drink around 2litres a day... As well as 6 black coffees...what is high in sodium il try amd cut out?if i add u can u look at my food diary
I think you should cut back on the coffee. If you are struggling with energy you need better/more sleep. Your lack of carbs, fruits and vegetables is another culprit for low energy. You have some meat and almost no fruits or vegetables. Your chinese take-away has lots of sodium. You're also either not logging accurately or seriously under eating. Try just sticking with 2000 calories and eat more carbs (some from fruits and vegetables).0 -
rossscobie wrote: »rossscobie wrote: »I go through the motions like most people...look lean...then other times look chubby around the mid rift...what would you say...should i be working from a deficit...my calorie intake is 2000, my protein Around 150 -160grams a day usually achieve it....i really struggle with hitting my carbs....would you say this has am effect
@rossscobie Sounds like you have water retention issues if you look lean then look chubby. Although as you get even leaner the water retention is less and less noticeable. Carbohydrate intake and water retention from that usually goes to the muscles, not to the fat or subcutaneous tissues. Carbs or lack of are not causing water retention, inadequate water intake or high sodium cause the water retention.
So you think i should increase water? I drink around 2litres a day... As well as 6 black coffees...what is high in sodium il try amd cut out?if i add u can u look at my food diary
I think you should cut back on the coffee. If you are struggling with energy you need better/more sleep. Your lack of carbs, fruits and vegetables is another culprit for low energy. You have some meat and almost no fruits or vegetables. Your chinese take-away has lots of sodium. You're also either not logging accurately or seriously under eating. Try just sticking with 2000 calories and eat more carbs (some from fruits and vegetables).
Yeah sleep i do struggle with...i sometimes have a vegetable with meat...just not alot...i am never tired or lack of energy when am in the gym. Yeah chinese takeaway was a one off. Cool il give it a bash0 -
Good to know im on the right track :-) i follow these well!0
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how to get nice abd flat stomach without gym? , tbh im not able to go gym , im quite shy person i dont like when ppl look at me i feel like they would judge me , way how i look, how i exercise , that they might talk about me or laugh , i know its silly and lot of you will thing im not right but im scared of ppl judgment , there are some exercises i could do at my house by myself without equipment? i have only crosstrainer0
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malutkapatrysia wrote: »how to get nice abd flat stomach without gym? , tbh im not able to go gym , im quite shy person i dont like when ppl look at me i feel like they would judge me , way how i look, how i exercise , that they might talk about me or laugh , i know its silly and lot of you will thing im not right but im scared of ppl judgment , there are some exercises i could do at my house by myself without equipment? i have only crosstrainer
@malutkapatrysia I was the same way when I started. Nobody is judging you. I had severe anxiety just going out in public. Going to the gym is going to do a lot more for you than just help your body. You can start with You Are Your Own Gym or Convict Conditioning. I highly suggest you face your fear of the gym at some point. Even if you just dart in and exercise while hiding in a corner like I started out. There are going to be just as many people starting out as there are people who are in shape. Facing this fear will help other areas of your life.0 -
You asked this not even 2 weeks ago.ilirlena40 wrote: »Hi Usmcmp, I want to get abs (flat stomach). I'm on a calorie deficit, so will i get a flat stomach if I eat anything I want as long as I'm in a calorie deficit?
And she answered you then, so did LOLBroscience.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/31099393/#Comment_310993930 -
To OP, This was very helpfull, thanks a lot! PS you look awesome! I just posted a new topic about me trying to lose fat, than i saw this post, lol
@gustaaf85 I'm glad you found it helpful! Hopefully you got some other good advice as well in your thread.0 -
I'm just annoyed because mine has shrunk a bit but not gone away and I'm 4 pounds away from my goal...and I'm not going below that goal. What are the odds that the last 4 pounds will all be belly?
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dontjinxit wrote: »I'm just annoyed because mine has shrunk a bit but not gone away and I'm 4 pounds away from my goal...and I'm not going below that goal. What are the odds that the last 4 pounds will all be belly?
@dontjinxit You've run into a problem that many people do. Your goal weight still leave you with undesirable body fat. This is why many of us encourage strength training from the start. It's not to build muscle, but to retain lean mass as you lose weight. Dieting causes lean mass loss because our bodies find that using lean mass to fill in the deficit is easier than using fat mass. You might need to look into recomposition. Basically eating at maintenance while lifting. It will improve your body composition. You may not lose more weight, but you should lose fat.2 -
I hope my new town has a gym. I do plenty of cardio but have never really gotten into lifting, so you may be onto something with that.
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blankiefinder wrote: »blankiefinder wrote: »Trying to figure out when to stop losing and work on a recomposition (maintain weight or add a bit, add muscle, drop inches). I'm getting close to goal, and using the simple spreadsheet done by one of the users here and all of my measurements, my current body fat is at ~28% (mostly the mommy tummy
) Any thoughts?
Current stats 5' 7.5, 136 lbs
@blankiefinder I can't tell you if the spreadsheet is going to help you or not because I have no idea what it is telling you. Recomposition takes a long time. It's combining a bulk cycle and a cut cycle, which each take a while to accomplish any meaningful gains and retain them as you lose fat.
Based on the stats you gave me I can tell that you have low lean mass. Continuing to just lose weight is not appropriate for you at this point because it could negatively impact your health. Bulking is not appropriate for you at this point because your body fat is too high. Recomposition is perfect for you. If I was to set yours up I would find your approximate TDEE then add 300 calories to 3 days (must be on days you lift) and subtract 200 calories from 4 days. That's how recomposition works in theory. Your average intake at the end of the week should be about your TDEE.
Great, thanks. That's pretty much how I was feeling about my body, that my weight is okay but too much fat. Would it still be okay to do cardio like Zumba or something slower like walking, on non-lifting days?
The cardio activity on the lower calorie days could aid in fat loss, just don't over do it. If you start losing weight then you'll need to increase calories on lifting days. The goal is basically to keep your weight about the same.
What would you recommend for someone with similar stats (add 5 pounds) to blankiefinder, but who couldn't lift heavy? (but could do bodyweight and light high rep resistance)
@tomatoey Look into You Are Your Own Gym. There are ways to add resistance to body weight exercises. To recomposition you have to add lean mass and that requires progressive overload. You have to eventually use harder exercises or more weight. You have to challenge the muscles. Higher reps don't quite do it. Once you hit a certain point you are working on muscular endurance and it's less effective for hypertrophy.
Thank you, usmcmp Right now I'm working around a couple of injuries, so I'm pretty limited in what I can do. Should I cut my calories, then, or wait to get better?
@tomatoey I wouldn't cut calories more. Focus on healing. You'll want the resistance training to help you retain the lean mass.
@usmcmp - I really want to thank you for your input, again, it really is appreciated. I was wondering if I could get your input on my routine?
I do mostly rehab and bodyweight exercises every day (one wrist and knees are being rehabbed; chronic & unresolvable issue with ankle = can't do impact).
So, most days, I do 1-2 sets of 30 reps of bodyweight partial squats, step-ups, back extensions, glute bridges, and various hip- and quad-related matwork. In addition, I do 2-3 sets of 12 leg curls and cable glute kickbacks. I focus on form, but I either add reps or resistance, or vary tempo, every time to try to get what I can from it.
I also do the elliptical and stationary bicycle for 45 minutes, after I do the above exercises. I've been doing speed and resistance intervals on the bike, hoping the resistance might work synergistically with the other exercises to build muscle mass. Is that a good or bad idea? I've read that it can help reduce fat and build muscle (see this review). I've also read that cardio that's too intense can catabolize muscle, and that long, slow cardio (LISS?) like walking might be a better idea for calorie and fat-burning in a way that doesn't interfere with muscle growth (and it might give me some extra room to wiggle with calories).
If you think high-resistance cardio would help build muscle, should it be done every day? Or would that interfere with recovery? Or would recovery not be that much of an issue because the progression I'm able to do with resistance activities is pretty minimal?
Sorry to ask so many questions!
haha where to dig in
Glad you know your limitations and there are ways to get in cardio and strength training without impact exercises (I broke my pelvis and ankle, plus I have knee issues, so I understand). With the exercises I would increase sets and drop the reps to under 15. For some of them adding weight is as easy as putting on a backpack with books (or holding it to your chest depending on your balance).
The link does support HIIT (which they call by a different name). The problem with HIIT is that most people do not put max effort in for the 30 seconds or minute of work. During running this would be a full sprint. Many people simply increase from a walk to a run and are actually missing out on the benefits of HIIT. I have read a few studies on cardio and if I remember correctly most of it simply comes down to appropriate calorie intake to reduce catabolism.
High-resistance cardio will help with muscle conditioning. You could potentially build some mass, but appropriate resistance would at least be muscle sparing for the ones used (if you've seen serious bicyclist and trail runners they have insane legs). I wouldn't do it every day simply for injury recovery reasons.
@usmcmp, I'm sorry, you read all that and gave me a comprehensive and hugely reply and I missed it!
Thank you!!!
With my HIIT, I doubt I'm going as hard as a healthy 20 y/o male study participant, for sure. But, I am always pushing myself to go faster or harder - on the bike, I'm now up to 1 minute of 160 rpm at level 6-0 resistance, and one minute recovery at 100 rpm at level 4-5, OR 2 minutes at 140 rpm and one minute recovery (same). Heart rate is at 145-155 according to the machine sensors. I would love to have those insane legs! So, good to hear, if I eat the right amount of calories, I could make this work for me
More sets of 15 reps - got it. Great tip on using a backpack to add weight, thank you!
I'm sorry to hear you've got knee issues (and about your previous injuries) - but it looks like it's not stopping you!
Thanks so much again!
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FINALLY: Losing fat is like trying to dry out a sponge. You can't dry a corner while the rest of it is still wet. You won't magically lose belly fat or thigh fat or any other fat. It will come off where it wants to. Keep working at it! It is possible!
I love you. I don't know what i'll do to the next person who suggests I work off my postpartum belly by doing "crunches". No no...my whole body needs to get smaller!
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FINALLY: Losing fat is like trying to dry out a sponge. You can't dry a corner while the rest of it is still wet. You won't magically lose belly fat or thigh fat or any other fat. It will come off where it wants to. Keep working at it! It is possible!
I love you. I don't know what i'll do to the next person who suggests I work off my postpartum belly by doing "crunches". No no...my whole body needs to get smaller!
Even if you needed to strengthen your core (like many of us do after having babies) I still wouldn't suggest crunches (or planks). There are much more effective ways.0
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